The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-01-31
Remarks of Hon. ~ a Percy

MIR. SPEAKER: Ny association and ac-
quaintance with Capt. Barksdale was limit
Ell to the briet period of the last session Oh
this body. That he was gallant soIuieF,
an ACCOMPLISHED, conscientious lawyer, ana
a PATRIOTIC honorable and honored citizen,
is the general verdict OF all who have known
him wei and intimately.
shall corfine myself to his career as
men, her of this body. and leave 20 those who
have knowd him longer TO speak OF MIN IN
other walks OF lte.
in this hall for the first time IN many years,
the representative men OF the pc pie anu Oh
the material interests OF MlsSIsslppi-inost
of them wholly Inexperienced IN pfacticaI
: LEGISLATION, but all earnest III the desire iof
/ thorough reform in that aud other branches
Ofthe State government. From the outStafG
! CAPTAIN Barksdae occupied foremost
rank among our members His slngtehts'
ana honesty of purpose, his utter contempt
/ for petty or partisan interests, Nhci IA con
! flicJ with great general pfinclplcS3 hi7 nc
/ and vehement zeal in the advocacy OF rlght
and truth at once i'm pres ~ed itselt upon the
/ House and commanded the thoughIIul at
! tention OF All to his utterances. me qudil'y
! OF his mind and character OF his temperament
/ Ii led him pre- -emiuentiy for the highest
! fields of legislation. His perception Oh the
I Drinciple underlying any proposition, ms
/ ability to lasten upon the very core ol
question under discussion, in qulckhess ana
! accuracv resembled rather the operations
i
tent and meaning of a proposed measure De
ever so carefully aud arttully ohscufcd Dy
/ verbiage and phraseoiogy, or supported py
/ arguments the most plausible ana persta-
/ sive, if in conflict with HNeu prlncipIee Vi
| ripht and the true interests OF the state,
! with uuerring certainty and unhesltatlh9
courage he detected and exposed 10 view
the hidden error. His capacity for analy SIS
was almost unriValled, and was comolleu
with mowers of generalization Ofno common
cd these
SDIendid Gift of elOQuence, IN a degree pc
slowed upon few men of any age, ana d
diction and command OF language uiie-
qualled In the expression OF s"ottie slaues
use of words. always clothing the Idea IN
tended to be expressed in just tAat gArD
which best suited it, have never known
his equal. ..
as exhiDitcd on this floor his single pur-
nose was to redeem and secure and protect
The best interests of the people OF The Wholt
State To this end he gave his whole being
/. the best efforts of his mind ana an INDUSTRY
| that never tagged, and in its pursuit ne
| Was never warped or swerved by any seem
, ing present benefit or party advantage
| from uufaltering devotion 60 TRUTH TO rlSn
and the principles of the Constitution. II
was his political creed and the RUE OF h'
conduct, that steady adherence 20 these a
, as tine pole-stars of legislation, even thougt
present hardship nil ht be inflicted or nave
TO be endured, was the only path to the as
sured protection and maintenance OF ctVi
and constitutional liberty. bis one Iau't a
a legislator, if it may be called such, gre"
out of desire 10 lift, perhaps too suddenly
The general legislation of the State to the
same standard of exalted purity and virtue
by which his own private ana paolie ilI'
NJ was governed
Il In the general legislation undertaken by
[ this body at its last session, Captain Banks
! dale bore his full proportion OF the labor
= In the assault which was mace upon Ih'
l corrupt officials then in control OF the EX
D ecu1ive branch of the State Government
e he was ever in the front, iRfuslng his owl
: courage into the weak and ttmld, conylnc
ing, by his Irresistible logic, the doubtful
e and vacillating, and, with the white heA
/ of his fervid eloquence, moulding the vary
+ ing shades and differences OF sentiment AM
e opinion into one compact and lrreslstlol
: purpose OF the arduous labors imposes
e upon this body by that assault, he prop
. ably bore larger share thah an
e other one member; one of the man
/, ayers for the House in the lmpeach
IS ments, both of the acknowledgements
d and Governor, he gave himself unreserV
d edly and with all OF tue earnestnes
/ of his nature to their successful prosecution
o From the wealth of his legal lore, his asso
d ciates drew freely and with proht. by ID
o acute and judcions suggestions, ne contrib
:, uted certainly as much as any other on
d | DersOO. toward shaping the proceeulhg
le which resulted so happily for the Stat
l. Few who were present will ever forget III
Of occasion in the Senate chamber when ne al
e raigned the Lieutenant-Governor beioI
1t that tribunal, for high crimes and mlsd'
1t meanors in office The scene was an lnte
le esting and a novel one in this state tn
As august character of the court, the high p'
If sition of the officer on trial, the welshty II
al terests at stake, made il peculiarly impre
IA siye: and when the slender form OF cur d,
t. parted friend rose to close the argument
in favor of the people, his peculiar ringiu
he voice aud wonderfully distinct articulatio
G. ixed the attention of the large audient
r uDon his first words, nor did that attentio
i'll ever falter or weary TO the closing syllabl
ne With the skill of an accomplished lawye
A. the accuracy of a thorough logician, AZ
as a GOODNESS thoroughly non-partlsan, he Oh
I'd seeted and threw aside one after the 9th
70 the films of doubt in which it had been /
ed boriou-ly sought to wrap the guilt Of Il
a accused. and when at length with consun
e. are ability lie had laid bare the fact that {
~ great seal of tue State had been purchase
pit with mouey. his indignant spirit breakil
al away from the mere shackles OF argumeI
c. poured itself forth in . rebuke OF the erin