Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-08-03

mockery Of humanity? Why should we
more desire to embalm our minds and
heartsg The truly great man may as
pire to SOW seed-thoughts upon the world
10 germinate and fructify, in manifold
new forms of life for other generations I;
but it seems to me that all Of our intel
leotual nature which is not endued with
this seminal principle had better pass
away with the hour of its existence.
I Words and thoughts and feelings, en-
balmed by type into mere dry mummies,
are as useless, and as little worthy to be
the aims of ambition as physical bodies
| held back from natural decay, but still
wrinkled, discolored, dead. To live
worthily as lawyer or judge, and to
be recognized by the fraternity rs one
feels right, and does right, and with
conscience clear, and garments unstain-
ed, to pass away, honored and regretted,
is to live to very good purpose. Judge
Trigg has so lived and died. As law
! yer, he was honest, honorable and just; /;
social, kind and considerate; and he
brought to the bench, and exhibited as Il
! Judge, the same admirable traits of char
acter.
do not claim that he was great man
nor, as his friend, do regret TO say so.
| have always looked upon greatness as
sort of isolation inconsistent with hap
piness. The eagle in his pride Of place,
is high and lifted up. The sweep of his
imperial vision Is very broad; but his
look Is ever downward-ever directed to
what lies beneath. From his majestic
flight he betakcs himself to an cyrie
among the crags, and dwells in an mac
cesslble solitude. His talons are strong,
| and his beak Is fierce. He tears what
he feeds npon, and he stoops only to de-
stroy. There may be grandeur in the
stately poise, in an atmosphere so high,
| upon pinions so broad; and there may
be complacency In the naughty sense Of
an outlook that takes cOgnizanCc only Of
| what lies beneath, and even in the soli-
tude that implies superiority; but, o, 1t
seems cold and lonely and estranged-a
sphere removed from genial sympathies,
and from the joys and sorrows, and cares
and companionship which span lower
life. The lark nestles down here for n
home among kindred and mates, but is
able to spring upward on elastic wing,
and sing gladly as he flies through the
early dawn, and fix his eye upon the
view broader and grander than can meet
u downward gaze from any helght--the
view Of stars retiring from their nightly
yiglls before the coming sun, and the
armament klndlng into the light of n
new day, and heaven smiling benedic-
tion upon sleep-rest world. | choose
the lark, and not the eagle, as the type
of the man whose lot Is to be envled; Of
the man TO whom hearts give their love
In life and the tribute OF their tears when
dead,
Judge Trlgg lived out the allotted
three-scorc-years and ten. In the ripe
ness Of age In charity with all the world
without blot or stain upon his private or
judicial robe; loyalty to country, TO
friends and to family; loyal to duty and
truth, he has calmly gone away. Those
loved him most who knew him best
lie was Il good man. This is truthful
eulogy, Is IL not eulogy euoughY
| feel that stand to-day, as IL were,
between two lives. On the one hand,
Judge Trigg's, stretching far buck into
years that nrc gone, has ended. On the
other hand, your llonor's, devoted to
the discharge Of the same duties, and the
occupancy Of the same seat, stretches In
perspective far into the years that are to
come.
Here, or In mcrltcd promotion, you
will extend your link Of Tennessee iu-
dlClal history into the lives and business
of another generation. Before you lies
u judicial career into which 4 new bar,
new phases of legal thought, new devel-
opments of art aud science and business,
are all TO be blended. From your old
age, You will look back TO these early
days OF official position; look back over
memories Of lawyers that shall one by
one drop out; look back over study and
toll. My heart can dictate no better
hope than that those around you then,
In view of that retrospect, may be able
to say, "wcll donol" and that your own
conscience shall be able torespond "wcll
donc!"