, 1881-03-11
IN HONOR OF IRVING BALLARD.

wing Ballard, npon the convening of
the district court at this place:
ADDRESS OF HON. c. NJ. BRADSHAW:
May IT PLEASE THE COURT:-Since
the adjournment OF this court, in
September last, the Grim Destroyer, :,
Death, has claimed as victim a lead
ing member OF the bar, of this Ju
dicial District; an honored officer
of this court.
The members of the legal profes
sion, residing at Port Townsend,
deeming it appropriate that they
place on record to be preserved in
| the archives of this court, some ex-
preston Of their sentiments of es-
teen for the honored dead, and of
/ coincidence with the bereft, living,
have assigned to me the duty, as
their representative, of presenting
TO the court, resolutions adopted by
them, expressive of their sentiments.
Nv first acquaintance with the late
Irving Ballard, was made after he
had entered upon his career as a
lawyer in this district, and while |
was performing the duties of Prose
! cutting Attorney therein.
The community in which he lived
| had within it an organized body of
men who claimed the right, and act.
ed upon that claim, to adjudge an'i
decree, that punishment even unto
death, should he meted out to those
upon whom their displeasure fell,
and no resort need be had to the
courts TO punish crime. The duties
of my office, led me to grapple with
the individuals composing this or
gaization, and although they were
fortified by the aid of most of the
wealthy and powerful, and although
all who opposed the ac,s of the law
less were denounced as bad, vile,
and even criminal, yet Irving Bal
lard, with sacrifice Of self, tha: in.
vited ostracism, contumely and al
times personal danger with loyalty
to the established institutions of
our country that approached devo-
tion, and with a fear!essness that
defed revenge, aided by his advice
and sympathy the threatened and
prosecuted, and assisted the officers
of the law in their endeavors 10
bring to justice those who were de
termined to overturn all law and es-
tablish their angry will upon its ru-
| ms
Under such auspices our acquaint
ance began, and although there may
since that time, have sprung up ri
valry cotween him and me for the
possession OF the Office with which
he was invested bv the people at the
time of his death, yet | have and
now acquit him of all unfair or dis.
honorable means TO attain his ends.
His was not nature TO act clandes-
timely or deceitfully. Frank, truth
full, courteous, magnaDimous and
brar 3, must be and is the unani-
nous verdict of all who knew him
sufficiently we'll to form a correct
estimate of his character.
The falling by the hand of death
of one of our number so universally
beloved brings home to each Of us
with peculiar force, the thought that
our own career in this stage Of our
own existance is necessarily brief,
and should admOnish us to higher
aims, and greater effortf to be use
ful to society, which is so largely
dependen' upon the legal profession
for the maintenance of rights and
the prevention of wrongs.
We seem already to be far ad-
vanced upon that aIlegorical bridge
so beautifully described by the Wis
ion of Mira. We are fast passing
over the arches which are sound and
entire and treading upon the broken
one, when the bridge is full of holes,
and the clouds and darkness setting
At every step some one stumbles
and falls through, and is lost in the
ocean beneath. A few more steps
and the last one of us will have fall
Ell. Calling memory to my aid, and
referring back twenty eight years to
the time upon courts were first held
is what is now the Sd Judicial Dis
trlct, what a large number OF the
first of rank of this bar have fallen.
The first 20 fall was Judge Victor
Monroe, renowned fer his learning
and loved for his kindly nature.
Next in order is Benjamin F. Ken~
dali, studiOus, tireless and energetic,
he was cut down in the fullness of
his manhood bv the act of an assass
sin. Judge James E. Wycbe, too,
was taken from us. Brilliant, skill
fnl, genial and kind; more than one
of our members can remember that
to his advice and assistance they
owe much that they have since
achieved in the battle of life. Oba>
dlah B. McFadden distinguished for
his legal lore, an able advocate, a
true friend and popular idol. VIM,
IL. Wallace, who in his earlier a.
reer and before age impaired his in>
telIect, by his eloquence drew tears
from hardened men, when defending
the accused, or vindicating the in
jured. All the distinguished men,
all OF whose names are subscribed to
the records of this court and whose
voices have been heard time after
II m