The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-08-17
EULoGY BY MR.. BRIDGES.

In the decease of David w. Hurst the
Bench and Bar Of the State, and particu-
larly of South Mississippi, have sustained a
grievous loss. The death of good man is
always public calamity, whether he had
attained prominence or not; but far greater
when to those personal qualities that make
UP the citizen are added those that adorn
and make the citizen useful and prominent
great learning and recognized worth.
Within the past decade, "Time has put
his sickle in among the days" and wrought
heavy affection among the legal profession.
We had not yet ceased to mourn our lamen-
ted brothers, Lamkin, Smiley and Cassidy,
that another of that illustrious circle has
been gathered to his fathers" ,..
Judge Hurst was the last link, with one
exception believe, that connected us with
that generation of lawyers in South Mis-
sississippi whose reputation, transcending
local boundaries, mark an important epoch
in our judicial history. Born at time al
most cotemporaneous with the birth of Mis-
sissippi into the sisterhood of States, he shar-
ed alike the vicissitudes of her infancy and
the.resplendent glory of her zenith.
As citizen and son of Mississippi, he
grew with her growth and strengthened
with her strength, and as lawyer and
Judge added fresh laurels to her civic
crown. His name is associated with many
public events that have made Mississippi
historic since he entered public life, in all
OF which he had an eye single to her glory
and advancement.
In politics Judge Hurst was Wig
when the people aligned themselves Upon
the issues between that party and the DEM
ocrats; and so firm were his convictions, and
SO steadfast his loyalty, he has been heard
to remark that Of two things which were
forced upon him by the results of the war
emancipation and Demoeracy--he accepted
the latter with the greater reluctance.
He lived and acted in part amid what
are called the Flush times".o Mississippi,
and the graphic pen portraits of Baldwin,
whether real or fanciful, afforded him keen
relish in descanting upon the ludicrous in-
cidents of that early period. Under the
tutelage OF the lamented Smiley he receiv-
ed his early training in his chosen .profes-
sion, and, as his life-history SO admirably
proves, the seeds then planted in his fertile
brain terminated, and grew, and ripened
into luxuriant foliage and luscious fruit.
AIhAAOWVo W ANobuIC Will
ne imbibed by precept and example from
his learned preceptor an exalted sense Of
the honor and dignity of his profession.
He was brought up at the feet of Gamali-
Ell, and taught after the perfect, manner of
the law" Genius was the conspicuous quail
ty Of his mind, that quality without which
Judgment is cold and knowledge is inert
as contra-distinguished from talent-an in
herent quality Of the understanding.
Quick to perceive, ready to comprehend,
with marvellous analytical and synthetical
powers, he made his convictions and his
ideas the convictions and ideas of his hear
ers. The strong, decisive, pivotal point in
his case he pressed with earnestness and sim
certify, while he combatted with ingenuity
and plausibility of speech that made fiction
seem like truth. As has been tersely said
by his intimate friend Judge Harris, "the
test OF his eioquence lay in carrying his
point, whether with the court Or crowd.
He excelled as an advocate rather than
civilian, although in his role of special
pleader," in the days when that was esteem
ed one OF the fine arts, he had perhaps no
superior in this section. As an advocate,
however, he shone with peculiar brilliancy
his name and fame were co-extensive with
the geographical limits of q wide field of
practice, and wherever the issue of life or
reputation depended his services were eager
ly sought by one side or the other. w
He was noted for unremitting zeal for his
ciientsge-making common cause of theirs,
but ever maintaining q scrupulous obsery-
ance OF his obligation to the court. As IL
Illustrative OF this tenacity he used to tell
with commendable praise Of having follow
ed client to the point "when the lawyers
duty ended and the ministers should be-
gin." If success be accepted as the proper
measure OF merit. Hurst was eminently
meritorious; and though success is not pos
sible in every case, defeat was due more to
the inherent defect Of the case than 70 any
fault Of his.
Following up his line Of successful prac-
tice, Judge Hurst rose rapidly to that COM
manding eminence, seldom reached by those
not equally gifted, that accorded him
learning above his feilowsn-yet he wore
his honors meekly, and, as Dean Swift has
At, was "too proud to be yain.p To some un-
acquainted eyes he presented cold and OBJ
durate exterior, but when once mere ac-
'quaintance had ripened into friendship he
was warm and generous, and he grappled Q
friend as with hooks of steel. = u IA :
!. Prejudice is sometimes defined as "lean-
ing in favor Of one side Of q cause for sonic
reason other than its justice" and II il is
insisted that he had prejudice il was OF the
kind I have defined, without reference to
any idea OF previous judgment or has; and
this after all is the natural sequence OF the
lawyers peculiar vocation the silent
pror,, Mines If ovu rafhv Tre,o ha had his