Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-11-28
Remarks of Hon. r. H. Edelen deliver.
ed in the Court House last Tues
day, Prefacing the lecture
of DR.. P: w Hawkins.

b of DR.. P: w Hawkins
| We have assembled here laIies and gentle
mon, this afternoon in response to one of the
modest isentinlentS and Impulses that warns
and elevates the human heart, that sentiment
or Impulse which prompts the living to hon or
the M Inory of the good and virtuouS dead.
one whose genial face Was once ~ familiar to
Us all, one who was respected, admired and low
ed by this community rs never man was loved
before. has finished his earthly laborS and pass
ed from time to eternity, and today We, his sur
ViVing friends and admirers, have turned from
the buStling scenes OF active life, have turned
our ears from the wild roar of the political waves
and standing in spirit beside the grave of our de
parted friend and brother, John w. Mitchell,
nave come to lay thereon the tribute of affection
and love. And ii is right and ill and proper that
| this work OF mournful pleasure should be by us
| John W. Mitchell. my friends, was no ordinary
| man. There We're points and traits in his char
| lcter and life that lifted him high above the
| plane OF ordinary humanity, points and traits
| that deserve to be emphasized and call for re
cogntion at the hands of the living: For IL pre
than a quarter of n century Mr.. Mitchell had
stood a central, commanding figure in our midst
| occupying most prominent place in the public
I'VE. Always ready and willing to lend the aid
Df his wise counsel and gave his unreQulted labor
| II furtherance of any work calculated to pro-
| mote the public good. More than once he was
allied by the people of this county to represent
| hem in the halls of legislation at Annapolis
| There his acknowledged abilities as a lawyer,
| MS character and standing man found ready
| recognition and caused him to be assigned to the
| 'hairmanship OF tue judiciary Committee of the
| House of Delegates n place always accorded to
| the best men i'll the body.
| He represented the people OF this county in the
constitutional convention of 1861, and can bear
| personal testimony to the distinguished ability
md entire fidelity he brought TO the discharge
NJ the duties there devoived upon him. Had the
.easle 5 wishes in his regard been carried out;
| higher fields of usefulness and wcightier and
more delicate public trusts would have devolved
upon him. In this temple, con>ecrated to the
fniniStrtion of justice. the scene of his loren
sic lahor> and intc l!ectual triumphS, whose for
| tune IT WAS Ia be often opposed To him AMI often
| associated with him in the trial OF causes. bear
| my Uustinted testimony this day to his pre- emf
| nent abilities Il LAWYER. In the pilgrimage of
| life have met men who were more gifted of
| speech. men who could captivate jurieS by the
| powers of their eloqucnce and enchan the at
tention of aimiring auditors but in wise coun-
| sci and solid argument he was eNcelied 10y none
Endowed by nature with intellectual abilities
! II high Order lie had by the aid of 'abOrlouS
study and patleht research made oil his mind q
vast storehouse of legal knowledge, from which
| he could readily draw his supplies. occasion
demanded. He pursued the study OF the law
| with zeal and arlpr amounting almost To
enth u>iasm aud seemed never ~ happy a. when
engaged in the investigation OF some abstrn>e
proposition Of law 1t was often nv good for
tune to Investigate and discuss with him abstract
! Questions of law, and II frequently happened that
days aftrrward being at my office or meeting me
at his he would speak OF his persistent pursuit Of
! the question We had hal under CONSIDERATION,
and tell me nf the new light shed upon II bY the
examination of other authorities aud the cnn!u-
I sion he hal reached. His clear analytical n1ii
applied 10 the solution Of controvsrted legal
/ problems coud ut all tim - be depended upon Ia
work out correct result: and his opinions when
deliberately formed were accepted with great
confidence by the profession. Al the trial table
he met his adversary boldly and fairly, whether
upon the field of law or tact never taking or
seeking any unfair advantage. He waS, my
friend. quaSttoaah bly, u great lawyer. Impartial
pn>terity will not fail 10 write his name high
/ upon the scroll OF honnred names that have Illus
trated 10y their learning and adorned 10y their
virtue the Bench and Bar OF southern Mary land.
But IL was III the private walks Of He that the
| all its richness aud beauty. He was IN manner
simple as a child in feeling tender and delicate
A. any woman. Like all men NJ genuine worth
and true mort. n had tn most humble appTe-
Grafton Of himself AMI was ia his manner most
unpretenaing aHd uuu>tcntaii.'u lie Was to
1.-The last degree u-,>altiSh lls~tosSi ing the rich
treasures from his great storehonSe oi Erowl-
edge with . lavish hand. never mindful II HIM
self when there was a question ni Advancing the
I Interests Of Others In his eompa>iliou add ia-
tare there was more Of the milk ut human kind
ness than that az any man nave ever Known
His temper api lisp s>iI:pa was like the placid
lbo ON oI the summer iRke. The waves Of as
sion never swept It's CLASSY surface. ln the heat
81 nf forensic STRIFE when the fee Hinge Of
III 1T men a. Outlines snrsiV tried. | cat re-
Ictil 40 ln>ta'yr' II which he wa> ever guilty q
any ssri az tiiS,>tiTtrsy mauiic>tsSi any bad
s feeling by wurd or act towards Court. counsel.
itigapi or VT tr~S- Yet with MI h. was a s.'if
asserting. sell rciying man. forming MS own
opinion upon = " question he had Ia met and
fA.Ihering Ia his convictions Of right with uu-
taucllu2 courage aud remarkable tensrity ni
fpurpp>H. ii.> thoughts and feeling always nan
Tin high and elevated channels aud hc was inna-
ptble of cnnSentiug to "A mean ar ignohe All
/ He was one II natures trie nohiliiy. man TINT
fnrnpred fo-th in Int puhic AMI private lie the
true y pc OF the christ al geHIchlan- The nfv-
less form that NOW SirspS beneath the cold CusiS
upon tue summit OF Nj. Res, was once the Re e.
ment ~ aS noble SOIL a. ever animated human
clay. His Influence IN thu '>'inrurrty wsS g-'-ar
and far reaching Us its Was a daily leSs-in to
patience. and the Observance 10 every civil and
christian duty. WatntHs them 81 the ea>N PATHS
that lead 10 VIE AMI riyittg IA IA 20 S,.ain the
i..4fuf tHt
I lead Ia virtue.
/ Will not invade the sacred circle OF his 10
/ nestle life: batl know whereof 81 AZ @aen
say that the widow anguisn,+l heart never
mb.slsned with Is batter lars tire grave II II
| more tender. devoted husband Ia" daughter
and the never luelt IN un1Nsitng GRIEF be-
side the colfined form Of u better more devoted
father.
such a man a. ntIr Iarn- nted brother onah not
fail Ia pass thnbuga lie without h,St, ~ fTeud>-
I Their, Wa - much g-uiaitY IN MS nature. -
much fr7trkneSs and e.nd #. iitt 81 guile and
i dupucitS, ~ much p'T~Dna! IN tgprIisin. that
meu naturally found themselves aftrnctei and
bound 10 him with hooks al >tssIi AMI links oi
ia,iam1ut." Tho friendship they h'rr him hal
/ taken deep and lasting rot. IL was not pass
ing evauGscenl feeling. not a Summer freud
SA y who's aIttertu. leaves shallow a. in pros
perity AMI fail uff In the ant ann of adversely
! NV acquaintance with the deceased Was very
limited prior To the time cam. la this village 10
practice nv profession. l was fortunate In get
ting Office in the same building with him. pr-
leGpying for a long time the ppm adjoining his.
i became at once attracted Il him aud there was
tnti lll Ht'tTK tiltl
isiIed and strengthened a. year succesded year
and coutiuuel uninterrupted and unhTostru I'M
til the dav Of his death And wien the cortis
that bound the Ia him were torn aStlnder 10y the
ruthless hand Of death. mpurned the loss OF one
who aim ut nv daily com Isniun. befofN' d.
seaSe laid its wasting hand upon him, Que WHO
outside the circle of NV family and kindred WAS
my most valued my dearest friend IN earth.
When such a man lays down the burden NJ life
and goes out from our midst. the public sorrow
mingles with the private grief; and that sorrow
finds its best EpreSS on doing some act by which
the memory of the object of our sorrow shall he
preserved and pcrpetuated. That feeling, born
of the EohleSt inspirations of the human heart.
brings us here to-day. The pcu OF poetry has
written:
i Mems evil manners live In brass,
Their virtues We write in water"
The poets words in his regard shall not he YER
flied. The record of his pure and spotle>s life
shnH be preserved and p-rprtuated. We loved
him in HE, he shall not he fp gotten In DEATH
We will not write his virtues in water bu,
upon the sacred spot where sleeps in death all
that is mortal Of our departed friend the marble
column shall arise Ia tell to future time the story
of his life. The words that have spoken are
not the words OF empty eu!osv. They are the
Ioutgivings OF sincerity aud unaffected truth. In
your hearts know they awake re SpuIISive echoes
And now turning from the contemplation Of the
life and character of our departed friend not AZ
| have imperfectly sketched 1t, but it was
known to most Of you, we NAV Well exclaim in
i the language of another 'Qnnndo tfiunl irIcerHf-
mus pIrem When shall We again behold his
equal.
"LOyal" States.
Since Blaine's wai agains the South the