The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-12-17

qualifications, and greater aptitude, than
any man, perhaps. whom our state has
produced While at the bar. he was said
to have had "a singular felicity Of express
SION. which always seized. aud apparently
without effort, the most appropriate word
for the communication Of thought, a play
full, but ever benevolent Wit united with
4 quick perception, great ingenuity in ar
gumeut, and q most rctcntlve recollection
Of whatever he had read" The easy iiOw
of his beautiful clocution was the admir-
alton of All who heard it. An instance Of
it. We have heard related by persons who
Still retain a fresh recollection Of 1t, though
it occurred nearly forty years ago. At an
examination of the pupils Of the Raleigh
Female Academy about the 1920, he was
requested to deliver an address TO the
graduating class, which consisted Of some
siN or eight young ladies. II was expected
that hc would pursue the common course
in addressing thcm al together. bat in
stead of dong So, he made Il separate
/ speech to each, c9uchcd in the most ap-
propriate terms, and delivered with the
! utmost ease and grace of manner. These
/ addresses have passed away, or exist only
i in the memories Of those who We're so for
! tun;tc as To have heard them But there
/ is speech which was prepared by him and
4 delivered by a member of the House Of
i
| Henry, a Jew. should be excluded from
! the seat to which he had been elected,
some years before, which still remains to
show the elegance Of his scholarship, while
| it attcSts his ardent love Of rel gOus liberty.
Mr. Wheeler in his history says that Mr..
/ ienryS seat was vacated, (see second vol
/ umn, page ST. but III that, it seems he Is
mistaken; for we find IN the Raleigh Star
Of January ith, 1910, that the resolution
I,i, h,.
/ by MeSsrS. CASTOR, Drew and others, was
unanimously rejected.
OF the qualifications OF Chief Justice
| Taylor for the high office which ne so long
filed and of his character man in the
social relations Of life We have an account
prepared. soon after his DEATH by a friend,
| supposed to be the late judge Gaston,D
who knew him long and intimately. How
he discharged his duties during the twenty
years he administered Justice on the cir
cult it is impossible that tine bar or the
| community can have forgotten. He was
| pre- emiuently a safe Judge 1t was diff
cult to present question for his determl-
nation. upon which his reading had not
stored up and his rctcntive memory did
not present some analogous case, in which
it had been settled by the Sages Of the law.
And with him it was a religious principle
to abide by the land marks stare decisis
In his charges to jurieS, he was full and
perspicuouS. and while he left unimpared
their dominion over the question OF tact,
he never Stunned responsibility by eyad-
ing distinct expression Of opinion on
every point of law. His patience was eX-
empary, and his courtesy universal.
Uniting in an extraordinary degree suavity
of manners with tirmness Of purpose-a
heart tremblingly alive to every impulse
of humanity, with deep seated and rev
erential love of justice-thc best feelings
with an enlightened Judgment he made
the law amiable in the sight Of tie people,
inspired affection and respect for its in
stitutions, and gained for its sentences a
prompt and cheerful obedience.
''of the Chief Justice, as a man, We are
unwilling to trust ourselves as we feel.
We loved him too we'll and too long, to
make the public the depository Of our
cherished affections # there ever heayed
a kinder heart in human bosom, it has not
fallen to our lot to meet with it. If ever
man was more faithful to friendship, more
+ atfectiOnate in aiS domestic relations more
free from guile. more disintcrested Au
name and charitable, we have not been SC
fortunate as to know him
Many anecdotes still linger among the
f profession which serve to illustrate the
e quickness as well as the playfulness of hi.
0 often foled one Of his professional breth
: rem by his skill IN attack and defence. Al
o last a case occurred IL which his adversary
felt sure of q triumph. He had found
n passage in Coke Litteton, which he sup
y posed was directly in point in his favor
d and which he thought Mr.. Taylor coulC
g neither gainsay nor resist. So, when the
/ case was called for trial, he arose W tn al
c air of assumed success, and after referrin.
Il
Il Littleton and Coke, he congratulated him
h self that the court and jury would nav
no difficulty in deciding in his favor, 70
r the opposing counsel, Mr.. Taylor, mus
# acknowledge that upon all questions o
: law, the authority of Coke upon Littlctol
n was conclusive, and it was therefore un
), necessary for him to do more than rea
d the passage which bore upon his case, an
e take his seat Mr., Taylor, immediatcl
n sprung and said that he was surprised t
y hear his learned brother insist upon tn
g infallibllity of the book from which
A. had Just read He was imputing to tn
IN authors for more than they claimed fo
themselves, and then turning to the las
4, page of the work he read what littletO
le says Of it. And know, my son. | Woul
)y not have thee believe that all which | hay
ar said in these books is law for | will ne
I'll presume to take this upon me- Wher,
ne upon LORD Coke also remarks, i though
ne it safe for me to follow the grave and prl
n dent example of our worthy author, n'
> to take upon ne, or presume that Il
he reader should think that all have sal
a herein to be law.
e The Judge was once listening to a vel
eS marvellous account of an occurrence Whit
IN one of his acquaintance was telling hir
es and which he closed with the remark TIL
tn if he had not seen it with his own eye
rts he would not have believed it. We'll
ne says the Judge laughing, 81 have not sct
IN it, and | suppose, therefore, that you W
,th excuse me for not believing it.
BY Judge Taylor was twice married I
T first wife Was Julia Rowan, by whom
lat had one child daughter. who marri
he Major Junius Sneed of Salisbury, a $
oe, of whom, John Louis Taylor Sneed,
ed now, or was lately Attorney General
Id the state of Tennessee. His second W
nd was Jane Castor, a sister of the late Jud
nst CASTOR, by whom he had a daughter, W
nd married David D. Sumner, ESQ.,, of Gal
county, and son John Louis, who di
he some years ago unmarried and witho
he issue.
ted ->.>-
of s.Turn Backward, Ok! Time.''
EFT
ise Pitt county votes this week on a prol
M sition to subscribe $50, 900 to the Golt
nd horO and Greenville Railroad. A corr