The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-12-10
EiUOI- : NORTH CAROLINE ANS
,,ut>E>T MEN NORTH CAR
pII\& HAS PRODi tED.
Fame. IrcicII. the Elder, the Most Noted
of Noble nrollnihn>- the Letter :" 'i'''
,t the cNolutIon-

to,oe. lrcdcII. the Elder. the Most Noted
>ohIc ,:iroIiniam>, the Letter W ritter
of the RcNolniI"h-
~. Tar CnRo<iCLE. The fact that JAMES
r,.l,..rr WA born in England affected but
.tt.. If- American citizenship, for driven
family rsverses to seek his fortune
elsewhere he secured the appointment Of
C.urtrolIor of Customs at the Port OF ltoa
n,.. otherwise Edenton and in the
>,r.nln OF 11Gs landed IL Boston, being
tla. only III his seventeenth year.
His family III England ranked among the
cntry aud was Of honorable descent
claiming in fact lreton, the Sonin-laW Of
CROMWELL as its progenltor Thus young
Irclcll had been we'll trained in the pro
prJeticS Of life. and it is to be noted that
living at a period when Deism and Athc
ism We're rampant he ever preserved that
simple religion learned at his mothers
knee These things were apparently all
le brought from the mother country. Ills
after Development was the result Of the
country in which he lived acting upon
mind of unusual depth and breadth, and
therefore wo may claim him as a product
Of North Carolina.
Before leaving Boston for the long aud
uncertain Journey to EdcntOn, lredell so
arranged that his salary, $50 per annum.
-hould be paid regularly to his mother III
England. This fact is mentioned because
i'd DIS an index to the character of the man.
lLc fees or his office, about GO, sufliccd
To- supply his moderate wants III the little
colony which he reached at the close of
the wear 146S 1t would be interesting to
describe the merry season into the midst
of which the home sick youth found HIM
self NJ that time and afterward until Il
short period before the late war no town
could boast OF greater culture than the
little community of EdentOn. At this
ioN0uS christmas tide one hundred and
seventeen years ago Ircdell was welcomed
bv IleWes Il Signer Of the Declaration of
independence, by stephen Cabarrus, Ga
bricl Johnston and Samuel Johnston his
SON first State Senator, and many others
whose names grace the annals of the
State.
The duties Of the comptrollership per
mttIng, I he young man commenced and
pursued faithfully the study of law under
Mr. Samuel Johnston, securing III time his
license 10 practice, upon which followed
rapidly his promotion to the Collectorship
of The pott ,tnd his marriage in 11.4 to
Miss Hannah. daughter of GOV. Gabriel
Johnston, a lady several years his senior
Of whom, it was said that the plainness of
her face was a provision of Providence that
nothing might interfere with the perccp
tlou of her graceful character.
In The meantime the Revolution had
been taking shape and Ircdel though pre-
vented by reason of being a Kings officer
from taking open part III the discussion
wrote secretly and ably as William Hooper
declared, forged the weapons which were
ta give success to the cause. That he
should thus risk his income III what must
then have appeared TO be q hopeless strug-
gie is but one evidence of the sturdy prin-
ciples OF the man. There We're five men
chiefly instrumental in bringing about the
Provincial Congress of April rs and Ire
dell was one Of these; moreover throughout
the stirring times which followed he was
in constant correspondence with Hooper,
HcWcS. Samuel Johnston and other lead
erS. aIl of whom, as the letters passed be
tween them show, We're stimulated by his
excellent wisdom and guided by his adj
yice-sO much so that he became known
as the Letter Writer Of the Revolution.
When II became necessary to Issue proc
lauatiou To the people-settlng forth the
causes Of the Revolution the work was del
agated TO the young lawyer and it remains
to day Il composition unequalled IN the
political history of our land.
The Assembly of 1916 passed the ccle
brated Court Law, the bill Of which was
drafted by the hand of Iredell and at thi:
period he began to be recognized as the
ablcst LAWYER in the State Under the
provisions of this act Courts of Law were
established and Samuel Ashe, Samue
Spencer and James lredell We're electeo
Judges | nable to agree with his associates
Judge Ircdell signed his Office III the fol
lowing wear The Collectorship had Ions
since ceased. on account of the war, to b.
other than a name and lredell was depen
dent upon his profession which he pursued
successfully and was appointed in II:
Attorney General of the State.
These were dark days. The cause of th
colonies was at Il low cbb; everywhere tn
British arms We're successful and interna
discord fed upon the unsatisfactory Stat
of affairs. But the patriots of North Caro-
lima never faltered and lredcl's CORES
uOudence at this time and until the end i
full of ringing words and burning thought
When the war had closed and a conven
ton was called to consider the prophet
of rejecting or adopting the Federal Con
-ttution Judge lredell was most promi
ueut among the Federallsts, speaking otte
and ably in favor Of the Constitution Whlc
was ultimately adopted. Then came hi
cleEation to the Supreme Bench OF Ia
Juited States, he being unanimously col
firmed by the Senate February 10th, 1896
He discharged the duties of this high pos
tiou with an ability which was recognize
in his day as second to that Of none; /
was both statesman and jurist and as
constitutional lawyer had no superior upo
The bench.
The honorable life of James lredell enc
ed prematurely. He died in 1893 at Il
early age Of 4s years
In considering the life of a MAN and h
influence upon his times the facts of h
private character are but little less lmpo
lance than his public acts In his love f
his FAMILY and his allegiance to his frienC
Judge Iredcll displayed a fidelity of ten
pnr8meut and Il warmth Of heart whi'
upletes his character as well roundt
d maa. While engaged in the arduous q
ties yf his various offices he never let 81
AN opportunity for writing loving !ette
home and no reader of his biography CO
j fa r, BE touched by his affection for h
81 sometime wayard niece, Nelly Blair In
# young ady was a member OF his FAM
ana stood toward the great man-tor
long while childless in the relation OF
# daughter and in after years by the pc
lecflDn Of her wOmanhoOd amply repa
81 nun al. his care.
Judge Iredell was devout man. In {
me acts Of his life he served God and low
L-a nelghbor better than himself. He J
1uised n no sharp practice though