The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-12-15

| lnelnDe.s OF OAR attend Ine luneral In DOdy,
and that copy OF these resolutions be presented
| by member of the bar, to be designated at this
meeting to the Circuit Court for Cecil County. for
such action thereon as the court may deem proper.
That the secretary be directed to send copy Of
| these resolutions to the family of our deceased
Brother and 10 furnish copies thereof to the local
| newspapers.
| Mr.. Jones then read the following
| ADDRESS.
The resolutions reported by the committee and
adopted by the members of this bar mt their
| ing last Saturday, so well express the general
feeling in regard to Mr.. Evans that | am sure
they find an endorsement in the heart OF each one
| of US, and might, perhaps, well stand as the
measure of the esteem in which we all held him
without further comment. But beside the gem
eral estimate which the community at large places
upon any man of prominence, there are special
estimates which entertained by those who
from longer acquaintance or more intimate asso-
| citation have had opportunities to know more OF
his special traits Of character habits of thought
and peculiarities of disposition temperament.
There are few men lett in community now
who have known Mr. Evans longer than 1 have,
while for sixteen years have been closely asso-
cated with him in the trial one class of cases. not
only sitting beside him at the trial table. but see-
ing him daily Tor considerable period before the
term in the preparation of cases and feel that
should be wanting in common respect for my
deceased brother, if [ failed to say something on
this occasion.
As a very young lad remember that there came
to me, in that mysterious way in which children
pick up information, this fact: that Dr. Evans son
powers. What it all meant oil course L did not
understand but that this slim, active youth, with
his light brown hair who went so quietly and mod
estly about the town prodigy of knowledge
and Intellectual power, clear to me then
as it has been in my mature years, when L have
known something ofthe almost limitless range Of
his know edge, and something OF the power he
possessed TO solve the most abstruse problems, OF
the physic Il universe. He LETT Ekton, when, l do
not know, but returned about 1872. One incident
which occurred very soon after his return l Call
to mind with much pleasure, and which Was very
characteristic of the man. was then nsatia-
bic reader. but as my reading entirely undi-
rected devoured great amount of matter not
only useless but perniciOus. This coming to the
knowledge OF Mr.. Evans, he spoke to me about it,
and asked me to allow him to direct my reading.
followed his advice to a considerable extent and
had done more fully might have been to day
a much better equipped man.
think there was some hesitation in Mr.. Evans
mind about adopting the law as profession. He
finally did SO however, and was admitted as
practitioner in the county court at the April term
isi5 the court being then presided over by Cham
bers, Chief Judge, Eccleston and Hopper Asso-
cate Judges.
For several years, 1871, ~, and '43, there a
literary society in Eikton known the Elkton
Lyceum and here think Mr.. Evans made his
first efforts rs speaker. In the distribution OF
subjects for debate he several times took ground
in opposition to slavery and in favor OF Tree trade
OF course he took the side assigned to him, but l
know he sincere in his anti slavery VIEWS and
l am inclined to think he was at that time dis
cple of Adam Smith. In the winter of 1928 the
WashingtoDian Temperance movement attained
great force in ElkUon, and think that Mr.. Evans
trst public speech was on that subject. 1t was
speech OF great power and eloquence. He went
very actively into the presidential campaign OF
1874, an advocate OF the election of Henry Clay
and established himself as public speaker strong
in argument, smooth and beautiful in dction, and
| with perfect command over the minds, the feel
| ings and the passions OF his audiences.
His great ability was clearly recognized by
| tne w nlSs Vi llldI llue thdl parry edScIlf
seized upon him as its candidate for Congress in
this district in 1917, giving him the nomination,
| without even suggestion on his part, over older
party leaders like James Henry lamar and bril-
| liant young men like Chambers Wickes. He can
vassed the district thoroughly, speaking several
| times in each county, and was triumphantly cleo
| ted and afterwards reelected in 1919 and 1851.
| How long he would have remained in Congress
| pan tel mi nemocrats tod
| the district and faced him with such majority
| that even his genius could not overcome it. Be-
fore leave this reference to his great ability =
| political speaker must refer to one speech he
| made in the court house ut Elkton during the
campa;gR of 1857. There was a large Wing meet
ing which had already been addressed by several
| of the prominent speakers OF the State, but the
people were unwilling to dsperse without hearing
their ayorite, and vocierously called for Mr. Evans
1 can see him now as he stood upon the platform,
and buttoned his coat as he did so he saw through
the windows OF the court the fast setting
sun. His first words were fellow citizens the
setting reminds me that must be triei.'
There that in the aptness o! the allusion, in
the OF his voice, in the mdnliness of his pres
| ence which thrilled every man in the audience
like the from electric battery, and from
this first instant he had the whole crowd in his
| hand to mould them to his will
| As a member of Congress he gave all the atten-
ton to the ordinary routine OF legislation which
| was manifested by the most industrious OF mis- col
| leagues but the ordinary routine was not enough
Tor Mr.. Evans. The light house system, or rather
| no system, then i'll operation was lamentably de-
| fective. l believe l correct in saying that ut
| the time of Mr. Evans entering Congress there
was not "a Eresnel light the coast of the United
| States. He gave the subject most exhaustive
| examination and the speech which he made as
| the result of his examinations, his historical
reference to the light houses of the world, and es-
pecay his scientific explanation OF the properties
of light, its reiracton and polarization We're new
| features in Congressional debates.
In a very able article on our light house system
published in Putnam's NJ gazine about 1855 the
writer said that for the present most effective
system, the country was mainly indebted to Hon.
Alexander Evans of Maryland. l regret that l
connot lay my hands on the article that l might
quote from it fully. His great literary
and scientific attachments were early recognized
by placing him on the Committee on the library
| OF Congress.
1 think the impression pretty generally prevails
| even among Intelligent people that Mr.. Evans
knowledge was to a great extent confined to the
| higher mathematics. There never greater
mistake do not doubt that mathematics was
| his favorte study and the one in which he never
| tired, but if he had never gone beyond the rule o
of three his requirements in other branches wOulC
| have made his knowledge phenomenal. He haC
| the main points OF the history OF every nation o
the world, both ancient and modern, at hi
tongues end. He told me few years before his
death, that at one time he could name every ruler
fSpain, the house to which he belonged, and tn
date of his reign from the first oil the WsigothiC
kings in the year AL down to the present monarch
and am sure it was only his moiesty which pre-
vented him naming them at that moment.
His knowledge OF the history OF literature wa
as accurate that OF the rise and fail OF nations