Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-11

Gus Appointed postmaster in ls1l, he helt
that office for three terms The revising OF
the State Statutes, and within a limited time,
WAS a task requiring not only srdu-
Gus labor but sterling Judgment and
accuracy. Since ls72, Judge Goddard has
held the lectureship of medical jurisprudence
in the Bowdoin Medical school.
For some years he has been a iirector of
the American Peace Society, and was a
member of the Association for the Reform
and Codihcstion of the Law OF Nations, the
Bosdoin College and the Harvard club in
Maine
Judge Goddard was twice married in 1859
10 Caroline h. Little, daughter of Hon. +.
Il. Little of Auburn, who died in 1858, lesv-
ing one infant son. who survived her a few
weeks and in 1851, koweua {. Morrill,,
daughter of Ex-Governor Anson z. Morrill,,
OF Readheld BY whom he had three sons.
Ansou NJ. Henry and Morrill,, two of whom
are graduates OF Bowdoin-Anson and Nor
rill- and three daughters, the youngest dy
ing in infancy, Rowens and Ellen surviving
The following description from the Port
land Press of Mr.. Goidards character bears
the impress of intimacy and candor
In the whole course of Judge Godiard's
life and conversation three points were 50
prominent that they could not fail TO compel
recognition. No man could talk with him
without being impressed with his indlyidu.
ailIy, almost originality of view. In his
younger days he cultivated the habit of find
ing some peculiar mode of looking at every
question. He wished TO be eccentric, and TO
be acknowledged as such. But in mature
life he felt that it was dangerous habit, and
he disciplined himself rather in the other di-
reetion; the early habit retained, however,
TO the end, sufficient power 10 lead him con-
stantly TO see truths that lay out of the usual
current of mems thoughts. Hence his con-
versauon was always extremely suggestive
and instructive, and the novelty OF his re
marks frequently gave them the force of
wit.
A second point was his reverent familiarity
with the Old and New Testaments. A con-
staut reader of his Bible, he was accustomed
TO read the New Testament tn the original
Greek. Few clergy men could say what he
could, that he had very recently read from
the first of Matthew 10 the last of Revelation !
in the original tongue. His comments on
the Scripture were as original as upon other |
subjects. As he lay upon his bed at the |
hospital, he repeated from memory the |
the whole conversation at the well by Sychar,
and made comments upon each sentence, |
startling from their originality and pro-
foundly impressive from their justness. IL |
was not that he had ever made special
study of that chapter; you could not allude
to sentence in the volume without drawing
from him evidence that he not only remem-
bered it but had seen in it something which
had escaped your notice.
The third point TO which we have alluded,
is the severity of his moral code. 1t was
hard for him to overlook wrongdoing. An
insult or injury to himself, if it did not pro-
ceed from malice or wickedness, he could
forgive; but a deliberate violation of the
moral law could not be so distant from him
AS not to call out his indignation when he
heard of it. He firmly believed in the sane
tity of vindictive punishment; and nothing
was more offensive TO him than a weak senti-
mentality which allows pity to overcome JUS
tice. He was as stern in e1acting righteous
ness for himself as from others Nothing
could be further from his character than any
self righteousness. Self-complacencc was
state of mind beyond his power of inspra-
ton Yet those things for " hich he blamed
himself were probably not those for which
men would censure him. for the only cen
sures of him which were ever heard he would
rather have counted praise, namely, the
of the harsbness and severity of
his Judgments. Around this rugged. stern
character there clustered, however, sweet
and lovely traits; all the more charming
from their contrast with the rocky back
ground. His friendships were never rufiled |
by any differences of political or theological
opinions; and many an anecdote might be
told to show how tenderly he yearned over
those who sheltered themselves under his