The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-06-06
A TRIBUTE TO THE NOBLE DEAD.
Some Thoughts On the Late Judge
Thomas Rufhn by w. r. Henry.


Like the mighty limb of some gigantic
Flung down to death;
! And men eXclaim when passing by
The gap this branch has made is wide
The loss thereof can hardly be supplied"
have few thoughts touching the
character and career of the great man
who has just passed away, which beg
to express, trusting they will not prove
altogether unworthy the consideration
of my brethren, or the memory of my
friend.
| desire in this hour of universal sor
row to place my humble chaplet upon |!
his tomb, because | loved him as a |
man, and esteemed him as a great
lawyer and pure and profound jurist
remember with feelings OF sadness,
pride and gratitude, that he was the
first lawyer of eminence who when |
came to the Bar in the year 1880 ex-
tended to me the hand of friendship
and expressed to me in his gentle way,
words of kindness and encouragement.
Often while he was a member of the
Supreme Court of North Carolina have
| met him in Capitol square, and-he
would always invite me to sit with
him on some seat near by, and there
he would converse with me freely and
on different subjects but principally OF
the Law.
shall cherish his memory and
value his friendship as jewels that SO
long as | live, will never lose their
lustre.
He stood at the head of the Bar of
North Carolina. He is dead. Who
can put on the armor of Achilles?
| have never seen his equal before a
Jury. | have never read of any advo-
cate who in my opinion could surpass,
excepting, perhaps, Erskine and Web
Ster.
When he leaned his tall figure over
il, the Jury box and poured forth impet-
uous torrents, pent within his heart
and brain-logic, sarcasm, pathos
- Law, following each other as rapidly
and as brilliant and dazzling as the
play of the lightning in summer sky
he seemed absolutely to paralyze thei
faculties-to make them feel as he felt
think as he thought, and do as h
wished.
But it was as Cross Examiner tina
ge he excelled himself, and all Others
We He could trace the trail of truth
'S' through all the devious windlngs an
subtleties and styglan darkness OF false
hood. The witness who endeavore
to evade his javalin questions and tn
penetration of his eagle-eye, 500
iC found himself exhausted mentally an
'o physically and writhing under the las
1 of his cross examination as a Russia
ng under the knout or a victim OF tt
ful m Inquisition in the "collar OF torture.
s. His personal character was as stall
.s, "A less as a star He took no step ou
on. side the path of wise sobrlety an
old exemplary rectitude.
Posteritv will never be able to a.
preciate his intrinsic worth, but h
:. noble characteristics and great powe
will be treasured in the grateful reco
lections of all who knew him. +
will be remembered as the
IS, Fruits of a genial morn and glorlo
deathless part OF him, VINO o'eo
soon.
His most valuable and truthful eI
our taph may be found i'll the Suprer
.es @e Court Reports of North Carollr
per written by his own hand. There c
atty be but little doubt that it is because
his arduous and incessant lebors VIII
on the Bench, that we have to lame
mot his loss to-day, and to him may
nest applied with the uttermost truth a
ared propriety these sublime words,
~ ''Twas thy own genius that gave the III
eing And helped to plant the wound that
no thee low.
n ae, So the struck eagle stretched upon
ten plain,
snce No more through rolling clouds TO
again,
Viewed his own feather in the fatal da
" And winged the shaft that quivered in
N. heart
| remember reading, not a 81
) while since of the striking and be
tiful picture Of the just and proto'
- Judge, drawn by that great ma:
Rufus Choate:
.:In the first place, ne should
tes profoundly learned in all the learn
of the law and he must know ho"
use that learning. He is to know,
'asily merely the law which you make,
> vn, You the Legislature makes, not cons'
ars tional and statute law alone, but
other ampler. that boundless jurls
G. dence, the common law, which
ID. IS. successive generations OF the 5
have silently built up; that old
of freedom which we brought will
in the Mayhower and Arabella
which, in the progress OF centurle;
IL have ameliorated and enriched,
adapted wisely to the necessities
On. busy, prosperous, and wealthy
munitv,- that he must know.
E. where to find it? In volumes
YOU must count by hundreds, by t
rk and ands; filling libraries, exacting
store, c , l;c,t;n,o