The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1893-03-16
KNOWN AND READ OF ALL MEN,
'.sE LIFE cF CHINE JUSTICE
PEARSON SO OCHAkACTERtZE
t'resentatfOn of His Portrait To the
supreme Court by Attorney Gem
eral lOsb"rne-Judge Shep-
herds KeDly

Al the opening of the Supreme Court
| yesterday, there WAS gathered largc
number of ladies and gent emen, promi-
nent in the state, the special occasion
being the presentation to the Court
Library of a portrait Of the late Chief
Justice Pearson. M. Richmond Pear
son, of Aaheville, the donor Of this work
of art, was also present.
Attorney General Osborne rose and,
addressing the court, said:
MAY it please your Honors, comply
fuse. feeling grateful for selection
which is indeed an honor to me; al the
same time distru.tful of my ability to
perform the delicate task in b2ftting
manner, / am before you today in b half
of his family TO present the portrait vi
Chief Justice Pearson to this court.
His lie is a part OF the history of our
state, known and read of all men. Moth
ing that could now be said could add 10
his fame as a lawyer his reputation as .
man ald a pet5iot n t intending there
fore to utter anything original, nor 10
unfold Any novelties couCerU'ng him.
here are still some things which I wish
to say as the representative of his stu
dents, who loved hin. and to whom that
fame and reputation are and a. al~ays shall
be dear That he was great and held
high honors amongst his people as q tit-
ting reward Of that greatness Is admitted
by all; but that he was kind father.
tender husband faithful friend, the
possessor of qui,t virtues, hidden from
t the gaze of the world, those alone know
e who knew him him as we knew him ana
thus knowing him If course | could
: speak only words Of gratitude aud praise
: concerning him, no uDdeserved praise
e however; for | could do no greater
. wrong to his memory and to his living
friends, nor more poorly represent the
. dead than to exaggerate his virtues. l.
If is said that when Oliver Cromwell sat for
" his portrait and the artist proposed TO
y omit the wsrt from his face, he replied
d Paint me SIS am Let pOs'erity see me
2 IS | was, and not as thou woutdst have
L me to be Thst was grand reply II
:, Chief Justice Pearson were beside me to
|, day, he would command me TO paint
a him as he was, and if not that, as h
,e tmeG t. be, for no man ever lived or
rs this earth that was nearer exactly lust
,e what he seemed than WAS the Cnei
4, Justice He we'd the truth for its owl
ci sake: it was to HIM The one thing beau
" ;iful; he eplsed all orn ameptdtior
and gloss, but show him genuin'
emotion or true thought. he woIshipet
= them. Pace him in contact with tyut
- man, recognizing a kindred spirit, ht
.e loved him He would MT deceive oth
j ers, apaliZing his own motives, he coult
be not deceive himslt lie bulde.i b
y. life on-this principle, for he knew tha
as the love of truth was the coax aCount
id which all other virtues cling; that with
to out il they fall, and wther, and die i
oaa weeds aU0 dust "
: This plain a d simple man. thus djs
ke carding the false and clinging to n
-s, genuine. carried his principles so farlnt
IN social life tha- be neglected al conven
,. tionalties, dish0nored al msnnerlsm
NJ and sometimes seemed to be even blur
ald and rude to his friends. but benca,h tn,
-. rough exterior, that seeming bluntncs
ice and rudeness, there beat 3 heart warm
tender and generous, keenly alive to .
human suffering, responsive to ever
lofty thought and msny desire Rathf
possess he concealed those that were h
own and left his faults bare and open
Ii. H. the gaze Of all; thus he WAS geDerou
TX and the woIlG knew il Mt, fOT he vi
i7e one Of those who did his aims in secre
nts ne was not proaigal of MS substance f
u d all that he bad he bad earned in Il
'is ',ss. sweat Of his face; be had learned q
! a value of money IN hard school TD
school was poverty not that chill peru
which I; presses noble rage and reez
: the genial currents OF the soul, but t
. povertg which is the strongest lnceuti
20 to tireless exertion. That poverty whi
'"' has really been the foundation OF t
/, careers of a Cay of Webster, oi
: NJ Andrew Jackson and nearly al the gr4
ted ones Of tbie republic Judge Pears
and was poor like these, ana having det
nm I'm mined to succeed by his own exertloI
',hhs and he did succeed. Assisted in ea'
de1 life by the generosity OF a. distinguish h
the brother, he could not forget the knon
tiles and he showed his appreciation Of it
@ @ros ASST, ting all other who struggled ,.s
h., had struggled. He wiling h p
anyone who was thus battling W i
verse fortune to begin an honoratl
Eli, reer. He never turned student fr
two his door for lack Of means He inv
lay- all such to CONS to him. He trusted
their honor and ability to pay him IN
4~E future; if that failed, he quietly endu
.h'4 the loss This was his habitual char
49, but he gave to others of his accumuia
.fara fortune. Pursuing such a course as u
p. he won the heart of every young I
Mira with whom be was thrown in cont
and as much by these upse fish acts as
En,. the teachings Of powerful intellect,
r and gained through his students such an
here fuence af has never been exercised
snn .n fore or since by any judge over
aiai-'. ~ bench and bar Of this State For
d de- by year, for over forty years, Il
MA went forth from his home at M0cksv
helfs and afterwards from the quiet shades
+ This of Richmond HILL small BODY of IL
, .uc- thoroughly Instructed in the law by
III, fi0est Tt cher in the State, pre- pared
u H. y y take their stand in the front ranks OF
re- , De. profession, which for long tine
Iarch, controlled its destinies Some TO fill
oi the position of governor Others to sit u
com the superior court bench, and in the
anted. son OF one Of Your Honors, to adorn
supreme court And when Judge I
r. ~ sons hour of trial came, as come it y
intif "oNeiy Hah oi prominent Position
- position and positive convictions IL
T rlng times, these men, well knowing z
l., purity of his character, his great adj
and having an abiding faith in his
Tor Ills native State, which with him
q passion, rallied as one man to sus
and defend him. His life up to