The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-12-25

May ii please yoou Honor:

May ii please your Honor:
"In the midst of life we are in death"
At the last March term of this Court, he to
whose memory we today pause in our busi-
ness to pay slight tribute of respect was
engaged in the trial of cases, apparently in
the full vigor and possession of eli his faeul-
ties, mental and physical, and as far as we
could judge there lay before him great sue
cess and honors to be reaped in the coming
years.
He had not yet reached his manhood's
prime, and with an inspiration born OF con-
scious mental power, and success already
| achieved, he was rapidly and eXultingly
climbing the ladder Of distinction, when, alas!
he was suddenly stricken down with mortal
malady, and at the hour Of anticipated
| triumphs, the dread summons came; he left
unaccomplished the purposes of his life, and
his soul was ushered into the mysteries of
| another world.
Born and reared in humble circumstances,
| he early learned the lesson of self-reliance.
| and when he grew to manhoods estate, with
no capital, save his intellectual gifts and in
domtable will, he bravey began life's strug-
| gle, and well did he succeed.
Elected to the responsible position of States
| Attorney in his twenty first year, he assumed
| the duties of his office, and entered upon his
professional career. That he discharged the
duties of his position with great ability for
| one so young, and that at the end Of his term
| of Office he had securely established his rcpu-
| tation as an able and rising young member of
the bar, all will admit.
| He rose rapidly in his profession, and ap-
| peared as counsel in many cases of the most
important eases tried in this Court during his
| professional career, and at the time of his
death he was recognized rs one of the lead
ing members. not only OF this bar, but Of the
State. He was endowed with the best of all
| gifts. common His mind uos nln
and logical, and he presented his cases to
| courts and juries with great force and success.
As II speaker he was logical able and elo-
| quent. and always proved himself an able
| champion OF any cause he espOused. In
| politics he was Il born leader of men. He
was the best Judge OF human nature have
ever known He knew that the greatest
study of mankind is man, and to that sub
| ject ne applied himself with great diligence
| In local politics he early in life became a
| leader, and as the years passed on the circle
| of his influence widened, until at the time OF
his death he seemed to he the undisputed
| leader of his party in the county. His innu-
| ence in politics was not confined to the
county, but in later years he became one OF
| the acknowledged leaders Of his party in the
State, and was honored by nomination for
the Office of Attorney-General of Maryland.
so great were his powers for political leader
ship, that his friends confidently believe had
yotiS VI liIc beou SputSu " ulHl he WOulu
have filled exalted political positions in both
State and Nation.
When stricken with terrible and fatal
maady, he brayely and manfully struggled
for life. His courage was of the highest type.
He calmly submitted himself to the knife in
operations so terrible and heroic as to cause
trained surgeons to stand appalled,. His
sufferings We're intense, and when hope Of
life had failed he calmly gazed into his grave
Entering my office short time before his
death, when the robust and healthful man OF
few months before had been changed into a
pale, emaciated, suffering, manned and tor
tured physical wreck, he seated himself at
my desk, and with the composure of n man
talking upon business subjects, he related to
me in detail the story of his sufIerings, mental
and physical He began by saying that he
had no hope of living, and knew that he must
soon die. He said that he bad always turned
his face toward the temporal affairs of this
world that he had loved life, and that he
had eagerly sought worldly success, but that
since stricken with disease he had realized
the folly of it, and that when medical art had
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