The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-03

old fathers walking staff, which you
keep in his memory, or the eyeglasses
through which your mother studied the
Bible in her old age as the name they
bore, the name which you inherited.
Keep it bright, | charge you. Keep it
suggestive of something elevated in
character. Trample not underfoot that
which to your father and mother was
dearer than life itself. Defend their
graves as they defended your cradle.
Family coat of arms, ascutchaons, en-
signs armorial, lion couchant orlion dor
mant, orlion rampant or lion combatant,
may attract attention, but better than
all heraldic inscription is family name
which means from generation TO genera
tion faith in God, self sacrifice, duty
performed, life well lived aud death
happily died, and a heaven glorlou>ly
won. That was the kind Of name that
Justice Field augmented and adorned
and perpetuateG-a nawe honorable at
the close of the eighteenth century,
more honored now at the close Of the
nineteenth.
Notice also that our illustrious friend
was great IN reasonable and genial dis.
sent. Of the l.042 opinion he rendered
none was more potent or memorable
than those rendered while he was IL
small minority and sometimes III
minority Of one. A learned
and distinguished lawyer of this
country said he would rather be
the author Of Judge Fields dissent
log opinions than TO be the author Of
the constitution of the United States.
The tendency is to 60 With the multi
tude, to think what others think to say
and do what others do. Sometimes tie
majority are wrong, and 1t requires
heroies to take the negative, bus t" do
that logically aud in COED humor re-
ouireS some elements Of MA K e W not of-
teD found in judicial dissenters or, in
deed, III any class Of men. There are
so many people in the world opposed TO
every thing and who display their oppo-
sition in raDcorous aud obnoxious ways
that judge Field was needed to make
the negative respected aud genial aud
right. Minorities u-der God save the
world aud save the church. An un-
thinking and precipitate yes" 2:y be
stopped BY righteous and heroic no "
The majori,ies are not always right.
The old gospel by mn declares it:
Numbers are no mark that men will
right be found;
A few were saved in Noah's ark to many
millions drowned.
The Declaration of American Inde-
pendence was dissenting opinion.
The Free Church Of Scotland, upder
Chalmers and his compeers was dis
sentiDg movement. The Bible itself.
Old Testament and New Testament, is
protest against the theories that
would have destroyed the world and is
dissenting as well as divinely in.
spired book. The Decalogue on Sinai
repeated ten times Thou shalt not. .
For ages to come will be quoted from
lawbooks in courtrooms Justice Field S
magnificent dissenting opinions.
Notice that our ascended friend had
such a character as assault and peril
alone can develop. He had not come
to the soft cushions of the supreme
court bench stepping on cloth Of gold
and saluted all along the line by hand
clappiDg Of applause. County parson-
ages do not rock their babes in satin
lined cradle OF afterward send them out
into the world with enough in their
hand to purchase place and power. Pas
tors salaries in the early part of this
century hardly every reached $500 a
year. Economies that sometimes cut
into the bone characterized many Of
the homes Of the New England clergy
men. The young lawyer Of whom We
speak today arrived in San Francisco
in lS49 with only SO in his pocket.
Williamstown college was only intro
ductory to postgraduate course which
our illustrious friend took while ao-
ministering justice and halting rufhan-
ism amid, the mining camps Of Caliior-
mia. Oh, those forty miners, as they
were called, through what privations,
through what narrow escapes, amid
what exposures they moved. Admins
tering and executing law among outlaws
never has been an easy undertaking.
Among nountaineers, many of whom
had no regard for human life, and where
the snap Of pistol and bang Of gun were
not uuusal responses, required courage
Of the highest metal.
Behind a dry goods box, surmounted
by tallow candles, Judge Field began
his judicial career. What exciting
scenes he passed through. An internal
machine was handed to him, and inside
the lid of the box was pasted his deci-
sion in the Pueblo case, the decision
that had baked unprincipled specula-
tors. Ten years ago his life would
have passed out had not an officer Of
the law shot down his assailant. 1t
took long training Of hardship and
abase and misiDterpretstion and threat
Of violence aud fash Of assassin's knife
TO fit him for the high place where he
could defy legislatures and congresses
and presidents aud the world when he
knew he was right; Hardship is the
grirdstoDe that sharpens Intellectual
faculties and the swords with which to
strike effectively for God and ones
country.
The reason that life to so many is a
failure is because they do not have op-
position enough and trials enough or
because they ignoniniously lie down to
be run over by them instead Of using
them for stairs OF which to put their
foot and mount Those born with a
gold spoon in their mouths are apt o
take their last medicine out Of pewter
mug. Have brave heart IN all depart
,.,o-+e va ,,oo re r,,,v n bsto .1a> Tboro