Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-26
RESOLUTIONS ON Mr. BiYARD.


John Biggs and Andrew E. Sanborn
of this city, on behalf Of the Bar Asso-
citation of New Castle county, presented
to the Supreme Court at Dover yester-
day week the resolutions adopted
by the bar association on the death Of
Hon. Thomas +. Bayard All the mem
bers of the Supreme Court, with the
exception of Chief Justice Lore, were
present. MIR. Biggs said:
In presenting these resolutions
desire to add my own testimony as q
tribute TO the memory of the Hon.
Thomas +. Bayard. His life is so
interviewer with. and part Of the his
tory of, our nation and State that 1t is
| familiar to us all. 1t was a fortunate
thing for our little Commonwealth,
| when he forsook his early vocation in
life, that of the mercantile business in
! the city of Philadelphia and COM
nenced the study of the law in the
city of Wilmington. He was admitted
to the bar in 1851, and soon took his
| place among the foremost practitioners
| of those days, who were the leaders of
bar Acknowledged to be as able as
| shat Of any in our country. Our re-
ports show that soon after his adj
mission and up to the time when he
! was elected United States Senator,
he was engaged on one side or the
other In almost all the important trials
| that came before our courts.
My acquaintance with Mr.. Bayard
| began in 1863, he having first taken
his seat, as United States Senator,
on the 18th of March of that year, and
on the same day that my father first
took his seat as a member of the lower
House Of Congress.
can well remember the then
universal consenses of opinion that his
| career, as a public servant, would be a
bright one: that his natural ability,
coupled with his studious habits were
sure to bring him success. He was a
very hard student, and his determis
nation tomaster the important subjects
that came before the Senate in those
days, and especially those pertaining
to the reconstruction of the Southern
States, affected his eye-sight, and
| severely taxed his Datural robust con-
stitution. He was the friend of the
South, aud during those trying days
of reconstruction, when the Southern
people were struggling TO get back into
the Union, he WIS one of the few
Senators who was always ready to hold
out to them helping hand in their
time of distress.
The place he occupied as one of
the foremost leaders of his day, and
the prominent part he always took in
questions involving the welfare and
good name of our country are we'll
known TO all.
He was bound to all pertaining to
the welfare and good name of our own
State and people by the deepest love
and strongest devotion of pure mind
and honest heart. Whether his duties
called him to other fields beyond the
borders of our State, in our own
country, or whether they called him to
new fields beyond the seas, from the
days Of his earliest manhood to the
day of his death, he was always mind
fui of the welfare. tho prosperity, the
good name, and the honorable position
our State always occupied among our
/ sister States, and always bore CRATE
full remembrance to our people, who in
recognition of his ability, his purity
of purpose, and sterling worth, were
pleased to honor him.
In seconding the resolution, Mr..
Sanborn in part said: THE pulse OF
every true Delawarean quickens and
throbs with pride at the name of the
Hon. Thomas +. Bayard, whom all
English-speaking peoples had come to
reverence and love, whose very name
had become a synonym of honor, and
whose wonderful influence was felt the
world around.
Sufficient time has not yet elapsed,
nor shall j attempt to estimate the
1 loss our State and nation have sus
taineo III his death. This must bt
left TO the future historian. 1t doc.
i seem that never has our country beer
more in need of the combined wisdom
and patriotism of all her greatest anc
truest sons. The war with Spain la.
: brought to us the beginning Of new
/ era. New and grave problems o.
) pubic policy confront us; and ou
, anxiety for the future would be great
indeed did we not believe that til,
, Almighty Ruler of Nations is guiding
a our destiny. and has in our future
purpose to make this great nation al
, object lesson to the world of tn,
blessings of liberty and self-govern
, ment.
! Mr.. Bayard was the highest type o
I a man. Nature formed him in no com
mon mould. With large and magniti
cent physique, noble brow, flashing ey
nnd powerful, though sweetly modu
= lated voice, his presence UNIVERSAL,
commanded respect. 1t was impossible
4 to resist the charm of his manner, o
!, TO be insensible to the melody OF hi
!. voice. He was Il man of very stronl
/ convictions, and at times his very sou
: would speak in their enforcement.
His standard of morality was YER
|, high. He was the soul of honor. Mr.
!, Bayard inherited his exquisite sense o
a honor by birth from long line of dis
l tinguished ancestors, and CAREFUL
: nourished and cultivated it through
:, out his life. He was kind and court
1 epus to all. Nature had made him
/ gentleman. A conclusion reached, h
i never faltered in the path of duty. II
4 was man of wide experience. Hi
i life aud education brought him int
: contact with men of every class an,
I in his maturer years this varied ex
. perience ripened into rich harvest o
l, wisdom,
il As Ambassador to England he wa
:. most warmly received by all classes
!, and, aroused by the eloquent word
|, that came straight from his heart, o.
England warmed with friendship 70
this country. Who can estimate tn
t. value of this service to our country i
y the late war with Spain, or its futur
j. Importance to us in time to come.
e 1t is sad to think that the nobl
i form of one so honored and believe
t, should have been rent with pain an
s. wasted by disease until final dissoIu
D tiors but in the providence of Goo
IS his life work was ended-and IL to hay
Ia lived an honored and useful life; if [
IN have been faithful; if to have bee
% unsslflsh: if to have been noble; il /,