The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-03
JUDGE SlMOyDS' SPEECH,
Eloquent Tribute To
Judge Peter s.
"reminiscences Of Former Members Of
1. a.
Et
Letters Read at the
Peters Banquet.
Chief Justice Fuller, Ex-Speaker
Reed and Others.

The folio wing 10 the speech Of Judge
Symonds at the PetsrJ banquet IN Bau-
gor TbIrsiaT night;
MI. President, and Brethren Of the Bar
desire, fret Of all tonight, to make
my acknowledgements, and to express my
feeling of obligation 30 the Penobscot
Bar, for their courtesy In inviting me to
be present this evening, on this occasion
SO full Of in terest IN itielf, SO memcrabls
in its relation to the long and dis tin-
uuished ldiuial career which we are met
especially to honor Most heartily l
thank you for the honor and pleasure OF
the evening to me, tni for the generous
kindness with which you receive me.
There Is now and tten period In life,
when suddenly We seem to have CLIMBED
q height upon the way; to have reached
some eminenoe or ventake ground. with
outlook both towards the past and to.
wards the future; where we may turn TO
trace again the pathway along which We
have coIue, or. with forward glance, may
catch some glimpse OF what awaits US IN
the future. An occasion like this tonight
seems to be one which affords US this op.
portunity, both for the retrospect and for
the prospe ct. Perhaps IL 10 natural for us
TO turn rather more to the past than to
the future tonight, to dwell upon memo
rles more even than upon hopes or expeo-
tations. At least find my own mind
fuller Of memories, and fonder Of them,
than Of anticipations, however bright
they may te The occasion, l need not
say, suggests many pleasant recolleotions
TO me.
In the first place, II 1 may DO pardoned
personal allasion, l have always been
glad to remember that your distinguished
president was classmate and friend at
Bowdoin of an older brother OF mine.
whose early death left dark trace in my
own life; that Gen. Hamlin also, was
II
to admire them both long before 1 had
ever seen or known them. This early az
ISOLATION l have always been glad to
cherish. Their presence this evening, and
my meeting with them. not only rsnews
the old association, but at the sane time
reminds me Of the pleasure OF my own
long acquaintance with them.
But OF the court. For when your COM
mittee suggested to me to speak Of the old
and the new, suppose they meant the
old and the new Of ths court, Of our court.
OF the Supreme Court of Maine.
oeded by only few months my own
esignation from the bench, 30 that the
expect alton had cherished OF calm
judicial days with him, to supplement
our early college friendship was never
realized; and with the exception OF Judge
Emery, the retirement from the bench OF
our learned and disting uished Chief JUS
tios, who Is the guest OF the evening,
CLOSES the chapter, so for rs the court OF
which was "a member Is concerned. NO
other associate of mine upon the bench is
now living. In little more than fifteen
years, the whole personnel Of the court
has changed.
The learned, brilliant and versatile
Chief Justice Appleton, OF wide and vari-
Gus attachments professionally and other
wise Of simple life but OF courtly manner,
the model Of all gsntlemanlinsss, the 40
Lac ha nnnd
presided over the court during my time;
Judge Walton, on whose noble face, calm
in death, we have SO recently looked, the
great common lawyer, the intiexible, In.
domi table man, lifting readily and easily
any legal or judicial burden tnas time OF
impatienoe of temper which We did no.
like but which we easily forgot when we
saw the new light, clear as the sun on
Alpine height, with which he Hooded the
cause. In his written opinions, too. how
remorselessly sometimes he dragged us TO
his concI usions, by q chain Of reasoning
in which there were no links that would
break, What beautiful English style he
DEVELOPED, the natural expression OF the
crystal clearness Of his mind What
splendid service ne rendered to the state
during the longest judicial career In the
history Of Maine, not only In the ordinary
routine Of the courts, but In great crises,
too; and how little the state did for him
Think Of Judge Walton as counsel for
large corporations In our times. What
wealth Of knowledge. what fertility OF re-
source what subtlety and clearness Of
reasoning, what wise forecast Of chances
and probabilities, he would have brought
TO their servics The etats did little for
him, Eyery day upon the tench was a
sacrifice of his own personal interest. But
he did not complain, and bis friends need
not complain for him. He towers, and
will tower so long as our reports remain,
among the loftiest judicial heights In ell
the range; Judge Barrows, scholarly,
strong and fine, Of marked literary
tastes and gifts and attainment II with
him, personal feeling was sometimes In
danger of ruffiing the surface OF that
calmness which judicial work requires,
still the feeling was always sure 20 be In
favor OF what he believed was just and
true and right; Judge Danforth. even
TEN pered and fsir-minded OF judicial
temperament. winning the confidence OF
all by his moderation and inipartlallty I;
Judge Virgin, conservative. msthodical,
painstaking, fond of preoedents, elaborate
In all the details OF his work; and Judge
Libbey, clear sighted, firm and positive,
in whose mind the processes Of reason and
Judgment were as exact and definite as
the movements OF delicate machinery, his
charges to the Jury models OF concise and