The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-06
A MERE n

Inc wilmington Messenger says Oh
Mr.. Badger: He was a great mana
genius. He was the greatest advocate
that ever appeared at the North Caro-
lima bar" In that opinion, DR.. Kings
bury will be seconde by the best
thought of the State.-Raleigh News
and Observer.
In the last quarter of a century if
all we have written of Mr.. Badger was
| gathered it would probably make a
| pamphlet of fifty pages. We have not
undertaken to discuss his great merits
| afresh. The leading lawyers who prac-
ticed in the courts Mr.. Badee- at
t~ended-say between 1910 and 1860
held without variation, we believe, the
opinion of his supremacy. We knew
personally any of these, and we
never heard an adverse opinion. The
late Mr.. Justice Edwin G. Reade, in
old age, said that the greatest poiiti-
cal speech he ever heard was the first
hour of Mr.. Badgers speech oeiore the
state whig convention in 1916. We
heard it. and up to his interruption by
the late Hon. Louis D. Henry, of Ra-
leigh, it was of Incompatible excel
lence. 1t was wonderfully dramatic and
amusing. Judge Reade served in the
congress and was himself a speaker OF
much resource and effectiveness. A law
yer still living once toll us of a speech
he heard from Mr.. Badger before the
United States supreme ourt. We DO
not recall it perfectly and SO Will rot
state the case. A great lawyer from
Ohio, We think it was, mad a most
logical and elaborate argument. He
told US that as he listened he felt sor-
ry for Mr.. Badger who was to reply.
He saw nothing to build or, so COM
plete, so convincing was the argument
of the lawyer for the prosecution. But
he said Badger had not spoken a half
hour before he wondered at his w
stupidity, and in an hour he had COM
| pletely demolished the legal structure
| reared by the able lawyer from the
west. Mr.. Badger won the case. When
Senator John J.. Crittenden, Of Ken
lucky, left the senate to become gov
ernor of Kentucky he gave all Of his
large practice in the supreme court to
Mr.. Badger. When Rufus Choate had
an important maritime case before the
supreme court which he could not at
tend to. he sought Hon. Robert q.
| Winthrop for advice as to whom he
might employ to take the case. Mr..
Winthrop said, get Badger. But, said
Choate, what does he know about mar
thine law he never had a case of that
kind probably in all his life. Win
I--- 49, I'll G(;,,o Lia 49, @oe,
and step in when he argues it, and
You will think he never did anything
else in his life, but practice IN mari
time courts" This writer is the only
living witness to the conversation be-
tween three Raleigh gentlemen and
| Mr.. Webster in 1916. We have given
it at length long before. When asked
as to the letter Mr.. Webster gave to
Mr.. Badger introducing him to Judge
Story, the old statesman asked what
was the rumor. He was told that he
had written: Judge. Story: This will
introduce to you George E. Badger, Of
North Carolina, your equal and my SUI
perior. Very truly, ETC. We heard
the reply: We'll. it was something
like that" Not long g we saw this
misstated, changing the whole thing.
We know whereof we affirm, for we
were present and heard the converse
ton. The three Raleigh gentlemen
were, Weston r. Gales. Chdiles l..
| Hinton and John H. Manly, and it oc-
cured at the residence of Senator W.
H. Haywood. Then take Senator Ham.
Inns statement given the other day that
Badger deserved to rank with the fore
most men in the senate. We heard a
| gentleman of accomplishments, Col. L.
| c. Edwards, of Oxford, say that
| gers speech in the Secession Conven-
| ton opposing afternoon sessions was
| beyond question the very best off-hand
| speech he ever heard-witty, classical,
| admirable. But we must stop.