The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-28
HON. WILLIAM A. GRAHAM.
An Apprecatve Sketch of That ilIustrious and Noble
North Carolina Statesman and Leader,

| write with particularly and emphasis.
He was a noble gentleman, a patriot,
statesman, a lawyer, who died at Sara
/ toga Springs New York, on nth August,
| 1875, aged IL He received fully the
reverence, admiration, affection and con-
fidence of all good people. He passed
away full of honors, in the Christians
faith, a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and at the time was no doubt
the foremost citizen of the State
had the pleasure of knowing
him personally from 1916, when he intro
duced me to MIR. Webster, when he was
Governor, to the close of his just and adj
mrable life. i have heard him often at
the bar, on the hastings and in lcgisla-
tive assembly perhaps. He was more like
George Washington in his mental char
acteriStics than any other eminent
American of whom | have specific knowl-
edge. He had an unique, unusually SYM
metrical personality. His intellect, with
out being great or e-eminent in any
one faculty, was the best balanced of
any / recall. 1t was the happy uniting
of his various gifts that made him such
an imposing and admirable gentleman.
As statesman, take him all and in all,
he has had but very few equals in North
Carolina. He was eminently a nice, pru-
dent sagacious, far-seeing stateSman-in
no sense mere politician or blinded
partisan-whose breast was ''ingrained
with a noble sense of honor and who
was ever animated with a pure, unswerv-
ing and vigilant patriotism. He gave the
best years of his long and successful life
to the service of his country in all of its
manifold interests, was possessed by
thorough devotion to the best and surest
welfare Of the grand old State of which
he was a native that so delighted to
honor him, and he was filled from first to
last with an invincible fidelity to duty.
AS a lawyer he was studious. pains
taking, conscientious las he was in all
other things) earnest, able; not equalling
several of his associates and rivals in
legal eruditiOn or eloquence or power or
ingenuity, but eminently successful,
well-informed and impressive. l have
heard much ADLER advocates at the bar.
l 90 not believe he was comparable to the
peerless Badger, or to Miller or Bragg,
or Reade or Kerr. l heard Judge Kerr
once get a great victory over him in
case OF tender and refusal in Person
court. The last time | ever head him and
Governor Bragg a the bar lit was in
Granville), the latter obtained a surpris-
ing and conspicuous triumph, when he
was near the end of life, and was so
diseased he was compelled to sit while
speaking. and to support his failing ply
steal nature with stimulants, although
not a liquor drinking man. He made
powerful argument of two hours under
those very extraordinary circumstances
He was the greatest advocate after
Badger l ever heard address a Jury
heard him at Warrenton in murder case
not long after the great war. He spoke
for four hours against four lawyers, the
late Bat. Moore being of the number. 1t
was beyond question in my mind the very
ablest, most unanswerable argument
have heard since l was twenty-five years
old l never heard Badger after 1853 or 54
AS popular speaker, Gov. Graham was
lacking in magnetic power-in pathos and
dash-havng too much of that Attic
GOODNESS of which Cicero, the great Ro-
man orator complains. Hence he did not
sway mems passions or control vast as
semblages as with despotic and easy will
of more masterful and imprisoned ora
tors. He was deficient in the spirited
the sparkling in wit and humor and
Imagination, and the people sat quiet and
reSardful, and many thoughtful, under his
calm, satisfying addresses. He was clear,
JGdicious, forccful ard rose at times into
the regions of cool, broad, philosophic
craftsmanship. He never failed to draw !
TO himself the attention of delberative
bodies which he might address. His ex-
allied character, his excellent abilities, his
acknowledged wisdom, his imposing dig |
nifty, his perfect cOurteousnesS of bearing J
always fastened the eyes of his auditors
upon him. With perhaps some exaggera- 1
ticn Millions lines might be descriptive
of our massive grand North Carolinian
80 with orava