The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-02-27

Richly endowed by nature, well fur
nished as lawyer and statesman,
broad-minded a1d great-hearted, ire
sistibly magnetic and dominated by
the loftiest principles and ideals, he
made a commonwealth mourn when
death called him away. He left va
cant chair in all our hearts. When
one of our presidents lay dying. shot
down by the bullet Of an assassin, al
intimate friend of his, who was also
distinguished soldier, turned away
from the couch, and with his hand
upon his heart, exclaimed: %, this
pain! this paint So when the sad
news flashed over the wires that Jud
Russell was dead, we all turned SOL
EMMY aside, and with our hands upon
our hearts and the great heart of Mis-
sissippi, instinctively cried, o, this
pain! this paint
"In Analysing the characteristics of
this noble Mississippian, l should say,
first of all he was distinguished for
his open-heartedness and perfect STA
certify. There were not enough shad-
ows in his sunny nature to hide sin
lister motive He had no concealments,
and never moved except on straight
lines AS genial as the soft South
ern skies that bent in benediction over
him, he never had occasion to be in
direct or diplomatic. He was neither
the custodian nor the revealer of Sc
crets. | never knew him to whisper
or make remarks aside, but always
spoke with a clear, ringing, manly
voice, as though perfectly willing that
all the world might hear. This win
ming quality gave him wide, and we'll
deserved popularity. Every friend felt
absolutely safe in his hands. Known
to be Incapable of betrayal or inf
deity, he commanded not only the
confidence, but the enthusiastic af
lection a1d admiration of all who
came within the charming circle of
his magnetic influence.
"Mr. Russell had a genius for
friendship. His attachments were ar
dent, and sometimes pathetic. Though
a man of strong character, resource
full and self-reliant, he coveted the
affection of friends and positively re-
veled in the privilege of being loved.
He had none of that frigid reserve
and calculating austerity that belongs
to the rtained diplomacy of sharp
commercialism. And on the other
hand, there was about him nothing
of the affectation, and simulated cor
diality of a shallow, veneered social
life. The soul of honor, he : no
patience with shams and a positive
contempt for cant His friends were
legion, and it is doubted if he ever
had an enemy.
HE was also distinguished for his
magnanimity; difference of opinion |
never caused estrangement of feeling. !
He ho1ored a true man none the less
because he held and advocated an |
opposing view The circle of his |
friendship was not confined to those |
who stood on his platform or sub
scribed to his creed or embraced his |
views. Gentlemen of the House, |
would commend this splendid trait of |
that noble character, as worthy of all |
Nothing is more fatal to
a man or a people than intolerance of
opinion and prejudice of sentiment. |
The broader our mental hospitality |
and the more generous our judgments |
Of others, the more majestic will be |
the manhood of our land and the wis
er its constructive craftsmanship. |
Everybody admlreS maSna1lmOuS
man. And again, Mr.. Speaker, our
noble and magnetic friend had in an
eminent degree that quality which you
called special attention. superb
moral courage. He dared to do right,
as he conceived it, whatever might
be the fate of his political fortunes.
There were testing times during the
asst years of his professional and po-
itical career that brought out this
'adiant characteristic and commanded
vide admiration. He did not effect
my singularity of opinion, and never
for leadership, or posed
or cheap martyrdom, but on the other
land he never surrendered his honest
judgments or compromised his convic-
ions in order to be with the major
ty. or TO win popularity. Gentlemen,
his is the virtue that marks the d.