The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-24
ORAISE THE LORD---BUT DANCE
! AROUND THE GOLDEN CALF
BY REV. II. III. WHITAKER.

to seek Gods favor and mercy. Ii
would be a good thing for Wilmington
# a larger hall We're secured. and
the people with means would give
literally and constantly to the support
Of this band of earnest Christian work
ers Many have found Christ and are
living godly, righteous, sober lives
through their instrumentality. May
Gods blessings be upon them now and
ever more. l hear of a worthy mem
GER of the Lutheran church also
agreeing to give one dollar a week.
p. S-Since this was written / pro-
.oundly regret to learn that Adjutant
Virgins and his faithful, most useful
oand have left for another field to
which they were ordered. He is SO
Useful and earnest he is much in de-
nand 1t is a mistake to move him
rom our city in which he is SO highly
Steemed.
North Carolina had a very worthy
md able son in the late Henry Gray
, turner, Associate Justice of the Su-
)reme Court of Georgia, and a leading
x-member of the Federal House from
hat State. Thanks to the forethought
# DR.. V. E. Turner, of Raleigh, a
BROTHER of the distinguished dead,
nad the opportunity lately of reading
he proceedings in the Supreme Court
Georgia commemorative of the life
nd character of it's able and faithful
.ssociate Justice. / knew of the high
ank in Georgia that our gifted North
'arolinian held, both as a leading
nember of the L. S. House and of the
ighest' Judicatory in Georgia, the
tate of his adoption but L did not
now how great was the estimate of
is abilities, services and character in
hat State until / read the capital pa
er read before the Supreme Court
n 18th July, 1904, and the excellent
nd highly appreciative estimate of
i'm as presented by Mr.. Justice
'andler in his fine address to that
,ody. There is a great deal in both
hat is not only in excellent taste and
aost enjoyable and impressive, but
/ deserves to be known to North Caro-
nians, whether of the bar or the lar
,er body of the intelligent citizens,
Judge Turner was born in Franklin
o., N. c., March 20, 1899, ad died
n June 9th, 1904, at Raleigh, at the
lone of his brother. He was in the
great war, and was captain in Com
pany H, 23rd North Carolina Volun
teers He fought in many desperate
battles, was terribly wounded at Get
tysburg, and left for dead, and was
discharged because of physical disa
bilities. He read law and began prac~
tice at Nashville, Ga, in October, 1865.
He married on 18th June, 1865, Miss
Lavinia c., daughter of Judge j. Q.
Morton. His career as a lawyer was
one of marked distinction, and when
in the Congress he held "a very high
rank as a lawyer. The discussion OF
his record as legislator, statesman and
lawyer is amply presented. He was
held to be a debater of a high order.
and had but few equals in the House
as a lawyer, as l we'll remember. The
legal committee, in their presentation
OF, his life and character to the Su-
preme Court, has this:
The loss of Judge Turner would
under any circumstances have been a
calamity to the commonwealth; bu
that he should have been taken away
at a time when his commanding in
tellect, his wide experience, his large
learning and his lofty integrity had
just been returned to the service of
he State, and in that department of
government i'm which the Welfare OF
all the people is most vitality concern
ed, was indeed a public disaster OF
no ordinary magnitude. The public
resources have been permanently Grip
pied, the effective strength of the COM
monwealth seriously foreShortened.
md the loss is irreparable.
mot all that Saint or Sage or Sophist
ever writ
Gan build again the broken tower the
ruined tenemit refit."
SIN early boyhood Judge Turner
was by baptism made d member OF
he Methodist Church; and while in
after life not regular attendant upo-i
religious observanceS, yet his conduct
was conformed to the best require
ments of religion and morality.
/ never knew or heard of but one
blemish i'm his political record-his en-
thusiastic devotion to Grover Cleve-
land after his betrayal of his party
But the best of politicians err now
md then Mr.. Justice Gambler in his
admirable and superior address, said
Of him:
There was about him sober staid-
leSS which bespoke the VirtuouS mind
nd the reSolute soul within him. This
was not the .StubborneSS of prejudice
nor the obstinacy of ignorance, but
the SteadineSS of honesty and the Sc
renity of a clear intellect. Truth
which he esteemed as SO valuable that
1t was worth searching for with the
zeal and persistence of one seeking
hidden treasure, was to him too pre-
'iouS to be surrendered in exchange
for the tawdry wares of novelty
mongerS, or abandoned at the bidding
of popular clamor. No promised re-
wards of office nor menaces of poll
teal neglect could shove him from his
allegiance to what he knew to be true.
Truth was a necessity of his intellect
as rectitude was q requisite of his
will"
No one knowing him could doubt
the sincerity and honesty of his con-
duct, and could fail to regard him as
acting with elaboration, reflection and
conviction. L make one other quota
lion from the able jurist who cele-
brates his gifts:
but while thus confident and cour-
ageous, his character was adorned by
the most engaging modesty and the
most winSome gentleness. Men who
have never toiled painfully to win the
ruth nor suffered bravely in its de-
tense are easily inflated by the pos
session of even the semblance of it,
md maintain their uncertain owner
ship with noisy weakness; but one
who knows what Truth costs respects
t in others, holds it with humble con-
idence, end asserts it without mis-
giving or turbulence. With such calm
courage and sweet reasonableness he
iyed and labored among men; and
from his ineXhaustable spring of faith
from m