The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-26
SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF
HON. GEORGE F.. BADGER.
BY DR.. T. B. Kingstury.

more than once at the bar after / ar
rived az manhood. He had a noble,
sympathetical head as | recall him.
there was a fine crayon picture OF
him in the law office of Mr.. l.. G.
Edwards, at oxford, as late as 1870,
when l last saw it. There was also a
fine likeness of Daniel Webster, hang
ing close by Both had very impress
sive faces, and most intellectual
heads phrenOlogically / suppose Mr..
Badgers likeness was taken as early
as 1850. or perhaps earlier. There
is a palpable error in the birth given
in the writing under the oil portrait
referred tc in the article. He was
not born in 1775 At his death he was
not more than ~. 1 think. He died
in 1866. He was probably born in
when 1 was q lad of twelve years |
heard him deliver a short political
speech in the oxford Court House
1t was in 1910. He stated that it was
his first political speech, and he was
then forty-four years old, if / remem-
Der correctly. as he stated. Some
years ago / wrote of him that "he
was a great mana genius-that he
was the greatest advocate that ever
appeared
The Raleigh News and Observer
copied it, and added that in that opin
ion he will be seconded by the best
thoughts of the State. The greatest
lawyer / ever heard at the bar was Mr..
Badger. He was not only a great
man in a true sense. but he was
great speaker, and richly endowed
with genuine dramatic power. The
late Mr.. Edward j. Hale, a gentleman
of excellent talents and high charac-
ter who established the Fayette OBJ
server, and made it such a power in
the State, and that is row edited by
his son and namesake who is able
and writes so eXcellently, (see his re-
cent article deScrf3tiVe of Los Angeles
and surroundings Maj e. j. Hale
the elder Hale in his advanced age
held that Mr. Badger was the great
est actor ne had ever seen He OF
course had nothing of the manneriSm
and peculiar eloCution of the thea
ire. but with admirable voice. always
under complete command. and nat
ural, effective elocutioN. he produced
his superb effects. HS was witty, hu-
morous, strikingly dramatic, and at
times rose to an eloquence or hlgh
and imposing kind. Then he spoke
such admirable, with such perfect
rronunciat ton, such choice English.
Whenever he was to make a speN n
in Granville Court in an important
case, the Academy boys in my day al
ways had holiday. that they might
hear the greatest forensic orator
and most mastery pleader ever at the
state bar. Visiting my truly admira-
BILE and accomplished friend-a gem
tleman of singular purity refinement
and ability-the late Hon. Munford
MeGehee. at HIS home in CasWell
county in 1868, ] ventured to remark
to him. Che had married that noble
most attractive Miss Sallie, daughter
of the great lawyer,) that not know
ing how / had received the impress
sion, I nevertheless had it. that Mr..
Badgers greatest legal achievements
had been made at the Granville bar.
Mr. McGhee n once said that he Lad
heard Nh. Badger say more than
once that he had that very impress
sion. He had goodly number OF
gifted, able men, some very superior
speakers, around him to spur him to
extra effort, and to delight in his SUI
perb, augmentation. masterful an
alysis of evidence, surprising asides,
and high, impassioned Cloquence.
Seated about him as he spoke. were
Gov. James Iredell, Judge r. M.
Saunders, Henry Watkins Miller,
Duncan X McRae. Judge Edwin G..
Reade, Judge John Kerr, Hugh Wad-
dell, judge Robert b. Gillian, Hon.
Abram W. Venable Marcellus Y.
Lanier. LII D.. Calvin H. Wiley,
James S. Amis, l.. c. Edwards, James
T. Littleiohn and sometimes several
others from distance. 1t was in
deed a great bar about 1916 to 1860,
as it was in 1S25-35, as described by
Mr.. Venable in Our Living and Our
Dead
In the summer of 1859, Hon. Ed
ward Everett. the famous rhetori-
ian and orator of Massachusetts, Wis
tied Raleigh to deliver his very cele-
brated Grafton on George Washing
ton 1t was indeed a superb piece
of composition, but destitute as deliv-
cred of all passion, magnetic power
and DASH 1t was formal, precise.
cold, although there were external
graces of manner and Astounding
beauties of diction. and a fine personal
presence. He showed no profound
interest in the manner of his seem
ingly artificial defamation, and was
destitute of the much needed varied
infections Of feeling, also essential III
| high, commanding, thrilling oratory
! Lots of men receive credit for ora
tory because declamatory, vociferous,
full of clamor and gesticulation, roll
! ing out common-places with immense
physical display and gusto, and
spouting copious words with intense
earnestness and splurging independ-
ence of manner The crowd is cap
| tured, the newspapers echo the
/ praise. and large reputation is es-