The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-09
One of the State S Most
Brilliant Men.
WAS VALUED CITIZEN
MIR. Nootcn Nritc~ Of Him a Il LAW.
yer. i statesman ard 4 ,.tileu-
Incident in lii Career a 4
Earri~tcr-A Nan OF Force
ful speech and Pointed
tI-JdIR M

III tEe NEl.4LE at RMS sketch Ht &l.
Dos,ch. it is IL me & labor VI la.s
I knew him wen and intimately foe
more Ia 81 SO years. ana loved and lE-
mired him for his sterling honest
for his unwayelluE integrity.
for his unbounding generosity for his
amiable disposition fer his geu.e
manners. for the Spotless purity of hi-
public life, for his unblemishel rc"u-
tation. for his loyalty T. his ~pI4ncIp.,.
and to his friends, and for every mob.
and generous virtue that can adora
ana enlbelIiSE human -charucter. j
love to dwell upon such a life and l
only regret that / annot fiud worl-
to portray in such cOlors as it shoJFll
be. 80 Is 10 transmit il TO postcGity As
q priceless legacy and 4 glorious e&-
ample for the guidance u the YOUTH
Of u country. Such men are q Il
try's jewel, and their name should be
held in grateful remembrance. If in
depicting the character Of Nr. Dortch.
/ shall at amy time inQuloe in a glowing
language l hope | may not be accused
Of what may be chriStcned Boswell
ism or q disposition to idolize any
man living or dead, for | am not
ashamed to admit that l admire the
noble qualities that constitute his char
acrer and in speaking Of his virtues
| can say of him what one great man
said Of the virtues Of another. that
they resembled those celestial fruits
and flowers which the Virgin Martyr
of Mussinger sent down from the gar
den Of paradise to the earth ana which
were distinguished from the produc-
tons OF other soils. not only by q SUI
periOr bloom and sweetness but BY
miraculous efficacy to ~inVigorate ana
to heal. and that the are powerful moi
only to delight, but TO elevate and
purify
William Theophilus Dortch was born
in Nash county. on August %. 1924,
and died November 81. 1889. His
father was William and his mother
was Drucilla DOrtch. He was educated
at the common school and at the Bln@-
ham School. at HillSbOrO. He never
went to college. He studied law with
the Hon. b. +. Moore of Raleigh, Oh
tanned icense to practice law in the
county courts at - years Of age and
superior OCurt license at 20 years
of age. He settled in Nashville Ill
was elected county attorney Of Mash
county. In 1919 he removed 70 Colds
boro, and was at once elected county
attorney for Wayne. In 1882 he was
: elected TO the louise Of Commons from
: Wayna county and continuously (eX-
cept one session. until 1860. at Whict
I session he was elected speaker of tn
] House. | have heard gentlemen WhC
were members Of the House say he wa
/ q model presiding officer. fair ant
1lQpdrllal III ms 1ullIlS, dlSIIII1td an
, courteous. and dispatched bushes:
9 with the greatest ease and facility. Al
! ter the State seeded and coined tn
!. Confederate States. he was elected e
} the Confederate states Senate. which
I position he held until the fall of the
3 Confederate Government in 1865. t
1859 he was rendered the office Of Su-
: perior Court Judge by Governor ELS
Y which he declined. He could not al
, ford to give up his practice which a
= that time was one of the largest Of anl
4 LAWYER in the state, for the SINAI
salary attached to the office of judge
4 He was elected 10 the state Senatf
from the district composed of tn
: counties Of Wayne and Duplin in 1873
1880 and 1882. and was chairman q
I the judiciary committee: vas presIdei.
/ pro tenn of the Senate in 1879. Nh@i
=" the Code Commission was organized =
1881 to revise and consolidate all TN
laws Of the State he was one Of sh'
three members Of that commISsloi
4 and was elected chairman.
t Let me speak Of him as a lawyer
I as = statesman and as a citizen. i
n is as q lawyer that he won his creates
success. He recognized the fact ina
the law was a jealous MISTRESS, ans
$ he never above anything to diver
{ his attention from his practice
have known him to enter d pOlltlca
q campaign and make speeches and a
, soon as it was over he returned to M
Z office and resumed his business, with q
much system and method as if ther
= had been no interruption. Participdt
i ing in politics is calculated to demora
lie most lawyers but it was not 50 Wit
him. Mr.. Dortch, While not a classics
G scholar or eloquent orator, Wa
G the best practitioner. n IN
/ most successful manager 81
ease in the court house be
: fore iuries that l have known in IA
dav. he was noted for his honest
and integrity and had the conildehc
y of his clients. In personal apptaiaHc
there was a Strikin" resemblance |
Mr.. Blaine only the latter was a llttl
3 taller and a little heavier. bat the
e both had the same cast Of features an
n the same thoughtful, dreamy looF
When was reading law with Jud8
d Person | frequently talked with hll
ahOur the prominent lawyers Of TN
J. State and he said that Mr.. Dortcl wa
/ one Of the safest counseIlofS ana On
= of the best attorneys who pfacllCed 3
j. the bar Of the superior Court Judg
q FaircIoth. who praCticcd at the GoId'
noro bar with hin for more than >
wears told me that while ne had hd
e some hard fights with him and Ia
to fight hard for every inch Of groutl
that he won in the court house. "
Mr.. Dortch was the fairest and mo-
honorable man he yer cncountere'
This means a great deal coming irol
n man like Faircloth. who was not ]
IL the habit of bestoWing compIlhleI.
upon anybody, His addresses to I'll
y Jury we're plain, practical and full
common sense. and like the gre;
le Sephen ~. Douglas. he never used
,7ftanhnr made a classical allusio'
on quoted i line Of poetry. There Va
IF no poetic sentiment in his nature
= vas not given to him to soar aooN
the clouds. 10 battle in the Elysia
h. Jew Of the rainbow, and 70 inhai" tf
- LaItay smells Of nard and caSsia, Whic
a 1.-The musky winds of the zephyrd sea
tered through the cedared alleys
the Hesrerides.' While he did N
81. possess the establishments Of the on
rN tor, ~ the grace of the elo o'-'lli.'
= lac romantic sentiment If the poet. y
Inc had what was far better-tf