The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-30

IN {. =. y.

,,..lr men in every department Of hu-
man learning. In the judiciary Ruff
Pearson, Castor ana Battle were
the equal Of any other four judges III
state. Indeed Chief Justice Ruff
fin was the pee. Of Marshal, story and
Kent as u lawyer. As a common law
yer Pearson has had no 0qua. in this
country, ana for felicity Of expression,
for The purity and elegance Of his die
DION. CASTOR has never been surpassed.
Judge Battle was a man Of the most
amIabIc disposition ana the gentleat
Christian of any man | ever knew eN-
I)r. WinZate. of Wake Forest Col
I,.,. knew Battle and Pearson well
for | read law under both. Pearson
said Battle was the best posted man
on the law that he ever knew and
called him the digest. W. +. Dortch
while not Il Learned man or eloquent
orator, was the best practitioner ana
the most successful manager Of case
il llle court house before JurIes, that 1
have known in my day. He was noted
for his honesty ana integrity anu mad
the confidence of his clients. Mr..
Du.tcu had Il striking resemblance to
Mir. Blame. only the latter was taller
anI Il little heavier. but they both mad
Tia, same caste Of features, ana the
same thoughtful dreamy look. Geo.
Davis, pf Wilmington, was an elegant
gentleman. Il man of splendid cultur"
and a fine eloquent speaker in any
sphere You might place him. He is be
loved by his people for his sublime
devotion to jefferson Davis in his fan,
which was almost pathetic ana almost
hordered on idoiatry. l heard Badger
ON secession n he spoke in n con-
VcrsationaI tone, and used simple
words and the purest English, we'll
adapted to the Senate or the masses.
Governor Bragg for common sense, for
power in debate, and for c0gency in
reasoning without any OF the bland
iehmuutS Of eIOcution had no superior
i'm these respects. While his great COM
peer, Governor Graham, was the most
di4nificd. refined and cultured gentle
man we ever had in the State, and
was q good speaker, graceful and
courteous Without an effort at being
eloquent. He had no rival in culture
except Ransom, who was an accom-
pIi-hed cOurtier and a man of the most
affabIc manner and besides was Il very
thrilling speaker and could sway the
multitudes. Vance, the bluff, the cor
dial, the magnetic, the immortal tri-
bune of the people, was the greatest
man before the people we ever had in
the State. Edward Graham Haywood,
as lawyer. orator and statesman was
the equal of all of them in every de-
partment. | heard him speak four
hours before Chief Justice Chase in
the Federal court at Raleigh. He
looked greater. and talked greater
than any man 1 ever heard. His mind
could grasp the greatest problems n
could argue with the utmost ease the
most Ohstruse questions. While smaller
men would stagger under their load
he was like a big hOrse-WOuld pull
it with ease. He was the most gigantic
intellect The state has yet produced.
But the greatest orator we have ever
h1d was Henry w. Miller. He vas Il
Nirginian by birth. but came to North
Carolina early in life, and graduated
at the University in 1894. While q
student at that Institution he wrote
a letter to William Writ. asking his
advice as to what was necessary to be
come an orator., thus showing at that
early day that he had q desire to he
a great speaker. Writ replied and
made some suggestions to him. [ was
in my teens when | first heard Miller
and he made sue an impression on
my youthful mind that it will never
b." erased. 1t was at New Bern in
1888. on the completion of the At
l@ntic and North Carolina Railroad.
Excursion trains came from every
road, and brought people from every
part Of the state. ThC"e was an i'm
monse throng of the beauty, The chiv-
airy ana the sturdy yeomanry of the
state. Such an ~aSsemblage as only
this state could bring together. lie
spoke on the Academy green, a most
charming and lovely spot. He sa-
lutod the audience with these beautiful
words: "Well, may the sons and
daughters of North Carolina rejoice,
lift up their heads with pride and raise
thci" Ni0ceS in eXultatiOn. that their
good old mother has taken another
step towards the goal of her rosper-
ity and g~reatness." This saIutation
CDVnJlltfnlE 90 ntiE1tnl the AIIianIp
ana for nearly an hour, he held them
and entertained them with a speech If
great beauty and cloQuenCe. Dr.
Hawks made the principal address.
which was an able and complete his
tory of internal improvements from
TIE Roman Empire to that time. While
MillerS speech was not so elaborate as
Or. Hawks. yet his eloqueuce and or
atory thrilled and aroused the audi
icnce. | heard him again in 1866
when Mr.. Douglas was Il candidate
for President and spoke from the east
p0rticO of the capitol. Mr.. Dougla.
was 4 strong. forcible speaker and ar
able dcbatcr and Il master before the
Topulace. but he did not have the el0-
Gu"nce. the rhetoric and the graceS Ot
oratory Of Miller. l heard Douglas say
at Raleigh. that if Lincoln was cleo
ed and any man attempted to break
M his UNION. he would hang him a.
high as Hannah. These were boI6
N'h 'AS ~ We ult'Itd Ill IL SOUtilcCJ
Capltal. just on the eve of a grea'
civil war. He had q dash about him
that impressed you with admiration
for his audacity and as being the mos
fearless man YOU had ever heard o.
tn" stump. When I saw what on,
of the Observer correspondents sale
of the bearings of his son. Judc,
Douglas in the late Impeachment trial
the cheerfulness With which he wen
through that trying ordeal. I though
that ne had lnhQJitaI TO-, foo I1nc-1n
and dash from his illustrious father
Somebody asked TOOmbs when Doug
las was running for president if h
were really a great man, and he il
his usual refrigeration and character
iStic heartineSS' answered: '"Ther
has been but one greater. and he til
Apostle Paul When / saw him wall