The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-11

'tA '--AA $3.50
than thirty years old me that while
he had had some hard fights with him
and had to fight hard Tor every men
of ground that he won in the court
house. yet Mr.. DOTtch was the fairest
and most honorable man he ever en-
countered. This means Il great deal
coming from q man like FalTcIoth.
who was not in the habi of bestoWlng
compliments upon anybody. His ad-
dresses to the jury We're plaln, pracu-
cal and full of common sense, anu
like the great Stephen \. Douglas, he
never used a metaphor, made a classl-
cal ~allusion or quoted a line of poetry.
There was no poetic sentiment IN MS
nature. 1t was not given to him to
soar above the clouds, to battle IN
the Elysian dew of the rainbow, n
to inhale the balmy smells OF nard
and cassia, which the musky winds
Of the zephyr scattered through the
cedared alleys OF the Hesperides."
While he did not possess the blandish-
ments of the oratOr, or the grace of
the elocutionist, or the romantic sen
timent Of the poet, Yet he had what
was far better-the great, genius of
common sense. He recIyed invita-
tiOnS to deliver commencement ad-
dresses at the University and Wake
Forest college and other institutions,
but having no taste for SuCn things he
declined them all. He never COurted
the music. He spoke in a smooth con-
yersational tone Of voice, but as he
would warm with his theme, he would
become animated, and his face radi--
ant with the fires Of genius, would
glow with intellectual beauty. This
was all natural with him. There was
no effort at display or stage effect or
playing to the galleries. In none of
his speeches did he ever say anything
to elicit applause but he spoke to
convince, the eaSon and judgment Of
men. His favorite gesture was with
his INDEX finger, and when he would
point it at the jury to give emphasis
to some point he was making or to
clinch the argument, 1t seemed the
words We're SO pointed, the reasoning
} so cogent. and the thought SO power
full that they wOuld penetrate to your
very soul with the force and direct
ness of a cannon ball.
He was a hard worker, as indie
fatigable in labor as Napoleon, and
could dispatch business with more
ease than any lawyer [ ever knew. I
have been in his office and watched
him transact business n there was
no furry. no excitement and no con-
fusion, but his every movement was
as smooth as a piece Of we'll adjusted
machinery. He enjoyed the largest
professional income of any mar in
l NAS L col l1A1AI SOY III LII
uary. 1853, as 1 was walking from
e the hotel to his office that the In
: come from his practice the year be-
e fore was $4,000. There was no big
e corporation fees included in this
8 amount which shows that he must
t have done more work and q larger
practice than any lawyer in the State.
e 1t required an amount of
e work to have a practice reach that
r amount as law fees were in North
Carolina. He was irresistible in plead
Q Ing before a jury and what Lord
n Brougham said of Erskine may be APP
piled to Mr.. Dortch, That juries have
declared that they felt it impossible
to remove their look from him when
i he a riveted, and as it were, fasci-
mated them by his first glance and il
used to be q common remark Of mer
j. who observed his motions, hat they
e resembled those OF a race horse, a:
It light, as timber, as much betokins
: strength and speed, as free from al
gross s~uperfuity or encumbrance.' II
r, rarely lost a case before juries an(
1t then only when the facts and the Law
were against him. He was as all
ct powerful in Wayne county as was tn
s, great Calhoun in his day in South
TO Carolina, or Clay In Kentucky. ]
is dangerous for a lawyer to hav
al such power for If he were disposed
as he could pervert it to some selfish end
to But sue power in the hands Of
IS, man like Dortch would never b
as abused, for he believed in fair dealin
n. and was an ardent devotee at tn
ed shrine of the spirit of liberty. II
it fully realized the sentiment expresse
h, by Macaulay in his beautiful apostro
o. phe to the spirit Of liberty when h
tt avs "Aristotle tells a pretty story Q
a fairy, who by some mysterious LAY
OF her nature. was condemned to ar
pear at a certain season in the fOrr
,ty of a foul and poisonous snake. Thos
zee who injured her during the nariOd z
zee her disguise. were forever exclude
10 1rem participating in the blessing
IL winch she bestowed. But to those VIII
ley IN spite OF her loathsome aspect, pi
res led and protected her. she afterward
DIX. revealed herself in the haa,,t;ful on
lge celestial which was nat,ra, RI bar .,
i'm cOmpanied their steps. granted .
he their wishes, filled their houSae 1y;,