The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-03-20

bers of this Bar generally than to
myself; and yet / knew enough of
him to see why it is that his loss
should have excited such universal
sorrow.
Pope has said that an honest man
is the noblest work of God. That ele-
CANT expression of his has almost be-
come an undisputed truism. And vet,
r1ay it please your Honor, a man may
be honest and yet be rude in his
manners; he may be honest and vet
ill-tempered; he may be honest and
yet lack liberality, lack generosity,
and a great many other noble quail
ties of heart. And, therefore, I think
it may well be said that one who is
a polished gentleman is nobler work
IF God than an honest man, assum-
ing, of course, that one cannot be a
gentleman without being honest. And
it may be truthfully said of Major
Steedman that he was not only an
honest man, but he was a polished
gentleman, liberal citizen, and pos
sessed all those qualities which make
one dear to his fellows and respected
in society. He was, as my friend has
stated, an able lawyer; but he was
more. We find at almost every Bar
in this State able lawyers; but it is
rare-and 1 say this from experience
at many Bars in the State-it is rare
TO find an able lawyer who is as
courteous and fair to his antagonist
as was Major Steedman.
Again: one of the qualities of Major
Steedman, which endeared him T.
everybody that knew him, was his
personal heroism. 1 do not refer to
his gallantry on the field of battle
[ refer to more than that. He had
that heroism which was possessed
by the Spartan youth who allowed
the fox to gnaw his entrails out
without exhibiting any sign of suffer-
ing. But that fortitude arose from
the brutal training of the Spartans.
Major Steedman had that not from
his brutal hereditary training of a
Spartan, but from the qualifica-
tlons of his mind. He had what is
SO rare, complete control over self.
He not only knew self, but, what
was more remarkable, he mastered
SELF. why, may it please your
Honor, we all know that when we
met Major Steedman it was with a
smile; his greeting was friendly. We
know what an unruff1ed temper he
had, how he was pleasant in all the
"elatIons of life, and in all the clash
OF business and in the contest at
this Bar; and yet all that time he had
IN his mind chat the next instant
might be his last" | had not been
'ong acquainted with Major Steed-
man when, having heard before that
ne had a bullet, received in the de-
renee OF his country, lodged in some
bone Il do not know the bone),
called his attention to a paragraph
mat l had seen in a paper by stating
to him, Major, l saw this morning
where a poor fellow who had a ball
lodged in his bone ever since the war,
was relieved by the ball itself falling
out" He replied, at would be no
relief to me. The physician tells me
that should the ball become dis
lodged, instant death would be the
consequence; and therefore it is that
l have to walk SO carefully, and
keep my body so upright, and avoid
so particularly the slightest obstruc-
ton in my way"
that one with that pressure on his
mind could be sweet and pleasant.
1t is remarkable-it is wonderful
and where does the act of the Spar
tan youth compare in the slightest
degree with that. The constant suf-
ferer, all the time suffering, every
day the object of a physicians care.
and yet preserving a sweet demeanor.
countenance from which beamed q
smile when he met a friend. ALWAYS
pleasant and preserving his temper
under circumstances which wouId
have justified almost anybody in ex-
hibiting the frailties of human ma
ture.
1t may be well said of him, YOUR
Honor, as was said by Bulwer of an
other like situated: "He indeed must
possess a noble nature who preserves
uniform sweetness of temper when
sickness and pain is perpetually link
ing ones attention to self" That
was said of Pope; but it might more
truthfully be said of Major Steed-
man was higher example of that
complete self-control than Pope.
r. w. Shand, ESQ.,, spoke as fol-
lows:
May it please your Honor: NY as
soclations with Major Steedman at
this Bar were so long and so pleasant
that can not let this occasion pass
without adding my voice to the tri-
butte which is now being paid to his
memory. l may use words, may it
please your Honor, that to the ears
or stranger would seem extraya-
giant; but they will not seem so to
those who knew Major Steedman. He
was In some particulars one of the
most remarkable men I ever knew.
l have never in all my life (and am
using the words of TRUTH, known a
man who more conscientiously did his
duty. 1t is a fact, that to Major
Steedman case involving S., and a
case involving $1,000, were the same
field of action. He saw before him
| his duty and he did Il Il rna44o.aI