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

.he Terms OF CourC wlthln the last
ten or fifteen years, Major Steedman
went home from the Court House,
to bed, sick man, overworked by
weak, delicate, shattered by this
wound, the bullet passing, I believe,
within close proximity, as 1 heard his
physician say, to five vital points in
his body, and remaining in his body,
his constitution and nerves shattered
from the results of that wound-a
wound from which not one man in p
thousand would have recovered-and
yet, with all that, he was devoted to
his duty; he would do all that it was
'ossible for the ablest bodied law
vers to do-did it faithfully, honest
ly, and, we all know, efficiently; for
besides his noble devotion to duty he
was certainly a capital lawyer. We
all know that Major Steedman was
an antagonist that was to be dreaded,
IN that sense, in the Court House.
So far as his personal demeanor was
concerned, so far as his conduct to-
wards the Court and towards his
brother attorneys was concerned, he
was all that propriety required. I
cannot now recall, l do not believe
that any one can recall, single act
Of Major Steedman's life, in his posi-
ton as an attorney-at-law, that was
not entirely consistent with the high
est propriety of professional conduct.
do not believe he ever did mean
thing to brother lawyer 1 do no..
beleve he ever took advantage of
orother attorney In any matter. He
was fair, open, honorable, able, and,
as said before, devoted to his duty
IN his profession and in all the walks
If life. 1t is therefore qualification
to me that I am here on this occasion
IN order to add my tribute to that
which has been already rendered to
our friend, Major Steedman.
Solicitor ID. r. Duncan made the
following remarks:
May it please your Honor: I deem
it, if your Honor pleases, not only a
pleasure, but at the same time a sad
and mournful duty, to bear testimony
TO the great worth and character of
our deceased brother. | am sure if
ne could look on us now, and could
nave knowledge of this occasion, that
nothing would be more in opposition
to his whole life and character than
that there should be any word said
here that was fulsome, that was un-
true, that was not the truth. Too of
ten on these occasions we are dis
posed to let ourselves be led into un
meaning eulogy. But when we saw
OF our deceased brother that he was
a good man, that he was a true man.
mat he was fearless and courageous
man In the discharge of all the duties
which devolved upon him as a citizen,
as soldier, as a private Individual,
we say all that could be said of the
greatest of men. This we can saw
truthfully of him. knew Major
Steedman twenty-five years ago; II
have known him ever since: I have
been thrown frequently with him. The
testimony that bear is that he was
In all respects, under all circum-
stances in which he was placed, an
faithful and a true man. If your
Honor pleases, that a community
should be bereaved of such a man
is a calamity. We can not spare
them. Union County could ill afford
to lose Major Steedman. He was
not one of those men who rush for
ward to- do their duty only under ex-
citing circumstances and with incen-
tives and outside surroundings that
ordinarily inspire men. His came
more, sir, from within, if I am to
Judge of his character. When war
came he went coolly, quietly, as n
man goes to the discharge of his duty.
You have heard how he was wounded
IN that war. He exemplified his
character in that endurance as a good
soldier. He endured like a good SOL
dler; he endured like a good citizen.
When. sir. another trouble came upon
this country twelve or thirteen years
ago, l remember we'll that / was with
rim when all the upper section of
the State was thrown into great
commoton and excitement-when we
needed men of courage and of good
counsel. true men to advise, to CON
duct, to consult-no man was more
ready than Major James B. Steed-
man: And he stepped forward with
out hone of reward-he asked none
ne sought none. He discharged his
duty faithfully, he brought the peo
pie here out of this trouble. He con-
tributed as much to that end as any
man l know of, and then he quietly
retired to his duty, to his Office as
an attorney-at-law. He was not self
seeking. He asked nothing at the
hands of those whom he had served.
That, may it please your Honor, is
rare thing. All this Major Steed-
man was everywhere, under all cir
cumstances.
It may be said of him, as it was
said of very eminent judge who
died few years ago in a neighbor-
ing State: "His life had no eddies.
1t was like a stream which went
straight forward in it's course, not
stopping, or tarrying, or dallying on
the way, but straight forward. until
It emptied into the ocean of Eter-
nifty"
l.. G. McKissick, Esq, then spoke
as follows:
| MAY it please Your Honor. I would