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A Memorial Oration 63
became the centre of a group of citizens all of whom he received
ivith courtesy. The talk on such occasions was free and general;
md whatever the topic, he listened to their views with attention,
md in turn frankly gave his own. Thus his information in regard
to all matters of general interest was minute and particular. It
W2is thus too that he became informed as to the current opinion
in regard to public men and public measures. This intimate
knowledge of the people was one of the great sources of his
;trength, it rendered his judgment of the probable fate of State
ind National questions of great value. His judgment upon such
matters, in the counties in which his circuit lay, was almost in-
Fallible.
In his social relations Mr. Graham was one of the most attrac-tive
of men. Few had so wide a circle of friends, or friends so
ittached. His manner to all men was urbane; to his friends cor-iial
and sincere. There was, except to a very few, and at times
?ven to them, a shade of reserve in his manners; but there was
GLOthing of pride, nothing expressive of conscious superiority.
There was great dignity, tempered by unfailing courtesy. Per-laps
this tinge of reserve made his subsequent unbending the
nore agreeable. In his social hours, in the long winter evenings
it Court, with the circle gathered around the blazing hearth—it
is as he was then seen, that his friends love best to recall him. For
nany years, there met together at one of his courts a number of
gentlemen of high intellectual gifts and attainments. These were
:he Hon. Robert Gilliam, the Hon. Abram W. Venable, the
present Judge of the 7th circuit, and others less known. With
;uch men there was no need that any limitations should be im-posed
on the conversation. Except in the field of exact science
[hey were very much at home in all. The conversations ranged
tvide, law, cases in court, history, biography, politics—largely
interspersed with anecdotes—formed the topics. But rich as the
*epast was in all respects, the part which possessed the highest
interest was that which was individual to each; the wit which
[lashed and faded away; the humor which played so felicitously
n its legitimate sphere; reminiscences of personal incidents, rem-niscences
of celebrated persons and events—the latter so invalu-ible
to the historian and biographer. Of the latter kind the con-tributions
made by Mr. Graham were of pre-eminent interest
md value, since his theatre of action had been higher and wider.
H[ad those conversations been taken down as they occurred, they
ivould have formed a work, which, beside the exquisite charms of
Object Description
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| Title | Page 93 |
| Full Text | A Memorial Oration 63 became the centre of a group of citizens all of whom he received ivith courtesy. The talk on such occasions was free and general; md whatever the topic, he listened to their views with attention, md in turn frankly gave his own. Thus his information in regard to all matters of general interest was minute and particular. It W2is thus too that he became informed as to the current opinion in regard to public men and public measures. This intimate knowledge of the people was one of the great sources of his ;trength, it rendered his judgment of the probable fate of State ind National questions of great value. His judgment upon such matters, in the counties in which his circuit lay, was almost in- Fallible. In his social relations Mr. Graham was one of the most attrac-tive of men. Few had so wide a circle of friends, or friends so ittached. His manner to all men was urbane; to his friends cor-iial and sincere. There was, except to a very few, and at times ?ven to them, a shade of reserve in his manners; but there was GLOthing of pride, nothing expressive of conscious superiority. There was great dignity, tempered by unfailing courtesy. Per-laps this tinge of reserve made his subsequent unbending the nore agreeable. In his social hours, in the long winter evenings it Court, with the circle gathered around the blazing hearth—it is as he was then seen, that his friends love best to recall him. For nany years, there met together at one of his courts a number of gentlemen of high intellectual gifts and attainments. These were :he Hon. Robert Gilliam, the Hon. Abram W. Venable, the present Judge of the 7th circuit, and others less known. With ;uch men there was no need that any limitations should be im-posed on the conversation. Except in the field of exact science [hey were very much at home in all. The conversations ranged tvide, law, cases in court, history, biography, politics—largely interspersed with anecdotes—formed the topics. But rich as the *epast was in all respects, the part which possessed the highest interest was that which was individual to each; the wit which [lashed and faded away; the humor which played so felicitously n its legitimate sphere; reminiscences of personal incidents, rem-niscences of celebrated persons and events—the latter so invalu-ible to the historian and biographer. Of the latter kind the con-tributions made by Mr. Graham were of pre-eminent interest md value, since his theatre of action had been higher and wider. H[ad those conversations been taken down as they occurred, they ivould have formed a work, which, beside the exquisite charms of |
