Justice Edwin G. Reade
lie overcame tremendous obstacles in or¬
der to gain an education but finally became
one of the greatest lawyers, jurists and bus¬
iness
JUSTICE Reade of our Supreme
Court bench has largely passed
out of the public memory of the
present generation; yet no man of his
day rendered abler or more useful
service to his state on a wider field of
service; and for two generations he
was one of the most eminent figures in
the public life of our people.
The career of .Justice Reade illus¬
trates what can be accomplished by
pluck, perseverance ami determina¬
tion. lie was born in Person County in
1812. His father having died when he
was but a lad, his education was only
such as he could secure front his moth¬
er and from the rudimentary academies
of the neighborhood. Lack of financial
resources prevented his securing a col¬
lege education, and although from his
tender years the fires of ambition
burned within him ami he longed to
become a lawyer, yet he could not
muster the funds wherewith to enable
him to attend even a private law
school. But a kindly older lawyer
loaned the young aspirant a copy of
Blackstone's Commentaries and a few
other books; and without the aid of
any teacher, young Reade prepared
himself for the profession lie pro¬
posed to enter. And such was the force
of his intellect ; such was the diligence
of his labor; such sheer will power ami
determination to win success, that he
was admitted to the bar in 1835.
Rapidly Rose to Eminence
lie had no fondness for public office,
but desired to devote himself entirely
to the duties of his profession. His
high character and his ability as an
advocate soon drew to him an excel¬
lent practice, and he gave himself over
wholly to the demands of his profes¬
sion. lie rapidly rose to eminence as
a trial lawyer and appeared in prac¬
tically every important, case tried in
his sector of the state.
Although the Justice was not a can¬
didate for public office in 1855, with¬
out his knowledge, he was nominated
by the Whigs as their candidate for
Congress. After an exciting campaign
due to the sharp differences in the
public thought of the day, and the
increasing bitterness between the sec¬
tions, lie was elected by a large ma-
INorth Carolina ever li
By
К.
C. LAWRENCE
jority. It was a high tribute to his
character and standing among his
home people that although his county
was overwhelmingly Democratic, it
gave to the Whig candidate. Reade, a
handsome majority. But Judge Reade
was a man of ponce; he found feeling
running too high and passions too
much strained to make life in Con¬
gress congenial at that period, and
therefore upon the expiration of his
term he refused to become a candidate
for reflection. The metal of the man
is shown from the fact that while he
continued his large practice in the
Superior Court, he ceased to practice
in the County Court, but had himself
appointed as a magistrate and in that
capacity presided over that court for
many years entirely without compen¬
sation.
Opposed to Secession
He was an Old Line Union Whig;
strongly opposed to secession, and
when in 1861 the first Convention was
called to consider the question, he was
elected as a member thereof. This Con¬
vention refused to take any steps to
secede. When a second Convention was
•held a few months later, he declined
to he a delegate to it, as he foresaw
that secession would lie the inevitable
result and he did not wish to be a party
to it. But once the war actually began
and the state left the Union, lie east
his lot with his i>eoplo and did his duty
by the South fully and ably.
Too old for military service in the
field, in 1SG3 lie was elected as a
Judge of the Superior Court, but lie-
fore be could take bis seat upon that
l*euch lie was appointed by Governor
Vance as a member of the Senate of
A JEFFERSON STANDARD
Р011СУ
If a Declaration of Independence
far the Family
known.
the Confederate States to fill the seat
theretofore occupied by George Davis,
who resigned to Income Attorney Gen¬
eral in the Confederate cabinet. This
seat he occupied until the collapse of
the Confederacy.
Immediately following the end of
the war, a Constitutional Convention
was called to form a new Constitution
to make the necessary changes caused
hv the emancipation of the slaves and
the other changes brought about by
the war. Judge Beade was elected as
a delegate to this Convention, there be¬
ing but fifteen votes cast against him
in his county. When the Convention
assembled, Judge Reade was paid the
high compliment of being chosen as its
President, and lie discharged his du¬
ties with such impartiality as to win
the commendation of tin- members of
all shades of political complexion.
In 1805 he was appointed to the
Superior Court bench by the Governor
for a second time and served until the
following year when he was elected as
a member of the Supreme Court by the
General Assembly, serving upon that
ln-neli until the adoption of a new
Constitution in 1808 which took the
election of Judges from the legislature
and placed it in the hands of the peo¬
ple. He was then nominated for a scat
upon tin- Supreme Court by both
political parties and he served upon it
with high distinction for a decade.
Confidence was Justified
When we reflect that the year 1S6S
found the state in the midst of Recon¬
struction, it is indeed a high tribute
to the character and standing of Jus¬
tice Reade that be should have been
nominated bv both political parties,
but bis conduct while a mem I
юг
of
the court justified the confidence thus
reposed in him. Although be was on
the court at a time when public feeling
was bitter and when many new and
novel questions were brought before
the court <luc to the momentous
changes brought about by the war: and
the far- reaching changes in the sys¬
tem of judicial practice and procedure
made by the Constitution of ISOS his
conduct while a member of (lie court
was eminently fair. It was so iiiani-
( Continued on page twenty-five)
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