'•Versed in' the great principles of jurisprudence, illness caused by a cold contracted from ! which he had studied thoroughly, aided by a vig great exposure in very inclement weather, orous common-sense, a clear intellect, and a he peacefully breathed his last in the assured generous heart, he was fully armed in defence of hope of a blessed immortality, and two days justice and of right. afterwards was laid beside the wife of his " We may not find in his opinions the disserta youth and his life-long devoted affection, in tions or essays,— often tedious, generally irrelevant, the quiet cemetery at Lexington. — which give pleasure chiefly to the writer or to The sense of the public loss sustained by the curious student; but for sound principle, vig his death, and of the respect entertained for orous reasoning, apt definite conclusion, they will his memory in his native State, found expres compare with any of his compeers. sion in resolutions adopted by the Faculty "It is not claimed that he was infallible, but we and by the Board of Trustees of Washington know he was always governed by his own sense of and Lee University, by the Bar of Lexing the real justice of the case; and those who stood at ton, and by the Bar of Virginia at a memorable this bar felt absolute confidence that he would decide for the right as the right appeared to him, meeting held in the court-room of the Su preme Court of the State at Richmond, in and causes were argued with perfect knowledge that he sat in judgment unbiassed, firm, and pure, April, 1888. anxious only to be just. At the latter meeting eloquent addresses " In his social bearing his demeanor was of that were delivered by Judge W. W. Crump, engaging character which belonged to gentlemen Messrs. Wm. Wirt Henry, J. H. H. Figgat, of the old school, of which he was a conspicuous .and James Lyons. Among other things type. Judge Crump said of him: — "Bland and courteous, of sterling integrity and "Upon that bench for twelve years he was a stainless life, wise, able, just, the bench and bar magistrate, wearing the ermine with dignity and alike will warmly cherish his memory." honor, and dispensing justice with impartial dili And the Hon. J. H. H. Figgat, the distin gence and spotless integrity. . . . "His judicial manner was formed upon the guished representative of Judge Anderson's models of Marshall and Taney. Gentle, kindly, native county, in his .remarks upon that patient, he was especially considerate and attentive occasion, among other things said of him : — to an advocate who needed aid in conducting his "But it is not as the able and accomplished cause. No glow of oratory or mere strength of solicitor and advocate, or the fearless and bold argument was permitted to overwhelm the right. politician, or astute and far-seeing business man, or His intellect and his imagination were both proof even as the learned and upright judge as he was. against false reasoning or brilliant phrases. He that I delight to remember Francis T. Anderson; gave to each case careful investigation and but to think of him as I knew him in my boyhood,— conscientious thought. the upright citizen, the genial gentleman, the kind" His opinions when formed, resting upon hearted neighbor, the Christian nobleman, who by thorough conviction, were rock-fastened, embedded precept and example encouraged others to be in that steadfast integrity of purpose upon which his better. Ah, sir, how many a poor young man has judicial life was founded. ... • "He did not encumber his mind with a multitude he taken by the hand and urged to a nobler and of incongruous cases, which rather tend to increase higher life! How many a struggling neighbor has the perplexity of the situation, and are generally he helped and encouraged to battle with life and valueless in solving the controversy in hand,—which conquer adversity!" serve only as crutches to reach the point of diffi And the Hon. William Wirt Henry in his culty, and there being discarded as useless, leave I remarks upon that occasion said : — those who relied upon them groping in doubt and "The scene to-day forcibly reminds me of the obscurity. His learning was deeper and more valuable than that which comes from cases. I first time I ever entered this hall, when I found
