Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
be depended upon for the most arduous linquished any perogative without hesitalabor,
as well as for those commissions of tion if only his personal convenience was
honor and publicity which are ordinarily involved.
counted worth seeking for their advan- To the general public Mr. Fessenden's
tages. Not only was he gifted with the political career meant far more than his
"silver tongue" which conveyed in its full splendid record as an attorney at law
strength an emotional appeal, but he was But to the people of Fairfield county,
possessed of a wonderfully keen and ju- where his professional career was inti-
dicial brain, and was master of the art mately known, he was first the lawyer
of carrying an argument by the force of and then the statesman. He was honored
clear, cold logic to an unassailable con- among his colleagues and admired by the
elusion. people for his power and fearlessness in
In 1880 he was once more chosen to upholding right and justice. To any one
represent the State of Connecticut at the who heard his eloquence in the court
Republican National Convention, meeting room, his success as an advocate was no
then in Chicago, and again exerted all matter of wonderment. He carried juries
his power of influence as well as franchise
with him, leaving in their minds no doubt
for the nomination of Mr. Blaine. In of the justice of the cause he espoused.
1884 he was honored by election to the When such a man stands unequivocally
secretaryship of the Republican National for personal honor and public progress,
Committee, where his splendid executive then his fellow-citizens do well to honor
ability proved of inestimable value in its him and perpetuate his memory after he
deliberations. He served on the commit- has gone to broader fields of usefulness,
tee over a long period, resigning only and is known no more among men. In
when advancing age made it imperative 1880 he was appointed State's Attorney
that he should curtail in some degree his for Fairfield county by the judges of the
public activities. In the course of his Supreme and Superior courts for the term
long and honored career as a political of two years, after which, by successive
leader, he became a familiar figure in reappointments, he held the office until
many large cities, and was counted a his death.
friend by the best and most prominent Mr. Fessenden was always active in
men in State and National public life, civic affairs, and took the most practical
And wherever he was known his name interest in the development of the thrifty
borough of which he was a resident. Be-
was held as a synonym for truth and
righteousness in public affairs. Possessed
of the personal charm which makes a man
a natural leader, he never failed to use
every power of mind and heart toward
the furtherance of every movement which
tended toward the public good. Far from
being a vain man, he was utterly self-
forgetful, and always absorbed in whatever
work occupied his interest. He was
sides holding important offices in the
Fairfield Bar Association, he was a direc-
tor of the Stamford National Bank and
the Stamford Trust Company. He de-
voted little time to social relaxation,
but in the societies of which he was a
member he was a leading spirit. Particu-
larly was this true of the military orders.
He was one of the founders of the Army
tenacious of the least important point and Navy Club, of which he was a mem-
that strengthened an argument, but re- ber until his death ; also a member of the
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