Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-05
4ailg NatiouaI 1rmutrat
Sutter County Court.

lows
May Il P5ease the C,urt: Since the last ad
Journment of this Court, it has pleased the Su
preme Ruler of the Universe by an affective dis.
pensatiOn of His Providence to call from the
shores oftme, the bosom Of afectionate relatives
and the society Of devoted friends, the Hon. Rob
ert b. Sherrard, late County Judge of this coun-
tY.
Sir, | am sensible that no effort of mine couId
pay an adequate tribute TO the virtues and enno
bling traits Of character which distinguished him
an all his intercourse and associations AMONG
men, and commanded for him the admiration
and respects of all, whose good fortune il was TO
know him.
Judge Sherrard received an early and liberal
education at the State Military College, at Lex
ungton, Virginia, the State OF his nativity. and
choosing the profess of the law, he pursued
his legal studies under the tuition of his uncle.
Gen. Singleton, (who, at that time was, as he is
now, an eminent member of the Bar in the State
OF Illlnois and at the age OF twenty-one years he
was admitted to the practice of the law in that
State.
In the year lS49, at the age Of ottwenty-two years.
after a long and wearsome journey overland, he
arrived in the State of California. The fatipues
and exposures attendant upon such journey, ad-
ded to an already enfeeb.ed system, aboring un-
der an hereditary constitutional disease. prUstrl-
ted him for long period with an illness from
which he never fully recovered, but with the care
Iul attention oil KIND trlenQS alQeQ by unYlpld-
ing and determined spirit he again recovered suf
tclent health and strength to resume the practice
of his profession. VIII ich he successfully pursued
in the city Of Nevada, until his returning nalady
again compelled him to abandon his Iabors, to
leave the mountains and seek, in the valley fthe
Sacramento, climate more congenial to his
health
IN the year 1851, he located in the town of
-Nlcolaus (then the county seat Of this countvl
aroIo wnich place heMYas elected two successive
Eerms to the Legislature IF this State. where. in
tae capacity ofa legislator he represented the in
!erest OF TINS county with marked ability, achiev-
ing honor to himself and rejecting credit upon
h's constituency. In 1882 he was appointed bv
Governor Bger County Judge of this county, to
supply the vacancy occurring by the resignation
OF Judge Resrdan, the duties of which position his
fegai at1mnments and sterling integrity 50 emf
nently qualified him to discharge.
Again, in the year 1856. he was apponted nv
GoV- johnson to fill the vac lncy in the sa e Of
nee, occasloned by the death Of Judge Mccall; and
IN the following year he was elected by the peo-
pie to the same for the term of four Years, over
two distinguished and popular gentlemen who
warmly contested his claim to that office He con-
slnned IN the discharge of the onerous and respon.
Slole dulles Ot that position until the declining
state OF his health, ana the disease which was fast
approaching his vitals admonished him that his
earthly career must soon be ended At the re -
quest, and through the influence OF warm friends
part granted him leave of absence for the nerod
0i four months, to enable him once more to revis-
1t TIE scenes Of his childhood and the home of his
birth, at which place, in Winchester, Virginia
under the parental roof On the Goth day of Aug.
ust last at the early age of thirty three wears he
expired III the bosom OF his family and friends
Robert b. SheI rard is no mure-that manly
form and WARM heart which throbbed for others
woes" are alike stiled in death, and now lie cold
and mouldering tn the silent tomb-hs presence
Hnd cheerful conversation will greet us no more
earth, yet the recollection of his hi b moral
worth, the mpartiality pr0mptness aud integri-
ty with which he discharged all his official duties
the neele impulses of his generous soul, his warm
Synpathies his open hand of charity ever ready
10 contribute to the relief of abe distressed, will
long enshrlne his memory IN the hearts and af
tectlOns OF the people of this county
now move, your Honor, thai the resolutions
adopted at a meeting oi the citizens of this county
held Tor that purpose, in this city on the 10th day
OF October last, which, with your Honors permis-
sion, will now read, be entered upon the cords
ot this Court, and that as a further mark of re-
spect to the memory of the lamented dead. this
Court do now adjourn.
The resolutions ordered to be entered upon
the record Of the Court have been heretofore
published, and copy transmitted to the
father Of the Honorable dead, and are there
fore not now published
After NJ. McQuaid had concluded. joseph
Tilball. Esq. rose and said:
May it Please your Honor 4 While feel it my
duty think may also claim it as my right TO
second the motion so eoquently and touchingly
presented to the Court by the District Attorney
There are reasons why should be allowed 10
speak reasons why | should speak-unknown.
Perhaps to must Of those who bear me. Il is
known, however, To your Honor, AS to many 9th
ers in this Hall, that the Hon. Robert r. Sherrard
ana myself were townsmen by birth. knew him
an his youth, and have often studied with curious
interest, that strange admixture of mOdesty and
sefreliance, of desire to avoid any. aud readiness
TO meet all responsibilities, which marked his
charactcr even when boy.
have no present recollection of the circum-
stances under which, in early life, he left his faith
ers house tor a home in what we then called the
w est; bat dave quick memory Of all he has
told me Of how he, with but an indifferent team
sclnt supplies, and but one companion, he crossed
the plains i'll i84S OF how he was so weak and re.
duced at the beginning Of that journey as to have
sc trce hope 10 see its end how his health and
strength seemed to increase aud be renewed in
proportion with the distractions and the wcari-
ness OF the way; and how, when that long Jour
ney was ended, his overstrung system relaxed,
aud he lay long months sick helpless and, almost,
hopeless in the cabin of one who found him. to all
appearance dying, at the foot of a tree, with no
vault Of heaven, and who, when he came where
he was and when he saw him, be had compassion
on him." 1t is alike due to the living and the
dead te say that that Samaritan was Samuel B.
Smith.
The story of Judge Sherrard's life in California
from the day he was first able to help himself, af
ter his long illness, has been eloquently told by
the District Attorney. 1t is history now-part Of
the history of the State.
My memory runs back to the joyous boy, the
brave youth, the reliable man.
Sir, when left the home of his childhood and
my own came eutrused with box filled with
evidences Of the love ofhis mother and sisters ;
his father placed that box in my charge, and gave
me the last, the very last good bye which tighten
ed my heavy heart as the cars were bearing me
away from my home.
Little thought then that should live to pro-
nounce words OF euogy on Robert B, Sherrard,
dead. But truly
"We hurry to the tomb in swift career
Through that dim twilight OF the sumberng soul
Which men call life"
Death came to our friend not unexpected. He
went home to die. And o, to think of itl His
fond parents had already seen one lovely daugh-
ter and two manly sons borne to the grave, and
heard the words " dust to dust, ashes to ashes, "
and the heart-crushing response of the clods as
they ratified and rumbed over all that was Garth
ly of their loved ones. But their Affections were
not to end here Their noble son, their proud,
hagnanl nous SON. ne VINO had IOught lie
battle wnen others would have laid down and
died he who had won honor AID esteem where
Others were struggling for wealth he who never
deserted Il friend, nor ever flew from an enemy.
Nay, sir, that may be well said of him which is
written on the tomb of one of his distinguished
townsmen, Gov. David Holmes
His death proved, by the regret of all who
knew him, that he died without an enemy; his
life by his manly conduct, unbending integrity
and true Christian charity, that he never de-
served one"