The New York herald., 1869-11-21
JAMES W. GERARD.
A Living Representative Of the New
York Bar-The Forum Debating Club
ct the Old City Hotel-Curious
First Cases and Their Results
Brilliant Career as q Law.
yer-POlitical and Per.
sOnal Life.

The complimentary banquet gwen last January at
Demonlc0's py the members OF the bar OF this city
TO Mr Gerard, on his retirement from practice, ut
tests the high estimation which he is held by the
profession. IL was tribute unprecedented In Its
character-a tribute to his eminent abilities as
lawyer to his zeal and unbending integrity In his
profession, and TO the general kindness OF dis
position ne has shown ut Oil times during his
long and honorable service at the har-a tribute be-
yond the mere compliment OF dinner and the
words OF encomium forming the burden OF the post
prandial speeches-a tribute OF hearty depth Of
feeling and earnest regard-a tribute Of rare spon-
taneity and gracious dlgnity-a tribute OF which
any man may justly be prcaa. This tribute, mag
nifcent as 1t was, and while all the great legal
summaries OF city and the leading n0tabilltes
Of other professions graced the banquet with their
presence; and while learning TASTE wit, magma
ton and elOquence gave force and brillancy
to the speeches, Is only feebly expressive Of
the more extended ana broader universal
ity OF regard entertained for Mr.. Gerard as
citizen. His fame has gone beyond the boundaries
Of court rooms, preparing briefs and opening cases.
examining witnesses and summing up, that climax
Of legal effort in which the lawyer summons up all
the tact and brihancy and elOquence and power
there IN MIN to accomplish verdict for his Client
HIS name mas long been household word. His
activity OF enterprise citizen has been sleepless
No one need be told that to him owe the estab
ment Of the House Of Refuge, that 1t was through
has efforts our police were uniformed, and that to
his devotion to our educational interests we are
mainly indebted for the present perfected system OF
our public schools He has not stopped here. In all
matters OF public interest his voice and influence
have been heard and felt Ennobling charities,
reforms in government and politics, literature,
science and art, each have always had in
him q strong and faithful ally. A pure and
broad philanthropy welllng up from nature
warm and generous and bubDling over with
kindly sympathies, and humor, giving perpetually
pleasing beauty and brightness to his life, pervades
his whole soul and being His life has active
one in his profession and out Of IL. TO him labor
est voluptds. He cannot live without labor. His
Iab0rs In his profession were always the side OF
Justice and right. His iabors OF the profession
have been unceasing aDors OF love for all that ee-
Yates manhood and makes life and goodness and Joy
synonyms Of each other and sweetly kin to all that
is pure and true and beautiful. life MADE up of
his varied professional experiences and electric
With the vitalizug influences OF his genial tempera
ment sprlghtly humor and expansive benevOence.
Is replete with incidents giving to narrative vlier
glow than the most vivacioUs records Of fiction.
We have only to regret. we have had to In all
York, the necessity Of reducing to the brevity OF
newspaper sketch the abundant material at our
command.
YOUTH AND COLLEGE LIFE.
Mr.. Gerard is a native OF this city, His blood Ia
. combination OF French and Scotch both his father
and mother being born in Scotland, but descendants
OF the Huguenots who hed from France to Scotland
on the revocation Of the edict Of Nantes HIS grand
parents came to this country, however, before the
Revolution, and not giving in their adhesion to the
cause OF the colonies became refugees to Nova
Scotia but returned after the close OF the war. The
tinge oftorysm revealing itself IN Mr.. Gerards poll
teal sentiments It will thus be is hereditary and
was come by honestly. Careful attention was paid
to his early education. After preliminary course
OF study In the best private schools he entered
Columbia College, then-though since having lost its
prestige-one OF the most eminent institutions OF
learning this country. Going through the curricu
lum Of college studies, to his quick and active mind
was an easy task. He graduated with honor, being
the third In his class. Severe application to study
msst wss not Of ngn scneiarsnp neIsss rnouga ''a
finished classical scholar and hne ma
themancian, his natural tasles and glowing ambition
took q higher range than the dull and dry formulas
OF the text books. rhe Indispensable valve or these
studies to thorough mental discipline ne early felt
ana appreciated; but in philosophical studleS In
bellies etues ana in the broader and peasanter fields
OF general literature, he found the most nalioWed
delight. His versatile nature loaha "a inese more
varied pursuits more genial food Studying the Old
erelsns Of the Old World who, by The magic power
OF their el0quence,
Shook the arsenal and fulmned over Greece
10 Macsdon and Artaxerxes' throne,
became early passion with him; but beyond this
he cared very hte for the Things Of the dead past
His sympathles were with the living present. lie
studied men and things as they were from The book
Of actual lie. HIS hopes and nls ambition lnked
themselves with the great unbOsomed luture with
whose revotvlng cycles and evoutlonS OF the un-
known were lnlerwOven his duties, his destiny, his
future being his coming battles and their victo-
ries and defeats Having taken his degree OF bache-
lor ars-and the records OF The college show that
he took in order also the degree OF master OF arts
college conferred on HIM the degree 0i doctor of
laws, a titie however, winch he never assumed-he
entered upon the study Of law
STUDENT OF LAW.
Mr., Gerard began his legal studies In the law
Office OF George Griffin, at tnat time the Gamaliel Of
the bar, and tnen IN the zenith OF ms 1ame he read
law with avidity, ana had at mis- fingers ends
so to speak, the contents OF the legal texts books.
Its technical principles, ITS subtle distinctions and
its nice logic speedily became familiar TO MIN. Few
law stuaents IN their preliminary reading attain q
more exact, thorough and methQd!zeg Kn2wledge Qf
confined to the text books alone. he thoroughly
exploited the abstruse doctrines OF modern tenures
ana ttes and extended his research, III fact, into
every department. Of equity and jurisprudence. But
all tIs aid not satisfy him. An essential part OF
preliminary legal training he early saw was 10 be
able to qure the art OF speaking with facility aud
perspculty. Accordingly he ana few Of the asso-
cates oi his early legal Gays, Hiram Ketcnum,
Thomas Fessenden ogden Holman ana other
young lawyers formed debating society called
the Forum. Their place OF meeting was III
one OF the largest and oest rooms OF the old City
Hotel on broadway, rear Cedar street. at first SIX
cenIs was charged for admission, but the growing
popularity the young brilliant debaters filled
the large room, and, as the receipts were given away
In charl y, the price OF admission was raised TO
twenty-five cents Many VINO afterwards became
distinguished at the bar made here their first ap.
pearance before the public AZ deuaters and by their
plactce mere the forensic art acquired tDat excel
lence IN 0ratory characterEng their subsequent
efforts at the bar. Large NUMBERS stlll living well
remember the efforts Of Mr.. Gerard, Mr.. Hoffman,
Hugh Maxwell Hiram ketchum and others at these
weekly discussions IL was constellation Of bril-
liant talent. The first people In the city went to
near the debates. 0iten wnen some specially eXct-
ing topc was to be discussed the Old ParK theatre
crowde on one nights would on these nights pre-
sent a ueggariy array Of empty benches.
The rapid argument
Soar'd in gorgeous hight, in2ng earth