The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-13

VI Sosfy, ~ aoSo0C6 toe power OF Ems city ana
70 relieve human suffering. About twenty years
ago he suggested most important reforms IN our
ponce system In the earlier part OF ms career
ne WAS the originator OF the House OF Refuge. he
sought TO create asylum for the young IN crime
where they would be saved IRON the contamina,
Jaw. his ambition was TO save the young offender
H Mon .otai ruin In alter years we ma nun
oe'oting himself to tue children oil your
schoo.s. No man SO thoroughly sympatnised
win them and took such sincere pleasure 10 pre-
paring them for the active dufles OF lie. fever
man enjoyed the love OF children Mr.. Gerard dad.
The spectacle presented at MS luneral tue attend
eyes ana saddeued hearts, Is one that VIII not soon
/ be forgotten. Oh nlm with truth 1t may De said,
| The shildren's vvscss hymn his sweetest praise.
Mr.. Gerard lived to ripe Ola age. More than
! was one OF those OF whom u mas been said,
although had the misfortune to DE old IN years,
yet had tue happiness Of dying win young heart
! Up TO the close OF his career there
was a vivacity and freshness OF feeling when
| would uol permit TO realize his advanced aye.
| One Of the remarks made by Mr.. Gerard was
that tie lawyer HAS no immortality. Ia the chang
! ing SCENES ol lie distinguished men for time
MI Certain r0tes, soon they disappear are Tor
| gotten, their places TO be nlled by others AZ
| OF q ui.ht" Yet even II the fame o. the law, err "a
so trans,tory, may we not hope there AZ least
as the accomplished and generous man. the good
citizen and brilliant lawyer For such was James
W. Gerard.
JUDGE xAuNszLL = FIELDS REnARKs
MT. CHAiHAAN-Aitnough not . professional
contemporary OF Mr.. Gerard at the iime OF ms
are but lew present who have known him longer
than myself. More than forty years ago ms fanny
way, AND among my early Doyisn rccolections
there are none more delightful than those
l. used to pass with others o. my "a age
at the house OF the great lawyer. Mr.. Gerard's
ion9ness Tor cniidren was not OF recent date and
! late years he has but yielded TO an anectiOnate
81 as hf
most distinguishing traits. Reared amid the ap-
| plances VI luxury. adversely overlook him W hile
| SIN young aud made q man ol him. Instead OF
whining and desponding, he threw hlmseli into
his profession with an inaustry and an energy
which soon brought HIM to che foremost
rank, and enabled him not only to retrieve ms
losses but to withdraw from the Bar In aItiuence
was amost equal to that OF osaen HOFFMAN nn 'i in
Criminal Ones Good humored, genial, luil OF wit,
power which brings men to you, he was always a
formidable antagonist IN naSt p1-ius His
knowledge o. commercial law was versatile and
profound, and ne was the peer OF Lord and Cutting
III That galaxy which shone so brightly upon our
courts a quarter OF century ago. Friendship
made no demands upon him winch ne found too
exactlng. he was lmbued with kindness toward
all his species. 1t seems but yesterday that he
humble sutton, and never IN the time of his glory
did he labor more earnestly when his fee thou
sands. Although his political views were some
times considered whimsical, ne was an honest, II
sometimes mistaken, patriot He never sought
such man drops by the wayslde crowned with
honors and with years we may well pause Tor a
moment to thank Goo that he has permitted him
TO live 10 dignity humanity and to elevate our
common profession.
REMARKS OF Ex.JuDaE H. E. DAVIES
Ex-Judge HENRY 4. DAVIES said, IN the absence
OF the senior member OF the Bar, VINO could not lie
present, he had been requested to add MS tribute
OF respect to the memory oI his deceased rlend,
who had for many years obtalned MS great sue
cess at tue Bar ny varied learning aud great talent
As jury lawJ er ne stood unrlvalled. lie Was KIND
aud cordial IN his manner, especially to the
younger members OF the proiession-
None knew him but % love him;
None named him but TO praise.
REMARKS OF MR. WILLIAM Il. ANTHoN.
In the course OF q brie address Mr.. w. Fl.
fore us as that Of great man. he was true to
himself, true TO his clients, true TO his country,
last moments, he WITH simple Iaith and trust
relied.
REMARKS OF Mr.. EvARrs.
| WILLIAM NJ EVARTS then said IL Tan hardly re-
member, Mr. Chairman, any earlier familiar per-
son at the Bar since my knowledge OF 1t than Mir.
Gerard. Coming here as dd as student and
and Mr.. Anthem, and Mr.. Lord, and MIR. Gerard,
younger than they, and Mr.. Cutting aud Mr..
OConor, stl.l younger. occupied the principal at.
tentlon OF tue courts and OF tae profession, the
best business and most frequent causes IN htlga-
least IN my masters service, familiar with all
these men and from the moment OF my own in
all OF those distinguished lawyers mad been con,
stanty present to my signt and In the circle OF my
flends, until, one by one, all but MIR. OConor have
been Withdrawn. think 1t Is entirely true-true
walle the contests oil the Bar were gong on, true
one alter another has passed to his grave-that
among them all there was none that seemed
MT Gerald. Whatever may DC said Of the learning ca
OF the one as superior, and tue logic OF another
pqss and 1se to
quently brought INTO play that mign.
these many years II mas been amillarly understood
that Mr.. Gerard, IN the multitude OF HIS cases, In
tue variety OF nus htgatons In the versatility his
powers and IN the general fortune Of his success
was quite pre-eminent as any and 1t was always
true OF him that he touched nothing that he did
not nnge with the traits OF his own genial and
brilliant mind, no case IN which he was an adyo-
cate and served his clients successfully but gained
some OF ITS prosperity from the genial character
and bright humor Of the advocate. 50 OF him. OF
his contemporaries. certainly o. no younger con-
temporaries OF his, the testimony must Oe that he
come to the Court, welcome to the Jury, welcome
TO his associates and welcome TO his opponents;
and III the constant play OF the drama OF human
life as performed IN the courts he always
cneered as an actor. No doubt Mr.. Gerard some
times pushed to the furthest verge o communlca-
ton OF MS personal traits In the management
OF causes and some! sometimes dis opponents,
without the pdrpose to employ them. did
not ava OF TIE Opportunity OF their But it ia
entirely true tnat no one ever preserved temper
to censure hey ond the day or week OF the discom-
nture he had suffered. Now Mr. Gerard seems to
US all IN this community as one OF our most useful
anu prominent Citizens, yet he never neld public
Office ana never asplred to the honors with which
our profession, furnishing, as does, agreat part of
me pubic service iu Its most distinguished posi-
ton, Is quite familiar. But Mr.. Gerard has seemed
to me always favored example the pubic re-
lations OF a lawyer n the every day discharge of
his professional duties. VINO mas done more to
settle and advance principles essential to the well
1are OF great states and OF every Community than
Mr.. Gerard, VINO, IN litigation, without legislation,
established tie rights OF the mother to be heard
as TO the late and control OF her Child and did
more to accommodate the severity o criminal
law TO the Indulgence OF paterDal protection In
dealing with youthful Migrants and marauders?
And VINO, later IN life, has better understood and
more worthy adopted the nallowed principle
than Mr.. Gerard, That he who cares Tor tue
nurture and adinopltlon OF the boys aud girls OF a
| country Will find It's matrons and its men able to
take care Oh tnemselvesf He quite comes up TO the
! proposition OF the Roman moraist:--Not he alone
| serves the State who presldes IN the public
councils, or administers affairs OF peace or war;
brings forward candidates, or manages conven-
| tions; but he who either by steady avOcation or
by particular DEVOTION cares for the nurture and
| education OF the people; he VINO advances pubic
morals and WHO dltfnses just sentiments Of which
others nave greatesL need: and he ID his priYaLe