The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-02-17
be river, beneath which he would

the river, beneath which lie would
rest.
lie calmly sleeps near the crystal
waters of the Colorado, on whose
bosom and among whose woods for
thirty-fivc years, he so often cof-
muned with nature, and found re
lief from the tolls of life. To those
of the old Austin bar who survive
and repeat here, or listen TO the evil
dences of his " Orth, his death con-
veys q solemn warning.
How the cOnquerer has thinned
our ranks-Oldham, Paschal, Hamil-
ton, Sneed, Carter, Sublett, Richards
and vet many others, whose elO-
ouent voices were but yesterday
heard in this honorable court, have
passed from the muster roll of life to
that of death, and slumber by the
side of him We now mourn. We
also must pass hence, and you, sir,
who fill his place, must after brief
season also depart, and another
come, who, in his turn, will follow
YOU. The occasion teaches its own
lesson. May it inspire us 10 emulate
the virtues of the dead, by LOVING
mercy, doing justice and walking
humbly before Him who made Us.
move, your Honor, that theresa
buttons of tho Austin bar. which
will be read by my brother Peeler,
be spread upon the minutes of your
Honor's court. l
Mr.. A. j. Pceler said-May it
please tho court, upon the intelli-
genee of Judge Duyal's death, the
bar of this city held meeting and
adopted resolutions expressive of
their high sense of his public and
private worth. To me.they have as
signed the duty of presenting these
resolutions to this court and asking
tthat they be entered upon its
records. In performing this sad
and honored task L may be excused
for saying that a juster, a sincerer
tribute was never paid to any man,
than that paid in the resolutions be-
tore me. That he was, during his
long service upon the bench, ade-
quate in ability and learning to
every judicial task impartial and
unvarying in his courtesy, fraternal
in his relations to his bar and the
officers of his court, unfiinching in
his fidelity to tho right, pure OF
heart, and gentle and merciful in
disposition, all who knew him will
admit. Fortunate indeed is the man
who, upon his death-bed, in the
retrospect of his LIES history will
have as little cause for regret or to
| invoke the mantle of charity upon
his actions, as did Judge Duval.
His character, as husband, father,
friend, Judge and lawyer, shines out
as does the perfect picture from the
canvass without blemish i'll outline
or detail.
1t was my good fortune during the
latter years of his life to be some
what intimately associated with him.
Cultivated gentleman as he was, a
more instructive and agreeable COM
panion would rarely be met with,
| and in entire freedom from anything
like seltisenhss, | have never seen
| him surpassed. He blended with a
delicate regard for the feelings and
wishes of others, the modesty of a
! woman, and the atmosphere in
which he moved was in the highest
degree pure and refined. But he is
| gone, and his departure from among
us brings us face to face with law
| higher than that of this or any earth
| " court administers. 1t is that in
exorable law to which judges upon
the bench, clients, lawyers, witnesses,
| and Jurors must sooner of later bow.
m .s.sssl--A sa4Aes-;-a-- ;-.-------------
We cease to WONDER cease to weep
| The feet of years shall soon efflca
4 Our very names, and every trace r.
| We leave on eur tn For the stem years tread,
Tread out the names OF the gone and dead;
And then and then and then, Ike other men,
4 We close our eyes and go to sleep
1t is equally true that ...,
Though cold in the dust the persisted heart
may lie, &c.,
The virtues which warmed it can never de
f And SO, of the virtues of our
friend and brother, they will long
outlive the frail memorial of NOR
tality which reposes in the city
| of the dead. The influence of his
life and good name may be likened
to precious ointment. While affec-
tionately cherishing his memory,
may we profit by his example.
A. j. Evans said-If your honor
please, in speaking to the resolution
first offered | must be limited. To
To say anything beyond what has
been said about the private charac-
ter of the noble man, is ? task / will
not assume; for in hissprivate life
and associations he was at once
an unapproachable model. As
O judicial officer he had no
faults. 1t is true, that his sedate
manner upon the bench, and his de-
liberate methods of thought and ac-
ton, were well calculated to lead the
superficial observer to suspect u
want of firmness and decision of
purpose, yet nothing, in fact, was so
foreign to the man.
In human lives and affairs there
are tests, and higher tests, and the
highest tests; and honors honors
come to men in life, and crowd
upon their memories when dead.
And there it has been and will be
with Judge Duvd. Whilst many
garlands of honor wreathed his
brow in life, yet the brighter were
reserved for his memory in death.
In fact Judge Duval is not dead;
he lives to-day and will live for
thousands of years to come as po-
tent for good as the last hour that
he graced that bench. 1t is true we
have put his body in the dust, and
will see him in flesh no more for
ever, yet the inspirations of the