The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-07-09
ADDRESSES
BY the Bench and the Bar on the death of
the Chief Justice.

The Bar Of the Supreme Court of the Hawaii
ian Islands being assembled at the office of the (
Attorney General of the Kingdom this 9th day
of July, A. D.. 1881, in respect for the memory S
OF His Honor the late Chief Justice Charles c.
Harris, do resolve: Z
"Tha by the death of Chief Justice Harris !
1.-The interests of the Hawaiian Kingdom have sus-s
tanned a great loss; &
fully tender to Her Royal Highness the Princess Z
Regent and To the relatives of the late Chief
Justice their sincere coincidence; z
That the members of this Bar do wear n
mourning badge upon the left breast during the
present July Term of this Supreme Cont; {
THAT these resolves be presented in OPEN
Court with the request that they be entered upon !
the records of tho Supreme Court. 5
ALFRED s. HARTwELL, I
EDWARD PRESTON, s
5. b. DOLE. 5
MIR. HARTwELL's ADDRESS: 7
In any remarks / make concerning the
late Chief Justice Harris, 1 propose to say J
nothing of him now that he is gone which ]
T would not AVE said of him when living;
for discriminating eulogy is not respect:
either for the memory of the dead or the
intelligence of the living. He was a strong
man, strong in having a t~enacity and force
of will which never lost sight of its objects
and was untiring in their accomplishment;
NAOh5 IA ~ AAAA WIN WIN WV ACl llii
"details in this country for over thirty years,
with n retentive memory which never.
failed him; strong in power to discern the
weakness or tricks of others. No one ever
deceived him. Death has laid this strong
man low. Those who knew him have long
Thought that this event was at any time.
likely to occur; but now that it has come,
it seems sudden. His ceaseless activity and
marked personality, as well as his excellent
common sensei will cause him long to be
missed. He never seemed TO me to be a
man of tact, but quite the reverse. He eff
fected his purposes by other means than by
tact. He was a man of high courage, moral
as well as physical. think he never feared
man, and he delighted in physical strength
and fearlessness. 1t is not long since |
heard him say of another, why the fellow
was. actually afraid for his old carcass ~.
His self-reliance was another distinctive
trait in his character. He seemed to me rare
ly to seek the advice of Others in order to
help. to form his own views. He often asked
the opinions of others in order to hear what
they had to say, and to try to dissuade'
them, or to get their corporations; but I
think he seldom changed his self-deter-l
mined conclusions. And he had wonderful
power over others. In spite of a certain,
awkwardness, if / may.so say, in his way of!
discussing matters, and of an evident and
not concealed desire to convince Others and
carry them with him, in spite of a certain,
disregard or even contempt for opposing,
views which he frequently showed, never
'theless he did carry others with him. /
have known men who had been his violent;
opponents, who knew hat he had expressed
contempt for them, who went to him for!
advice in their p~erplexities, and did what
he told them to do. Notwithstanding the
elaborate abuse which in political excite
ment was lavished upon him, he lived
down most of the old enmities, and stood
higher il public esteem each year. The
influence he acquired over others was nots
only due to his strong will and 1t
to his liking to influe~-- personality,
intimacy With them and to his
owinmE . affairs here; it was largely:
= d his sound common sense, and to
the courage of his convictions. His nature!
Twas sensitive to an extent which few sus-
pected. Whatever the exterior was, he yet
felt keenly the expression, either of publicj
or of private censure as well as praise, butt
he was too proud to allow others to see this.
1t is MY a few weeks since / advised HIM
to 90 East for q change. "Why," said he,
- YOU lawyers and the newspapers would at
|once raise a howl at my being absent
One of his pleasing traits was his fOndnessl
for children. He always noticed them, and
They always liked him. L don't believe he
valued many distictiOns more than he did
1.-The WV which the little ones would take
Ito him. / have often heard him say, " Tou|
Ssee the children are not afraid of mel
1.-The Chief Justice was true TO his friends, as
his old friends of many years standing, asl
we'll as those of 4 later time, will testify.
HE had a keen sense of humOur, although
mot himself a wit. He could turn of
business easily, it never ~overpowered him.
"Perhaps it is hardly fitting for me toI
speak of him as n lawyer. He eXcelled in
admiralty and criminal law, but rules of
practice, and what are sometimes called
Technical rules, ne did not appreciate. 1t!
twas usually evident early in a trial, that
he had made up his mind how the easel
ought to 60, and that this feeling seldom,
left him until the final Judgment. He has
left his mark on the country. No one cam
I write the history of civilized Hawaii and
omit to mention the part taken in it by
sCharles Coffin Harris"
] Messrs. E. Preston and w. o. Smith fol-
flowed with some impressive and touching
: remarks.
5 w. r. Castle said:
Z "NIav it please the Court: 1t is but a.
: few years since 1 became a member OF TINS
5 Bar, having been admitted early in 1861
since which time my personal acquaintance
: Will the late lamented Chief Justice dates,
! But my knowledge of his life and history
long a~nte-dates my connection with the
Bar. His residence in this country has,
been very nearly co-extensive with my life
time. My earliest recollections record in
cidents wherein Mr.. Harris figures; at first,
rs a lawyer-connected with the events of
. that day, and then figuring in the political
! arena. Ny early associations were chiefly
!