The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-05-25

arose among the craft.
1 have toiled with him in the quarries,
and presided with him in the council
chambers of the Tabernacle. Ihave seen
him laying the foundations for younger
companions, upon which they might safely
build their moral and masonic edifice.
have seen him bringing the blind by a
way they knew not; leading them in
paths they had not known; making dark
ness light before them and crooked things
straight.
Climbing still higher up the masonic
ladder, 1 have seen him as Knight Tenn
pIar, giving aims to poor and weary pill
erims travelling from afar. I have seen
him succoring the needy, feeding the
hungry and binding up the wounds Of
the afflicted.
His heart was so soft, his nature so
gentle that the appeal of the widow and
orphan were never made to him in vain,
but they ever found in him a friend and
a protector. His ears were always open
to their appeal for help, and with purse in
hand he was ever ready to minister TO
their necessities, and to guide them over
the rough and rugged paths of life.
The Impress of his noble, generous
heart was ever visible in his open hand, and
his many deeds of charity will long be re-
membered.
But he is gone. He has laid aside the
exchange for these he has gained his
crown. He has fought manfully his way,
and valiantly has he run his course, and
the Almighty. who Is strong tower OF
defense to all who put their trust in Him,
is now his strength and his salvation.
Yes, he has gone. Standing erect in
all the pride and strength of manhood.
the angel of death received the fatal
mandate and struck him from the roll of
human existence. Ere this his appear
ance has been enetred before the high
court of heaven. The judgment of
blameless, a useful, and a christian life
has been pronounced by his friends here
below, and the Supreme Judge of that
high court, upon an examination OF the
transcript of his record, will find no
error in that judgment. and the same Will
be IN ALL THINGS AFFIRMED. =
Judge Delany, on behalf of the court,
then delivered the following beautiful
response.
Gentlemen:
On the part of my brethren of the COM
mission of appeals, and at their request,
L join you IN your expressions of love and
reverence for the memory of the deceased.
Well may we speak of him tenderly as
our departed brother. For from the
earliest ages of the common law our pro-
fession-composed of bench and bar-has
doubtless this very feeling of fraternity,
this professional kIndredship, extending
through so many ages, consecrated by so
many lofty traditions, and embracing so
many eminent men, whose characters
have furnished the nOblest models for
imitation, has done much to elevate and
purify the profession. No lawyer worthy
OF his vocation can look back on the long
line of illustrious names that have done
honor : without n gfrnnU
desire, and perhaps trembling hope,
that he too may be found not wholly I'M
worthy OF that august companionship.
This feeling, not exactly hereditary, yet
bears a strong resemblance to the heredi-
tary sentiment.
To the well born youth no incentive
to virtue and to high achievements could
be stronger than to feel that in his own
veins flows the blood of illustriOus men,
who from their tOmbs implore him by all
sacred memories of the past. and by all
the obligations. of filial duty, not to be
unwOl thy OF the name he bears.
We admit that this sentiment, both pro-
fessibnal and personal, may run to eX-
cess, that the haughtiness which it some
times engenders, not only may, but often
does, survive without the slightest merit
to make it respectable. But this is only
speaking, in another form, an universal
truth-that our highest virtues are closely
allied to kindred vices. Nay, the Roman
poet has declared, with rare felicity of
expression, that the excess even of virtue
itself is a species of vice. 1t is neVerthe-
less true that many of the greatest men
who have ever lived, though models
themselves of moderation and simplicity,
have been strongly animated by this senti-
ment. An inspiration something like
this, and strong desire to be found
worthy of their high calling, has no
doubt eXerted o permanent and salutary
influence in our profession.
And II it be true, as has sometimes been
said, that lawyers have welded greater
power than that which kings possess,
trust it is also true, that they have often
used that power more wisely, and far
more humanely than kings are
wont to do. That they have not
always been wise or just, or humane,
we may also admit, but in this they only
share the infirmities common to all men.
A story Is told of Peter the Great, that
after listening to the arguments of cOun-
sci in Westminster b all, he remarked, as
he withdrew, that he had only two law
yers in Russia, and that he would hang
one of them rs soon as he returned home.
The monarch, without intending it, paid
a high tribute to the legal profession, for
his arbitrary power would soon have
been shaken. IL well organized bar had
been permitted to question it. He had
the same fear of the legal profession
which Philip of MaeedOn had of the
AthenIan orators, "Deliver up your ora
tors,'' said the king, "and we will make
a treaty" The people replied that his
proposition was the same which the
wolves in the fable had made to the
sheep. Surrender your watch dogs and
we will live together in peace" Thus.
perhaps, we may justly persuade our
Selves that our profession, in large meas
ure at least, are the advocates of liberty
and the guardians of good government.
But If our pride should be exalted by the
thought, it will be humbled when we re-
fleet how soon the achievements of the
greatest advocate, or the wisest
counselor fade from the memories OF
men. When we look back through
the reports, even a few hundred years.
we find the names of advocates who must
have been great and distinguished in
their day. We discern traces of their
skill and power. We have seen that
they must have exerted a commanding
influence while they lived but who they
were, what was the story of their lives,
what good or ill-fortune befel lthem---of
these things we know as little as II the
men had never lived. One brief epitaph
will suffice for them all: " AagHi stat
R0miais uDlbrd,n and so it will be with
us, professionally as well as personally,
"we are such stuff as dreams are made of,
and our little life Is rounded with Sleep"
Yet. no good man should hesitate or fal-
ter in the work which is before him. The
man may die and be forgotten, but his
work will live, and the lesson of his ex-
ample will remain to those who survive
him. 1t is curious, and not uninstructive,
to observe how distinguished public men
have been regarded and treated in differ
ent ages and countries. The remark of
Scion, that no man should be accounted
happy until death, has generally been ap-
piled to the common lot of life, but if it
were capable of this general appli-
cation 1t was probably like many
similar remarks of great men, prompted
by circumstances peculiar to his country.
At all events it was singularly applica-
BILE to prominent men of his country, not
only in his own age but for centuries
after. For though the Athenians
crowned their illustrious men with hon.
ors in their high places, yet for slight Of
lenses and even without offense, for their
mlsfortunes, these same men were liable
to be deprived of their property, to be
thrown into prison, to be driven into
exile, or put to death by poison. Widely
different was the character of another
great people of antiquity. just after the
battle of Cannae, when the fragments of
the Roman army came flying for refuge
to the gates of the capitol, and panic aud
terror spread far and wide, the senate
and the magistrates went forth in body
to meet their defeated general not to
throw him into prison, not to drive him
into exile, or hurl him from the Tarpean
rock, but to thank him that in the midst
of dependency and flight he had not dis
paired of the republic. In modern
times the English historians have
often pointed out the superiority of
England in this respect, over the
nations of the continent. In our
own country, it is gratifying to note that