The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-11-15

L appear before you on this
mournful occasion with mingled
emotions of pride and misgiving.
OF pride that l have been chosen as
the representative of the honorable
profession which Col. Clack so
highly represented in the good old
days of peace and prosperity, and
of misgiving, when 1 consider my
inequality to the duty assigned to
me by the partiality of his surviv-
ing friends. I feel, however, that
in the few remarks / shall make, I
will not be forced to torture my
brain for words of empty pane
gyric to SUIT the occasion, but 1
have only to think of Calvin j.
Clack as he was known before the
war, sad of the excellent qualities
of mind and heart which made up
his character, wien the language
suggested by the contemplation
would naturally paint man who
would adOrn any age or any profes-
sion.
Although 1 knew Col. Clack sew
eral years before the war, l
did not know him intimately until
1858, when I came to Pulaski to
engage in the practice of law as my
chosen profession. l was then
young man and almost a stranger
in Pulaski and felt that was enter
inc upon a difficult and laborious
career-to be buffetted on the right
hand and on the left and with no
one to counsel or assist me. In the
place of kindness 1 anticipated
blows. and instead of words of en-
couragement from my seniors in
the profession 1 expected nothing
but dlsparagement and ridicule.
But to my most agreeable and
grateful surprise l was received by
my professional brethren with open
arms, and the noble brother whose
untimely death We lament to-day
and whose remains we deposit in
the tomb to await the resurrection,
was the first one to grasp my hand
and welcome me to the brotherhood
in Pulaski. Like all true and noble
hearted men, Col. Clack was kind
to the young and was always ready
to befriend and assist them. AL
though at the time referred TO he
was comparatively a young man,
vet, by the exercise of industry and
close application to study and bust
ness, he had arisen to front rank of
his profession and was justly re
garded as a wise. counsellor and an
able advocate. He was thoroughly
imbued with love for his profes
sion and was fully alive TO its duties
and responsibilities. He never en-
couraged suits founded upon frivol |
ity or injustice and never resorted
to any low artifice or unprofessional
tricks for the sake of gaining unmer-
tied success. AS a practitioner of
law, he was the same manly, gener-
Gus and noble hearted antagonist |
which he afterwards showed himself |
to be on the field of battle. Fully
alive to the interests of his clients
and the confidence reposed by them
in his professional skill and integri-
ty, he would have preferred at any
time to have been bound to the
stake and suffer Q martyrs death
rather than be convicted Of treach-
cry to them or Of want of fidelity
to his professional obligations. AS
a lawyer he was sober, active, in
intelligent, full of zeal,
and if the fortunes of war had spar
ed him to his country, in my opin-
ion be would have risen to emil
nence in his profession. In his in
tercourse with the bench
and the bar, he was at all
times courteous and polite. He
was chaste in his language, gentle
manly In his department and I'M
yielding in his convictions.
Such was the character which Col.
Clack left behind him as 4 lawyer,
when he enlisted as a soldier and !
marched to the defense of his coun- {
try. He possessed traits of char
acter which not only contributed to I
his success as lawyer, but which i
made him an agreeable and useful {
in all relations of life. {
He was uniformly cheerful in his I
and if he was ever de- {
pressed with gloom or trouble of |
my kind he had such equanimity c
md selfcommand that it would t
scarcely be observed by his most I
intimate friends. His whole course q
n life impressed us with the idea v
hat he considered himself born for b
he chief purpose of doing good to i
,thers, and that his own preferment t
r promotion was only secondary t.
o this great end. He had in his t
cart the fullest charity for the k
aults and frailties of his friends s
nd associates, and while no words E
condemnation ever escaped his Il
ps, his patient forbearanee, his g
,igned ignorance of their vices and p
is good example were felt by them tc
) a stronger rebuke than any mere N
ords Of admonition or censure. lie