The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-29
Memorial Resolutions in the SUI
urcmP (0urt

rial proceedings of the bar of the SUI
preme court at Tyler, in honor of the
late ex-Chief Justice Moore. The res
olutions were presented by Judge a.
w. Terrell. He said:
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HoSoRs-The Hon.
George F. Moore, once chief justice of this
court has passed from a lif' of labor to rest.
That mind which explored all the philosophy
OF law and grasped with the aid of quick con-
science the equity which is born of abstract
justice, Will labor for us no more. The hand
that once held alOft the scales OF justice for
Texas, is cold, and will never again trace the
words that indicated her majesty or CON
Structed her laws. The duty remains on those
of US who knew him well, to leave some teSti-
mOnial of our estimate Of his worth, before we
also shall rest.
Tome is committed the mournful duty of
addressing your hOnorS concerning his life and
public services. How shall impartially per
form it? For to me he was friend, valued and
true. If he could now be heard he would di-
rect me, as Cromwell did his painter, to pre-
sent him as lie was, with no wrinkle or FAULT
disguised and thus shall speak of him. He
was born in Georgia on the 18th of July, 1922,
being the seventh son of his parents. Grow
ing up in Alabama, he studied in the uniyer-
sity Of that state and the University of Vir-
At the age OF eighteen he began the study of
law and received his license to practice from
bama. 1 am Informed by Gov. Roberts, who
first knew him as a boy, that in his youth he
was distinguished by a taciturn retiring man
l ner, anu dL dpplCdLlOu 10 Stuuy IudJ
| him through after life. Removing to Eastern
| Texas in 1876 he brought with him poverty,
| that priceless gift to the young, which made
| labor a necessity, and gave spurs to his desire
| for independence. He removed to Austin in
| 1854, and afterwards to Nacogdoches, where he
resided until appointed reporter OF the decis-
/ ions of the supreme court After the breaking
/ out of the war between the states he was
| elected colonel of the Seventeenth Texas Cav
airy, which position he resigned In 1864, on re
| ceiying news of his election as an associate
/ instipe of the SIlDreme court. In 1866. when
| Texas was in process Of what was termed re-
| construction, he was again elected to the SUI
made chief justice, from which position
he was removed by military power on
I the 10th of September, 1867, in period of pro
/ found peace and under circumstances to which
| l will soon refer. From 1867 to 1874 he prac-
| ticed his profession in Austin, aud, when in
1874 the people Tor the first time in seven years
| resumed peaceful control of the state, he was
| appointed again an associate justice of the
supreme eourt. After the constitution Of 1876
was adopted he was elected to the same posi-
| ton by the people. In 1878. on the resignation
| of Chief Justice Roberts, he was appointed to
succeed him, and soon afterwards was elected
majority. Here, like galley slave, he labOred
until, with health broken and eyeSlght I'M
paired, he resigned son November l. 1881, and
| after hopeless effort to regain health Sacrl-
feed in the minlstration of justice at TINS hign
| altar, he died far from his state and home.
| 1t lis sometimes thought that unmerited praise
| is oftener spoken than truth over the graves OF
| men. On the contrary the impartial Judgment
Of contemporary can be best rendered after
the death of good man. In life his virtues
are standing cenSors OF our tmperfectionS, and
we find consolation in observing his faults At
the grave his consciousness OF our fralllt1eS
| helps us to Judge charltably OF the dead, and
forgetting the smaller faults common to us all,
his good traits stand unobscured to challenge
| our emulation.
Those who knew Judge Moore best, forgot the
Judge in admiration of the man. No one ever
felt a warmer devotion to his family and
friends, or illustrated better in his daily life
;tender Solicitude for the one or unselfsh re-
gard for the interests of the other. If asked
to mention what to the casual observer chiefly
DISTINGUISHED him in social life, 1Woald answer,
an unaffected simplicity and modesty IN all MS
| ways. Gentle as child IN his intercourse VIII
men, he exhibited the very reverse of that air
of haughtiness which sometimes settles on vain
natures in high places AS lawyer he was
laborious and careful in the preparation of his
case, and if its decision involved only law aris=
ing on recorded, or admitted facts, he waS al
ways ready.
stoned eloquence or attempted to Capture a
verdict by an appeal to the hearth address
ed himself to the uRderstsaL1 and conscience
His delivery assS cry sentence Impressed the
With confidence in his truth, and the
: : deliberate earnestnesS of his words, aptly
chosen to convey his meaning, carried convic,
| tion and made him inyincible In a lust cause.
| There was a clearness In his arguments
whether on law or facts, which enables the
| simplest understanding to grasp his meaning
and thus again his concise logic, which he rlvi
l
his hearers, all tne SOphlSIry OF empty eIo
| quence Droke III NdIu. Win SlnplIctSI W
speech and deep eafheSt9 t, ne ar Tia
! was presented clear as sunbeam. NO one
ever saw him take note OF testimony during
the most protracted trial, however complleGa
ted the facts or numerous the witnesses. On
the TABLETS OF MS memory ne reIeu WIN per
feet faith ana cannon remember tnat eVel
ds n his El he 6bseysd M
loftlest courtesy anu purest etn mes AS re
porter OF the supreme court he mad no SUPER
or. A clear DISCRIMINATION ana happy FACULTY
OF graSp1ng and presenting the very kernai OF
a cause, distinguished MS SYLLABUS, ana never
left the reader IN doubt as 10 the scope anC
meaning ar el love ior the mighty state that bae
hCn0red ana elevated MN was part OF l! NJ:
nature. Her SOL, climate ana eXpandliIh l
greatness as an und1ylded empire from tht
mountains to the sea, have often heard hin
refer to with pride and exultatlon
| But as a supreme ludge OF IeXaS ms mos
lasting Pepntatlon was ach bG i6i Knew no
when TO ADMIRE most IN MN; rlglu reSarS
Tor esta9lsned laW' OF Ihe DolaqeSs WIN WIici
he would attack It's semi9iance, wiener repos
ing In precedent or fortlfled with the names
he was the pest chancery practloner IN leSas
and thus Wnen Justice REQUIRED that Wna
see & tn v5c vi law M the DE
vail, ms q!Ick sense OF rignt recogni1eu Gme te
mand, Wllie MS knoWledge Vi equity appiie'
the remedy.
From the bar to the bench be carried tina
kindly regard for the Young LAWYER which
marked ali his intercourse, and if at times ht
seemed impatient with the older lawyers, we
f tbsg sne nadsy rameg
simple Justice to say that no 1urIst, living o.
vexed questions of land law arising under Oul
down to his last utterance. our reports are Iu
minous with his profound learning, clear anal
ysis and cogent reasoning. In sustained dig
| nIty on the bench. chaste demeanor and tf1
fearless utterance of honest convictions, hC
: has had few canals. no sIIperior
At Bnt vOnld do ininstice IN him 40 a indge
and he recreant to duty. as a friend. now that
he is gone, If failed In this Solemn moment tC
. rescue his memory from the aspersion con
veved in the IangI13ge of a military order tha1
. once removed him from his high places Al M
time during the war between the states was
the maxim, 'Silent leges later arms SO fore
four citizens OF Texas, dtsloyal to her govern
ment, who were exempt from service, were
confined In military camp on charges OF trea
! son and conspiracy against the Confederate
| states. The general commanding had deter
mined to make by their sacrifice a terrible eX
ample. Unless rescued by the civil law then
COON was sSaLe9; ror oiein OnIer 'u5 1ioi
moore issued Wits VI ma w t miiDi
MeIe ~ % oy,nd fbe " the Snnfaderat
general, vi 1ne sIoul,u GndI Vno OotEuoi az az
. congress mao PASSED. aIl dcG SuSpenaihg u, tlit
writ. Juoge MOORE undweQ ny poMS t tne e
rose 10 I1e iul uS;nity " aStaieSS 1IIuSS anu
aenVereu tne oplnioh ~ WHICH VII De lou9 ~
Inese memorapIe WORDS SSeate vs., opdrHS, ~,
1exaS, ooSl CnS t tS W UpGy tdio vi
was py InS orueI VI IiiS coiSuinS Souel a. a.
Whom S he has perpetrated so garng an Outrage
upon tHe law a1H auSnoriUS VI II9 c1tG' DR.
ahe us Souuai"'s' tl,,iii f ~ +.
ileIlors In rA' ,,h ah or mouiI
% tSnroS Souliv miiIty no wond all tba
CUSTODY, InougH ueupby SutltS pGyOIn al spt
IS cnaIgeu agaInSG InSni, 70 20 unWIn'ppeu ~. "
ustee IMAM lor tne civil a9tnOTlGes 10 pe SUP