Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-12
TRIBUTE OF THE COURTS.
TO THE MEMORY OF JUDGE
WILLIAM Ii. FLEMING.

| The Superior Court Receives the Bars
! acknowledgements by Former As
sOcistes of the Deceased Jurist-Gen-
ersI Jsckson's Reference tn his Judi
ciaI C~reer-The Courts Adjourn in
Respect to His Memory.
Nearly every member OF the Savannah
bar was in the Superior Court room when
! Judge Adams took his seat upon the
bench yesterday morning.
! Immediately after the court was con-
vened Hon. S. Yates Levy, chairman of
the committee appointed at meeting of
| the bar in August, TO prepare a suitable
memorial of the late Hon. William Flem-
ing, addressed the court upon the death of
that venerable jurist. He spoke of the
! high character of the man, and the re-
| spect and confidence and love which he
held, and paid high tribute to his ability
as a judge. 1t was in his judicial capacity
that be was perhaps best known, and the
fact that the Supreme Court seldom re-
versed his decisions is an evidence Of his
great legal knowledge and rare judy
ment.
THE COURTS MEMORIAL.
Capt. Levy presen ted the following res
| olutlons and moved their adoption by the
court:
The Hon. William b. Fleming, for many
years Judge of the Superior Courts for
the Eastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia,
departed this life in Liberty county on
Aug. 20, 1885.
| The death Of so upright, just, conser-
vatlve, wise and admirable jurist ann
citizen deserves at our hands more THAI
| passing notice. Indeed no mention that
could be made of his many virtues and
| qualities could be more than he deserves
To receive. Not only do those that knew
HIM attest his great moral and legal
! worth, but he has made for himselt an
enduring record in the history OF judicial
| decision.
| The supreme Court of Georgia SAYS of
him in cases which he decided, and which
| 1t reviewed, that he was ian able and
independent judge" and in one case, for
| want OF better language to express its
| Judgment upon the law and Facts in
case adjudged by him, itquotes in full his
decision as the decision OF that
court. His decisions were as q rule
affirmed. and they manifested consclen-
| tlous and painstaking care on his part TO
! do right without fear, favor or affection
! to the parties litgant before him, and dur
Ing his long judicial career no man dared
| question his integrity, though he may
! have differed with him in Judgment. He
was always glad to be reversed il in error,
and he has frequently said that in very
| few, certainly in but one Of the decisions
! in which he had been reversed,
was the Supreme Court In error.
This exemplifes the perfect candor of
this upright man and his entire freedom
| from those petty feelings which fire.
! quently mar the character of great men.
| In tho diRn n h inhfofaI I'm a
he knew no friends or foes, and all classes,
rich and poor, could look for justice at his
hands. Surely nothing more need be
said of this good Judge than what has
been briefly narrated. Be it therefore
Resol0ed, That in the death of the Hon.
William B. Fleming the State has lost one of
her Doblest sons. the bench one of its brightest
| ornaments, the bar valued member.
Resotged, That His Honor Judge Adams be
| requested TO cause this memorial to be entered
| on the minutes CT the Supreme and City
Courts, and that his family he furnished witq
a copy.
GEN. JACKsoN's TRIBUTE.
Gen. Henry II. Jackson, who succeeded
Judge Fleming on the bench and who was
one Of mis- most intimate friends, seconded
the resolutions. He said
May it please your Honor, feel some re-
| luctance, not unnatural. L think, to appear
so soon in q part which, filled but yesterday,
| in secondng the resolutions offered In
| memory of another deceased professional
brother, But, pressed as l am to do 80. 1t
sdered-to rise to-day in discharge of a
similar duty.
If Death be the great destroyer Of hope and
lacerator OF human hearts, it Is well that
| Time should be a merciful healer, of cor
responding power. Had Judge Fleming died
Il mean had he wholly dled-eOme twenty
years ago, his death mi ght, indeed, have been
hkened to the sudden fall, in the stiffness OF
the forest, Of some over topping tree--the
shock would have reused the far-of echoes
into agitated life. But here was q tree which
fell slowly; bending, it may be, but not re nd
ing. the adjacent branches of the forest, nor
shaking upon reaching it the recipient earth.
l say, had he died twenty years ago, his
death would have shocked our State, our COM
munity. our profession. as perhaps they were
never shocked by the death of Judge before
the reason of the shock would have existed
In the fact that the strongest Imagination
among us could scarce have conceived of the
possibility that the place vacated by him
could he as worthily filed by another. The
distressing force OF this fact could not then
have been tempered by our present kDowl-
edge that tho place he adorned is ably and
worthly filed. do not see how can avoid
the utterance of this. Nay, let the truth be
spoken-be IL OF the dead, be it OF the living
Thus alone can we place ourselves IN full &C
cord with the lesson of his life,
TRUTHFUL MIND.
For the supreme power OF Judge Fleming
resulted from rare combination Of per-
mind. lie had no with to see, he had appar.
emily, no power to see anything but the pure
unauthorized truth. Had it been possible
for the soul to supply him with the lever OF
desire to discard Fne truth, the MIND would
have failed to furnish the fulcrum upon
which to place 1T. Behold the explanation oil
the well known fact that no man was more
incapable than he of approaching wit, when
wit involved departure from truth, even
to the EeNtent of double e1.teadre
The most brilliant of pms
would fan upon his brain like a fake Of snow
upon the face OF the sea; failing to stir it ia
the slightest ripple. For him IL might be
Greek" or it might be nonsense; he cared
not which, 1t was quite "a impossible for
HIM to establish relations, either OF life OF
thought, with aught else than absolute truth
-immaterial whether the entire shower or
the single drop might be involyed-as for the
cloud to rain upward.
Add to theserare traits memory potently
retentive OF principles, but as TO details, nay
as to most things else, scarce memory at all,
and we have the" make up' of this remark 3 BILE
man. lie had no legal learning. Time and
ag4 ain he would hin self proclaim this fact,
declaring chat, II he had won reputation at