The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-23
RON. JOHN HANCOCK.
RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT TO His
MEMORY PRESENTED TO TIE
SUPREME COURT.
By Committee from the Austin Bar-Inter-
esting Sketch of His Life by Mr.. VIM.
F. North, Responded to by
Chief Justice stayton.

AT 10 O'Clock yesterday morning the
committee from the ustin bar, com
posed of Messrs. w. M. Walton, VIM
r. North and n. A Rector. appeared
before the supreme court and present
cd through Mr. North to that body
the resolutions adopted by the Austin
Bar association, Mr.. North speaking
as follows:
To the Honorable Supreme Court of the State
OF Texas
May it Please the COurt-Slnce the
adjournment of the last term of your
body the court has lost one of the
ablost and most honorable members
of its bar. On the 10Th day OF July,
1898, the Hon. John Hancock departed
this fife.
On the 23rd of September, 1893, the
bar of Austin, the home of the de-
ceased, held a meeting at which it
passed resolutions expressing its sense
of loss to its ranks by the death OF
John Hancock. Major VIM. M. Wal
ton, myself and N. A. Rector, Esq,
were appointed to present these reso-
lutions to your honorable body, and
my associates have requested me to
act as their representative.
The resolutions which L am about
to present to you set forth the salient
points of his character as public
man in such full and true language
that it would seem to be work OF
supererogatio on my part to do
aught more than to read them to
| you,
Still, it cannot but be of some inter-
est to the younger members of our
profession, as well as to the rising
generation of our state to present in q
connected form q short an account OF
the life of John Hancock and of the
traits OF his character which should
make his memory dear to the heart oil
every Toxan.
He was born in Alabama on Oct. "a,
1924, from an old Virginia family, and
was educated at the University Of
East Tennessee at Knoxville. Upon
the completion of his academic course
he took up the study of law and was
admitted to the bar in his native state
in 1916
With no other capital or material
advantages than his license, good
name and q firm determination to
mantully fight the battle of life, he
emigrated to the then latest acuuisi.
ton to the sisterhood of states and
settled in Austin, which became his
permanent home in 1847.
He at once forged to the front ranks
of the profession ana and associated
hi NIT T.
the practice of law. In 1851, when
but 20 years old, he was elected dis
trict judge. AS judge his memory ia
yet fresh in the mind of onr old
citizens from the fearless, impartial
and aggressive manner in which he
personally Interested himself in the
vindlcation of right aud the suppress
sion of wrong.
In 1866 he resigned the judgeship to
form u law partnership with Judge
West, which lasted many years. In
the same year he married Miss Sue e.
Richerson, granddaughter OF A ga
Bingham, the first secretary of the
treasury of The Republic of Texas,
who, together with one son, the only
fruit of that union, survive him.
In 1860 he was elected to the legis-
lature; but when the storm of 1861
broke loose he would not endorse the
doctrine of secession, refused to take
the oath of allegiance to the Conted.
eracy and was deprived of his seat in
the Legislature. While believing his
fellow citizens to be in the wrong he
would not take any action against his
adopted home; but waited sadly and
patiently for the restoration of peace
and civil rights.
The war ended, John Hancock at
once devoted his energies to the heal.
ing of the wounds and anmos-
tiles which it left behind
it, and to him perhap more than
to any other individual Texan do we
owe the blessing Though perhaps we
did not fully appreciate it) that the
reign of "carpet bag" oppression was
less severe and shorter here than in
the other Southern states.
The war was reminder of the con-
stitutional convention ot 1866, and
when that instrument was pushed
aside by federal bayoneus he strove
hard 10 reason both with his preju.
diced friends of the North and with
the passion of the friends Of his youth
so as 10 bring order cut of chaos.
In 1871 he was elected to congress,
being among the first Democrats to be
returned there from Texas during the
dark days of reconstruction, and
served until 1877. In 1888 he was
again elected to congress, served one
term and declined reelection, he
thenceforth devoted himself to pri-
vate pursuits until the coming of the
grim destroyer.
He was man of strong intellect
great common sense, ind0mitable will
aud absolute integrity of purpose
For man possessed of these traits
his last days were a striking instance
of the irony of fate, though
fortunately he himself was
not aware of it. But
for his friends, and they were legien
and his fellow citizens, it was al
awful shock when they learned thai
John Hancock, the man of brains, haC
lost his mind while yet in the prime
of life.
1t has been my good fortune to have
been associated with Judge HancocH
for many years in the practice OF thu
law, and 1t may not be out of place TO