The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-14

frain from seconding the resolutions
referring to one whom I have been
taught to admire ap love from my
youth, and whom South Carolina has
never found to shirk responsibility or
duty. All honor to the noble ker-
shaw-statesman soldier, jurist, Chris
tian-his name will be surrounded by
halo Of glory which few men will
erjoy."
Judge kershaw then made quite a
long speech, by which he surprised in
his endurance his closest friends. After
he stopped speaking he showed little
or no fatigue, holding quite reception
in the Bar Of the Court House. His
talk was received with the closest at
tention on the part OF all, after which
he adjourned Court till this morning
at II o'clock, when he would surren-
der to his successor, Judge Ernest
Gary. Judge Kershaw spoke as fol-
| lows:
JUDGE NERsHAW'S ADDRESS.
NV Brethren of the Bar: You will
appreciate, I am sure, the emoarrass-
ing position which I occupy at this
time. There are no words that could
suitably express the feelings which l
entertain on this occasion, none could
properly depict the grateful emotions
which this abundant honor has awak-
ened in my heart.
AS has been said, my life has been
an open book in this community.
From childhood to the present my as
sociations have been with all clas: es Of
people OF Kershaw County. [ have
had as many intimate and devoted
friends in this community as ever fell
to the lot Of any one residing here; and
may safely say at no period of my
life have they failed to come to my
support as I needed the help Of friends
1t is said upon the highest authority
that a prophet is not without honor
save in his own community. Without
claiming to have been a prophet, or
son of prophet, have to some extent
been a teacher in this community, and
in apparent contradiction to that SEN
timeut that a prophet is not without
honor save in his own country, to have
won such tribute as this among my
associates and friends is indeed honor
enough for any one.
My cup runs over and it is impossi-
BILE to say how much I appreciate the
kindness of the members of the Bar of
Camden, and of Columbia, the Capital
of the State, and of the Bar Of South
Carolina generally. To have been
complimented as a worthy successor
and equal in the most remote degree
of such men as it was my good fortune
to succeed in the administration of
Justice as Judge in South Carolina is
the highest tribute that could be paid
to a professional man, because the
South Carolina Judiciary of olden
times bad 10 peers on this continent.
They were the equal of Chief Justice
Marshal and men of that calibre, and
their opinions were authorities in West
minister Hall, and were cited with ap-
proval; and their characters We're such
as established and vindicated the rep
utation of the Bar Of South Carolina as
amongst the very highest for states
manship and judicial excellence known
in history.
Lord Coke said that popular Judge
was known as a well-tuned cymbal.
There is some truth in that remark at
this day, but circumstances have very
much changed since Lord Coke ut
tered that sentiment. In Coke's time
the test of the loyalty of Judge was
his devotion to the king, his standing
up against the people and for the king.
That was the test of true loyalty
of Judge, but now the thing has been
entirely reversed, the sovereignty has
gone to the people.
Now, my friends, am like one of
the speakers who said be didn't Know
what to say, he felt so embarrassed.
appreciate that entirely at this mo-
ment; feel embarrassed to know what
to say; what line Of remark can be suit
ably indulged in after what has been
so we'll and so eloquently said, and so
personal as it were in its bearings and
aspect, 1t can scarcely be replied to en-
cept in sort of family talk. We may
speak in confidence in private life and
indulge in line of remark that would
be proper in expressing our feelings,
but on a public occasion like this /
really feel that I am at Joss forproper
words to express my sentiments. All l
can assure you is that my heart is filled
with grateful emotions by the kind eX-
| preSSiOnS which you nave uSeu towards
me.
can promise nothing for the future,
nv life is now closed book-it closes
tomorrow. 1t may be it is not closed
for the grave, but it is closed book. l
could say something of q personal char
acter, something Of my own personal
experience and of the associations
which have had the happiness to en-
Joy during the long time that have
been lawyer in South Carolina.
In the first place I will say this for
the Bar of Camden, my native town,
There are peculiar reasons why the Bar
of Camden has always stood prominent
for integrity, uprigEtness and devotion
to the State and to the people and to
their profession, illustrating in private
life the highest virtues Of men and citi-
zens; there are reasons why the Bar Of
| Camden has ALWAYS held that reputa-