The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-08
THE LATE JUDGE ERskINE.
An Eloquent Tribute TO His Memory
by Gen. LavvfOu

An Eloquent Tribute TO His Memory
by Gen. LawtOn.
At the bar meeting in the United States
court room Wednesday one Of the most
eloquent tributes to the memory Of the
late Judge Erskine was that Of Gen. a. r.
Iawton. At the meeting his notes were
mslaii and his remarks are here pre-
scented in full Gen. Lawton said:
May it please your honors: So long a
time has elapsed since 1 have heard the
sound of my own voice within this hail
that I am embarrassed with the impress
sion that 1 cannot make myself heard:
but recognize this as a most interesting.
as well as a sad occasion. and would
not be doing justice to the most worthy
and estimable judge who occupied that
seat before your honor or to myself-since
] have been requested so TO do-not to utter
a word to express my feelings on this oc-
casion.
The warning voice of Chief Justice Mar
shall. late in life, was raised in the consti-
tuuonal convention of Virginia, when he
uttered these words: Il have always
thought from my earliest youth until
now that the greatest scourge an angry
heaven ever inflicted upon an ungrateful
and shining people was an ignorant and
corrupt or a dependent Judiciary" That
shows the estimate this great man placed
upon the good fortune Of a country that
possessed a judiciary which was just the
opposite of what he so deplored. We are
here to. do homage to one who so long
illustrated the bench, and gave the great
est satisfaction to the bar and the coun-
try.
Judge Ersklne took his seat on this
OF
in an utterly miserable and almost hone
less condition, just after the termination
Of the war; and the desire TO give addi-
tional suffering to a people already so far
downtrodden as We're those of this south
ern land, put us in a condition to appre-
clate fully the Kindness and consideration
OF one who had both head and heart for
the work that was before him. While
Judge ErsNine never forgot the dignity.
nor the duties of the bench, and did all
that a just and fearless judge ought to
have done under the circumstances. he
had it in his power to make the burden OF
that abnormal condition of things as light
as possible and the promptings of his
heart induced him to do so. One event
after another which happened at that
time recalls the great regard he
had for the feelings Of
his fellow men in affection, and espec-
tally do they remind me of his never for
to the bar, as well as those the bar owed
to the bench. The consequence was. there
was not only great respect thus produced.
but real affection, which lasted to the day
of his death, and now cling to his memory.
He was cheerful man, and had a low
ing heart; and that was enough to make
him most agreeable companion at all
times. His attainments were of no or
binary character, and I rarely ever had
htteen minutes conversatio with him
without learning something that had been
quite unknown to me before. He had at
times great bodily suffering, during the
last years of his life, and yet his was a
model of happy, contented, and health
giving old AEGEAN inspiration to all his
associates.
l need not ask my brethren of the bar
to revere his memory,
bright be the place Of thy soul;
No kindlier spirit than thine
&c er burst from its mortal control
In the orbs of the blessed to shine.
Light be the turf on thy tomb
May its verdue like emerald be;
There should not be a shadow of gloom
In aught that reminds US of thee!'