The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-24
LAWToN'S MEMORY HoNoRED
REPORT AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE
BAR ON HIS DEATH.

The Savannah Bars Session in the
Superior Court-ApprOpriate ID
dresses Delivered by Messrs.
Charlton, Barrow, Gen. Jackson,
Judges FaIIignnt and Norwood.
Both the Superior and City Courts
Adjourn For the Day and VIII lie
In Mourning For so Days-The
Committees Report to Be Sent to
the state Supreme Court.
The members of the Savannah bar met
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock in the SUI
perior court room to do honor to the mem
ory of Gen. A. r. Lawton, one of them
whom all admired and loved.
The meeting was presided over by Judges
Robert Falligant of the superior court and
Thomas M. Norwood of the city court 1t
was an adjourned meeting held for the pur-
pose of receiving the report of the commit
tee appointed to draw a suitable memorial
and resolutions relating to the death Of
Gen. Lawton.
There were many members of the bar
present when the meeting was called to
order. The report of the committee was
submitted through Mr.. Samuel b. Adams,
chairman. as follows:
Gentlemen of the Bar: Your Commit
tee appointed to submit a report touch
ing the death of our late fellow-member
Alexander r. Lawton ESQ, realize fully
their inability to do justice either to the
subject or to your esteem for him in
report as brief as this must be.
Alexander Robert Lawton was born in
st. Peters Parish, Beaufort District
South Carolina, on the 4th day of Novem-
Der, 1918, and departed this life on the
first day of July, 1896, having nearly com
nlpfp6 10 tUac
the SON OF Alexander James Lawton and
Martha Mosse. He was born upon the
plantation purchased by his grandfather
Joseph Lawton, in March, 1776. HIS lin
cage was proud one, and he worthiy
bore his name.
General Lawton became a member of
this Bar in January 1843 and so contin'
ued until his death, although for some
time before his decease he had withdrawn
from active practice. To the last how.
ever, he was a member of our profession
took lively interest in all that concerned
it, and died the President of the Savannah
Bar Association. His professional life in
continued (the late war excepted for more
than fifty years. While he served his
State and Country in the Legislature, in
the field, as the Quartermaster General of
the Confederacy, in the Constitutional
Convention, and as a Foreign Minister,
yet he was always lawyer and cheer
fully gave his full homage to the calling
of his choice and affection, recognized al
ways as Jealous mistress"
1t is not our province to speak of his
career in public office, where fidelity to
duty, singleness of purpose and intelli-
gent appreciation of responsibility char
acterlzed him: of his career as a soldier,
Slgnalized by calm, unfiinching courage
and devotion to the cause which he had
eSpoused, but rather to call attention TO
those traits which distinguished him as a
The first and most important thought
IN connection with his career is, that he
illustrated, as so many others have done,
"a An ~, afR.rr
full lawyer, and yet rigidiy honest, can
did and truthful man. General Lawton
met with conspicuous success in his pro-
fession. He enjoyed more than a State
reputation. he was in the front rank
of the South's lawyers. For many years
he did large and lucrative practice, and
tested by any standard, he enjoyed the
full measure of success. And yet the
most cynical and uncharitabie could never
question, the absolute rectitude Of his con-
duct and his speech. He was always and
everywhere the high-minded, dignihed
uth-lovng gentleman, the soul of honor
despising every form of sham, dishonesty
and deceit. No man, we confidently as
sert, has ever lived in this community
who enjoyed, or deserved, more fully than
ne , did the the CONFIDENCE I Of our people No
ment and opinion, no one who knew him
could ever question the honesty or purity
of his purpose. With him duty was al
ways 1.-THE sublimest word in the Ian.
guage," and in every emergency he fully
answered its most exacting demands. This
was III MS professional HIs-.
He was never unmindfuf of his duty to a
client, to the Court or to his fellow law
yers.
We have never had in Georgia any
member of our profession who more care
fully or consistently observed and en-
forced its ethics and its best traditions. He
scorned the thought, now unhappily find
ing expression in conduct If not in spoken
aVowal, that the law was a mere money
making trade With him II was always a
profession, high and honorable demand
ing for it's proper pursuit, not only at
tainments of learning and mind, but also
a high sense of honor and propriety, The
fessional methods. such as seeking busl-
ness-drumming for patronage-were as
foreign TO his life and purpose as the
filching OF his neighbours goods. He ut
terly scorned such conduct, and would eX-
press Indignation whenever he would learn
OF a member Of the profession which he
loved and sought TO magnify, disgracing
IL by such conduct.
He practiced only in the Court House. He
argued his cases there only. He did not
discuss them In the newspapers, or seek
their applause lie did not regard them as
of such Interest to the public as to make
IL his duty 20 Impress tho representatives
Of the Press with their importance and
their desirabity as news items particular
~ when the decisions OF the courts were
In his Iaver. He never sought, directly or
Indirectly, Newspaper advertisement of his
professional achievements, or newspaper
reputation. AZ the same time, he fully ap-
preciated kind and pleasant allus,ons 10
him in the press, which were unaoueht ana
unsolicited ana came Ike other recoeni-
lions OF his merit In these days where
shere are ~ many unworthy members OF
lur profession. when me Ideal lawyer Ike
Cen Lawton, has not az many followers as