Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1900-03-06
Memorial to General Clarke
MAY 1T PLEASE THE COURT:

MAY IT PLEASE THE COURT:
During tho past month, and since the
last meeting of the Court, one who has
accustomed to be present at your sittings
has been called away. His place at this
Bar is vacant, and will be filed by him
no more forever. While yet busy ia the
great labors of his life, and in the very
fullness of his intellectual statute. Robert
NJ. Clarke has left the employments of
earth, and entered upon the realities of
another life. After an illness Of one year
he departed from among as. Notwith-
standing his long illness, the announce
ment of his death was an event 80
mourpful, it comet fail to arrest pub
lie attention, and spread deep sorrow
over the hearts of all who knew and
honored him. To none b. yend his :m-
mediate family circles, did his great
bereavement seem more near, than to
his bretheren of the Bar, WHO were the
constant associates of his professional
life, and who were bound to him by the
nearest relations of friendship and affec-
ton. To give eXpressioa to tht ir respect
and regard to bis character :;nd sorrow
for his death, they assemble here this
morning with moCrfu feelings, after
having adopted resolutions, expressing
in some slight degree their esteem Of his
worth, their admiration for his great
character as lawyer, and their regret
for his untimeiy death, They gathered
in reverent grief around his bier, and
followed to its last resting place in silen
&c and tears. all that remained on earth
Of one so loved and honored.
They desire to preserve some memoir
ial of their regard for what he was, and
we new present the record Of our pro-
ceedings, with the request that in re-
spect to his memory they be entered
upon the minutes of this Court.
1t was in this place that he spent the
latter years of his life; and it is upon
your records that the most enduring
monuments of his labors exist; and we
feel it to be appropriate that upon the
field of his professional fame, there shall
remain fitting testimonial to his great
character.
ter, Fairfield County. State of Ohio, June
26. 1887: he came to this State in tie year
1864. and was shortly thereafter elected
Attorney General, which office he held
for four years. On the termination OF
his office, he engaged in the practice OF
his profession. He gave to it Ill his
faculties, and all his heart: and Loving il
for its own sake, and not for its rewards
achieved in it position commensurate
with his devotion. 1t is not too much tt
say that, by common consent OF the Bar
General Clarke stood foremost among
the first. He was associated in nearly
all leading cases that arose in his dime
the habit ofprofound legal research grew
upon him; and with the feeling of a tru'
lawyer, he gave himself up to the stud,
of each point before him without refer
ence to the amount or magnitude of per
SOnai interest at stake, so much as to thu
delicacy Of the question presented, ant
the characterof the legal principles in
volved When devoting him self to sucl
questions, the labors of long day wer
often prolonged far beyond midnight t.
recemmence anew in the morning, ant
he thus continued whenever occasion re
quired it. And vet with all this devo
ton 10 his profession, he was not indif1
erert to social life nor incapable of ap
preciating and contributing to its pleas
ures. He preserved his yeuthfulness G
feeling, his freshness of heart, his nobl
simplicity of character to the last TIL
perfect purity of his life and his single
ness of ambition, in which he was 5
successful, placed him above all tempt;
ton. He could not be petty or unfair, G
disingenuous: he could not espouse
bad case, nor take an unfair advantag
of an opponent, nor mislead the Csur
He loved good men, and natures fran
like his own. He loved good books. ali
often turned aside from his studies t
commune with the great thinkers b
whom the questions of Eternal life, ike
fate, free-will, foreknowledge, absolute
are discussed. His points of argumeI
indicate great power of analysis and II
markabe labor; enriched by illustr
tons from history and literature, an
imbued with the spirit of legal philO
ophy.
In spite of his devoted labors, his ii
was q happy one, He loved his PROBES
ion and was successful in it. lie Gre
and enjoyed their affection and con
dence Though occasionally his mil