CHAPTER XII.

TRIBUTES TO HIS MEMORY, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.

He is gone who seemed so great,
Gone; but nothing can bereave him
Of the force he made his own,
Being here, and we believe him
Something far advanced in state,

And that he wears a brighter crown

Than any wreath that man can weave him.-TENNYSON.

WHEN Mr. Baker's death was made known through the city, the painful intelligence struck sadly upon the public heart. "What a loss we have sustained !" was the many-voiced response from the societies in which he had labored, from the poor he had relieved, from his fellow-citizens who had trusted and honored him, and from his fellow-members of the bar, who had so highly esteemed and respected him. With one accord the different associations gathered their members together to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of him whom they had loved and honored. The customary meetings were called, and resolutions passed, as when other men die who, like him,

have held a high place in the public estimation; but the striking accordance of these testimonials, from so many different sources, showed that in every position in which he was placed he always presented the same distinctive character, proving that in whatever aspect the true Christian is regarded he is ever "the highest style of man.”

From the published reports of the proceedings of the different associations, we make the following extracts from the daily papers of October 12, 1855:

Respect for the Memory of William George Baker. All the courts adjourned as soon as they met yesterday morning, in respect to the memory of William George Baker, Esq. A large meeting of the legal profession was held in the county court yesterday morning, for the purpose of paying respect to the memory of William George Baker. A committee having been appointed to prepare resolutions expressive of the feelings of the profession in the death of Mr. Baker, the committee presented the following resolutions through their chairman, Mr. Brown:

"Resolved, That the members of the Bench and Bar assembled have heard with feelings of profound regret of the decease of their lamented brother, the late William George Baker.

"Resolved, That the copious and varied learning of the deceased, his industry and purity, and his admirable abilities as a jurist, rendered him an ornament to the profession of which he was a member, and make his loss a public calamity.

"Resolved, That the high personal qualities of the deceased in private life, his usefulness as a citizen, his piety and charity, and devotion to all good works, commanded the admiration of the people among whom he was born, and will make his memory cherished by all good men.

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Resolved, That the members of the Bench and Bar will attend the funeral of the deceased this afternoon, and will wear the usual badges of mourning, etc."

After reading the resolutions, Mr. Brown pronounced the following eloquent, affectionate, and just eulogy upon the deceased:

"It is my sad privilege to express some of the feelings prompted by the melancholy occasion which has brought us together. . . . Mr. Baker was by a few years my senior; but we were students of law at the same period, and our friendship, then commenced, strengthened as we grew older, and continued without interruption through the whole of his life. In all essential particulars his character was the same in

youth which it proved itself to be in maturer years. Time only served to develop and strengthen it. It underwent no change, except that it ripened and improved under the discipline and trials of life; and Providence in its wisdom, as we all know, visited him with severe domestic afflictions, deeply felt by his affectionate nature. He was always distinguished by a singular modesty, which induced him to shun notoriety; by a spotless integrity, which was never sullied by even the breath of suspicion; by a conscientious fidelity to duty, which prompted all his actions; by an affectionate and kindly nature, which won friends everywhere; and by a noble consistency, which characterized his life. The recollection of a character so nearly perfect will, as long as life shall endure, be among the most valued and cherished of my memories.

"As a lawyer, he was more than well read in his profession. He was deeply learned and accurate in his knowledge, quick in perception, and sound in judgment. In these qualifications he has left behind him no superior among his cotemporaries at the bar; and if I am not carried too far by the partiality of friendship, and may be allowed to express my sincere opinion, I will venture to say he has left no equal.

"It was my custom, whenever questions of serious difficulty arose in my practice, about which I felt embarrassed, to refer to him for advice. It was not always that I could obtain it, for he was remarkably cautious in the formation and expression of his opinions; but when he gave one I felt myself fortified as if by the weight of a high judicial decision, and I can safely say that I have never known him to express an opinion which, afterward, I had reason to think was wrong.

"He never distinguished himself as an advocate, because his retiring and modest nature led him to shrink from the exciting contests of the bar, and he cared little for the emoluments and turmoils of his profession. The brilliant prizes of life, which hold out such great temptations to most of us, had no charms for him. He preferred to pursue the even tenor of his way in the discharge of domestic, social, philanthropic, and unostentatious professional duties. Distinction and applause he was willing to leave to others.

"Such a man would naturally wish to retire from public life, and yet, much against his will, he was from time to time called on, in a manner which he felt to be imperative, to fill various public offices, and