Moreover, his role in its evolution was critical, setting, as it did, the tone of dignified and excellent conduct in leadership in matters of state, ultimately, at the highest level. He was the quintessential Servant of the Public to whom he dedicated many years of his life, in various areas of public office and subsequently.
His was no charmed existence, but, as James Michener tells us “… if a man finds himself… he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.”
Ellis Clarke found himself early and, buoyed by his religion and his faith in God, did what he had to do, in circumstances which were not always ideal or even comfortable, demonstrating courage, which Ernest Hemingway described as “grace under pressure.”
Qualification for the offices which he held did not rest solely on his academic achievements, which were considerable. His profound comprehension of theories learned and his application of them to the issues of life, in the context of our culture and on the larger international stage, with which he first became familiar as a student in the 1930’s, made him an excellent point of reference, as the country sought to equip itself to take its place among the nations of the world.
Being the bridge from one era to another, Ellis Clarke went where no man in our country had gone before. He knew what was required as representative of the Monarch and had a clear vision of what it must be to be Head of State of Independent Trinidad and Tobago.
He had to get it right and he did. Quiet reasonableness, so evident in his personality, was a characteristic that marked his life.
Recognizing that leadership is not just position, he did what he had to do with dignified aplomb. He wisely knew what to overlook, for the good of the country. Displaying cool and deliberate reflection, he was not quick to pronounce and critically, not given to trivia, he never hastened to defend himself.
Nevertheless, his demeanor made it clear that his attitude of tolerance was not an invitation to violate the rules of civility, neither did this tolerance signal that he did not understand a problem where it lay.
Sir Ellis, as he was affectionately addressed or referred to by the people, illustrated a tone, in other ways. He savoured the finer things of life, observing good taste, in every aspect, not as a mark of self-gratification, but more so as demonstration of a better quality of life that may be enjoyed, as we encourage and take the steps that are necessary to enable our people to live above the daily grind.
We have heard and read the many tributes that have been paid to this true patriot who has come to the end of his distinguished, earthly life.
What do they mean to us? What we have heard concerning our first President should remind us and instruct our children that Trinidad and Tobago did not just happen out of nothing.
We have a past which we should heed, rehearsing the lessons that can help to bring us back to our respectable moorings, moorings that were created by the diligence and foresight of men such as Ellis Clarke and the risks that they took in pursuing the vision of a nation of men and women, participating and growing in post-independent Trinidad and Tobago.
What will these tributes mean, after today, in the weeks, months and years ahead?
We do not have to be a nation of nine-day wonders. A monument to Ellis Clarke need not be cast in stone or written on paper. Most fitting would be a determination, on the part of each one who is able, to do and I repeat, to do, what is necessary to recall or become familiar with the ideas and ideals that inspired him and other of our founding fathers to seek and secure independent statehood and to resolutely propagate these ideas and ideals.
It was Fyodor Dovstoyevski who said that “neither man nor nation can exist without a sublime idea.”
It is a maxim that I feel certain Sir Ellis would have embraced and as I close, I recall Seneca who provides me with what I consider to be words that speak succinctly to the essence of the man, Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke: “It is in the interest of the Commonwealth of mankind that there should be someone who is unconquered, someone against whom fortune has no power”.
On behalf of all the people of our beloved Trinidad and Tobago, at home and in the diaspora, who owe him a deep debt of gratitude, I thank his family who generously shared Sir Ellis’ life with us. I hope that, in this time of bereavement, you will experience, not happiness, but joy, in the knowledge that he ran his course with
excellence.
May his soul rest in peace and may God bless our nation!
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