The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-10

of the United States
Obituary.
DEATH OF JUDGE BERRIEN.
We find the obituary Of Hon. JOHN MCPHERSON BERRins
In the Savannah Georgian of the Sd Instant
1t is painful duty to record the death of distn
guished fellow citizen, Hon. John MCPHERSON Bsrrien
who expired at his residence this city about O'Clock
Tuesday morning, in the 18th year Of his age The
of this sad event took entire comms
nifty by surprise, and the mournful intelligence
spread, threw deep gloom the festivities Of the
day II will be received with equal pain, not only
throughout the State but throughout the Union.
The illness Of The distinguished deceased though
attendance upon the American State Convention, over
whose deliberations he presided. 1t during thas
S WE ~ sns
ing but slight indisposition, 1t gradua Y assumed
more aggravated character, till Monday night his
He died. he had lived in the fullest Of the
Christian faith and in communion with the Protestant
Episcopal Church of which he had long been worthy
member frequently representing it in State and General
Conventions his mind clear unaffected by his intense
physical suffering to the last.
Judge Berrien, learn from q memoir before us,
was of Huguenot ancestry Two brothers of that NAME
fleeing from France to Holland the revocation OF tbs
Edict of Nantes finally emigraed to this country and
settled the Long sand the other in New Jersey
John Berrien his paterna grandfather Of the
Judges of the Supreme Cours Of New Jersey
The father of the lamented deceased Major John Ber-
rien came to Georgia at very early Towards the
close OIL the Revolutionary ne married. IN PnuA0ol
pha Margaret Macpherson, the sister Of John Macphe
SON. (ad-oe camp Of Cen Montgomery, who fell at Que
bec) and fGen. VIM. Macpherson who served in the
American army until the close OF the The latter
tleman had commission in the British army and tho
company under his command stationed New York
but being unwilling to bear arms against his country
men, he applied for permission 70 resign, which wss
granted, coupled with condition that he should mot
the British lines within winch he remained under
the surveillance soldier, being INDUCED however,
with the liberty of going in pursuit of ducks the East
river attended, by his guard Having day advanced
data arffv kHah >aA
Of his attendant and ordered him to pull him the
Long Island shore where he received by party Of
This fact being known Congress- that body gave him
majors commission in the American army. Major
tien Of his military service to prepare for the reception
OF his family his wife was left at his mothers house In
This house had been the headquarters of the army ana
from Washipgon's farewell address, TO that gallant
band was issued Here the subject of this sketch
born on the 23d 0, August, 1881.
Judge Berren them could Slain double nativity; In
New Jersey the place of his actual BIRTH and in Georgia.
that his fathers domici which he was brought
when few months old. His academical education WA
obtained At various schools in New York and New Jersey
and he graduated at Princeton ut the age of fifteen
1t Is not unworthy OF note that this time honored ns
tuition $780, conferred him the degree of Doctor
of Laws. the occasion OF his delivering address BE-
fore its two literary societies.
Returning to Geores, he commenced the study Of law
under tie direction Of the Hon. Joseph Clay and such
eighteen years be admitted to the bar He opened
his Office first at Louisville then the seat Of government
and ards in the city Of Savannah and applied him.
self with n6efatgabe industry to the pro fession in
which he had embarked His books were his delight,
and to his tudous habits in the early stages his legal
doubtless be attributed the great success
which he afterwards met with, and which placed him
among the first lawyers in Americs.
eastern district Of the state Of Georgia and the fovn
year Judge the dis rict At period the judi
cial term limited to three years and Mr. Berrien
elected four times to that office. The With England
from 1872 1915 in the earlier portion of Mr. Berriens
judicial anc the excitement Of the public mind
sibtes OF his station, which he filled with distinguished
ability. He resigned his office judge in the second
year OF his fourth term, and returned the practice
law, which soon became very extensive.
In 1872 and 1873 be represented the county of Chat
han IN the state senate and as the journals of that
wider field however Tor the exercise Of his talents
reserved for him. viz: the Senate of the Untel
States to Which he was serred by the Legislature Of
Geoi gia in 1924 and took that body on the
Attn OF March, 1875, where he distinguished himself
for the extensive knowledge he displayed every sub
ect interest His speeches the Senate were al
listened to with profound attention acq urel
for him the reputation OF being he really was Of
the most gifted orators and able statesmen of
In 1899 judge Berrien received the appointment Of At
torney General of the United States In consequence
which he resigned his seat in the senate For this once
bis legal attanments emnently qualified him. but
he resigned his Office in 1884, and resumed the practices
of bis prcfe sion in the city OF Savannah and continued
in until ls4l serving in the meantime In State Com
venon which had been called consider the ratio Of
representation in the legislature.
In 184O Judge Beren again elected to the Senate
OF the United States ana took his the 4th March,
1S4l This period of countrys history win long b
remembered for the important and delicate political ques
tons which agated the councils of the nation In thea
Judge Berren took prominent part, and added to tho
fame he had acquired.
IS47 he re elected for another term Of sx years.
which would have terminated the 4h Of March, 1853
but he resigned his seat in May 1882 and retired TO p
vate life Since bis resignation Judge Berrien has re-
manned in retirement under the pressure of domestic
calamity devoting himself to the education OF his young
family and the practice OF his profession always interest
ed but rarely taking active part in political questions
OF the day
Judge Berrien was gifted by nature with rare and
splendid talents developed and cultivated the highest
degree by long of legal studies by habits Of
close logical thought and by constant exercise ct the
forum and the bar As safe counsellor and eloquent
ession in the state On questions Of law involving mics
distinctions, it is doubtful he had his superior In the
country Always prepared, always learned, eloquent
whose loss, in his death, scarcely b estimated.
To, the community in which he lived, to the State
and the country at large, his loss 10 equally great.
faithful citizen, ever attentive to the varied du-
ties which devolved upon him such; warn
friend, true in every hour Of need; philanthropist
always alive TO the calls Of the destitute and the
distressed statesman of large capacity intimately ac
quanted with the workings Of government; true
Christian, unwavering in his fatb, and possessing the
cearet and nobest conceptions Of the reneon no pro-
essed his loss ia incalcuable to All and ns memory
will be cherished in midst 80 long "a eatness,
goodness and Christian virtues continue to be priced
among
Col WIN Carson died In Warren county Va. on the 4th
inst in the SEA year of his age. He was q member Of
the Executive Council Of Virginia for three years and
acted a. one of Board Of Principal Assessors about
the wear 1916 He delegate the Legislature for
many years from Shenandoah county and from Clarke
and Warren, and then elected to the Senate and
retired from public life at the end of his term He
WINS ensign under General Washington in the expedi
ton against the insurgents and went 10 Norfolk AZ
volunteer Ia The wsr OF 1912,