Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-08-07
Tho ChIcf Justiceshin.


Among those named for the Office of Chic
Jus tice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Mas
sachusetts, made vacant by the resignation Of
Judge Shaw, is Hon. Charles Sumner. Il
spotless integrity, first rate ability, profound
study of first principles, and a most admirable
knowledge of the science of law, are qualifica.
tons for the office, his fitness for the place is
prominent A correspondent of the Boston
Daily Advertiser writes as follows in favor OF
appointing him -
"The retirement of Chief Justice Shaw
from the station which he has honored for
thirty years with his great knowledge strength
of mind, and probity OF private judicial life,
creates vacancy naturally measured in the
public mind much by the elevation to which
he carried the office No one can fail to re-
cognize in the career of this great jurist, an
important source of that reverence for the
the bench and dissemination to change the
tenure of the judicial office, SO general among
the people of our commonwealth. Massachu-
sets had proud place in the history of juris-
prudence. She has furnished to her own and
the national bench many who have assembled
to the high place Of the law,-not merely
ministers, but builders in the temple.
seat of the chief justice, many turn for his
successor to a noble son of the commonwealth,
eminent, like him whose labors she must lose,
for knowledge, intellect, and integrity, and
now filling Il conspicuous station in the public
service, but far wider space in the hearts of
those who love and honor the conservation of
great powers to the cause of man.
The peculiar fitness Of Mr. Sumner by ma
ture and study for this position is well known
His youthful fondness for and devoted pursuit
of the study of the law as science, brought
to him its honors and successes early i'll life
He was happy in the apprecative love Of Sto-
ry, who, prouder of his professorship in the
law school than of his office of justice of the
court of the United States, said he could leave
the world without anxiety as to his professor
ship, if assured that Mr.. Sumner would sue
coed him there And, upon the death of the
great teacher and magistrate, Chancellor Kent
declared Charles Sumner the only man in the
country fit to succeed Story" as professor.
All are familiar with the fulfllment Of the ear
ly promises of his character His noble
mind,
Fair as some classic dome,
Robust and richly graced,
the natural home of first principles, and opu-
lent with learning, his familiarity with prece-
dents and pure law, his large acquaintance
with leading American and foreign minds, the
vigorous elegance of his dction, his principled
ambition, his untailing loyalty to truth, his
kind heart shining in his tenignant presence,
the confidence and love of the people, are SO
many designations of him for this station.
His appointment would, in the termination
of his great senatorial career, be purchased at a
dear cost to the commonwealth and the coun-
try ; but it would open to his large abilities
field not unconnected with those interests
which he has ever served-for to him, surely,
the law would become, in the language of his
own beautiful tribute to Story, ''Not merely
science, whose depths and intrcacies he ex.
plored in his closet, but great and God-like
instrument to be employed in that highest of
earthly functions, the determination of justice
among men,"