Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-11-27

and arguments. and this Is all done through
Q the agency of counsel, whose rights to Be
1 heard aud eeurteeusly " treated, are the
4 rights of their clients, and not, therefore,
! to be disregarded,
Q 1t Is no doubt the duty Of the presiding
! Judge to preserve order, to enforce the
J. rules of court, aud secure the proper dis
G patch of business, aud to do 1t without vi
Q olatipg the laws that should govern the
D conduct Of gentleman, and 10 perform
$ ing this duty be should be treated with re-
= speet and deeerum by the members of the
!. bar. And II is almost supeFauous to add
that the members of the bar have right
: to claim similar treatment at the hands OF
!, the Court, though it is not always extend
e ed to them. For it is worthy of observa-
: tion in the judicial history of the Union,
0 that two Of the four cases Of impeachment
, brought before the Senate of the United
| States and the only cases that were really
tried, originated in alleged misconduct Of
judges towards counsel on trial of cases in
court
Mr.. Ruggles was elected to the Senate
Of the United States in 1915. and resign
ed his Office of judge. after holding it a.
bout FIVE years. He was afterwards twice
reelected, his last term expiring on the
fourth of March. 1888. He was very
popular among his immediate neighbors.
and they always took deep interest in his
welfare. And in the fall Of the year pre-
ceding his election to his second term.some
fears were entertained that he might, among
the number who were ambitious of serving
their country in the Senate, be defeated;
and the late Charles Hammond, who was
then member of the Legislature from
Belmont county. felt deeply the response
bility that would attach to him in such an
event. If Mr.. Ruggles should fail of a
reelection. so much desired by his constit-
ucnts, Mr.. Hammond thought he would be
blamed for the failure, whatever he might
do to secure his success; as the Athenians
blamed Alcibiades from an erroneous belief
in his power to control fortune, ascribing
to treachery what was chargeable only to
inability. But he was triumphantly re-
elected, though opposed by some of the
most distinguished men in the State.
His service for three terms in the Senate |
Of the United States appeared to fill the
measure of his ambition, and he INDUCED |
in no further political aspirations After
his retirement from the Senate, at the age
of fifty years, an age when most men are
as eager in the pursuit of fame and fortune
as at any period of life, he seemed to have
lost all ambition for further political pro-
motion, and spent the remainder of his
days in the peaceful and duiet pursuits of
private life. He superintended his farm,
and was fond of cultivating choice fruits,
and was instrumental in introducing among
the farmers OF his neighboIhovd many vf
the best varieties.
He was director. and for some time
president of the Bank of St. Clairsville,
and was very fond of reading. and devoted
much time to books and newspapers, and
this way wore out the last years of his
life. He died after brief illness, at his
residence near st. Clairsville. Sept. 2, 1867,
leaving widow and two children to mourn
his loss Gently and peacefully the good
man took his departure, almost without
pain or suffering. His death was calm
and quiet as the sleep of an infant; and
though he had lived more than three score
years and ten, he had always enjoyed good
health, and his sudden death was therefore
unexpected by his friends and neighbOrs.
The whole community in which he had
lived for more than forty years, and by !
which he was so much respected and beloy-
ed, and had been SO much honored was
deeply afflicted at the sad event, and
large multitude of people, with every dem
onstration of regard and affection, follow
ed his remains to their last resting place. /
He enjoyed in an eminent degree the ;
confidence and respect of all parties while
in the Senate, and was much beloved in ,
the walks of private life. He was gener- ,
Gus almost to fault. and gave literally. ,
Of his limited means. to the institutions of {
religion and learning. and to other merito- e
rious objects. and the stream of his benev- I
olence. like the fount in whence it sprung q
never dried up. but always continued to {
flow, at the pure stream of which many i.
drank and were refreshed He was man 8
Of unblemished integrity and great purity
Of character. He was not a professor,
but firm believer in the great truths of
the Christian religion, and was fond Of
quoting the language of Webster, THAT e
nhdels just rung monotonous changes on Il
he often refuted arguments But eve o
y lover of his country and his race, could o
lot but wish and pray that the benign in c.
luences of christianity were spread all Ov- Il
T the world" e
When his death was known at Wash Ii
ngton, it was announced by his friend Jo- II
eph Gales, in the National Intelligencer, n
q thes very appropriate terms s,
death OF GOOD NAN" :
"The Ohio papers bring US news of the Of
ecease of an @bIe, faithful and virtuous Fl
itizen, Benjamin Ruggles, of st. Clairs- Il
lille, Ohio, at the mature age Of seventy v
our years. This worthy gentleman served ii
is State in the Senate of the United States a
uring three successive terms, from 1915 a
D 1888, and in that body of eminent men. Ia
is integrity aud good sense commanded tC
be respect, while bis amiable and guileless Il
haTacter won the esteem of all its men, "
ers. In his personal qualities he resem. o'
led much the late estimable Samuel Prem b
IS. of Vermont, for some time his cotem- rt
orary in the Senate, aud marked with b
iudred virtues alike modest. single mind d
], clear headed and faithful. They both HI
ossess4d largely. that best Of all wisdom. q
ne wisdom of the heart p
Presently after the death of Mr.. Ruggles.
writer in the same paper published an
bituary, from which the following extract Il
made which will be acceptable to the ;;
saders. and close this sketch.
AFTER his admission to the bar in Con- c;
ecticut, he enigrated to Marietta in Ohio. 81