Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-12-27
THE LATE SENATOR coLLAMER.

Congress has shown great respect and
deep sorrow for our departed Senator.
Many of his colleagues have spoken very
highly of him. His successor, Judge Po-
laud. paid the following beautiful tribute
to his memory:
81 learn from members of the profession
who were contemporary with Judge Col
lamer in the earliest portion of his profes.
sional career, that his excellent natural
abilities, together with his thorough and
accurate knowledge of the law, obtained
by close application and study; his dill
gence and faithfulncss in attending to the
interests of his clients, and especially his
answering honesty and integrity, soon
brought to him large professional employ
ment, and that his sphere of practice and
reputation steadily enlarged up to the
time he left the bar for the bench. He
was ever exact and thorough in his prepa-
ration. 20 the smallest details, and in the
conduct of trials was always watchful
that no proper presentation or arguments
beneficial to his client should be omitted.
Nor did he ever fail to see and avail him
self of all proper advantage given him,
either by the weakness of his adversary's
cause or by any lack of professional skill
shown in its support. But his practice of
the law was honorable and manly; be new
err sought advantage for his clients cause
by the use Of craft and cunning, so often
resorted to by the less scrupulous men,
bers of the profession. But it was more
in his character as an advocate that his
peculiar and Characteristic fairness was
exhibited. He always presented every le-
climate argument in favor of his cause
forcibly and effectively.
But he never resorted to subtle and in
genious sophistries to disguise and conceal
dishonest case, or to entrap and Devil
der the triers. His style and manner as
an advocate, especially before juries, was
peculiarly his own. His presentation of a
cause to a jury was as cool, deliberate,
and dispassionate as his argument Of a
dry question of law he efc1e me court or
question question of public affairs in the Senate.
He never appealed to the passions or pref
udices of his auditors, whoever they were.
but sought always to convince their judg-
ments. He dctestcd every form of deceit
in others, and disdained the use oft him
self.
Such an advocate was of course ever
listened to with the highest respect, and
his arguments received all that considera-
ton to which his ability and candor 50
well entitled them.
Judge Collamer came to the bench q
ripe, thoroughly-traincd lawyer. His pop.
ularity as judge was all that could have
been expected from a man of his talents
and attainmcnts He was especially for
tunate and gifted as presiding judge at
Jury trials. His ready and accurate knowl-
edge of the law. his keen and quick ap-
prchension, his extensive acquaintance
with men, and the motives and incentives
to human conduct, and especially his
strong and intitive love of justice, ena-
bled him at once to master case, and de-
tect the true from the false and, without
apparent effort, to make the truth Of the
case manifest to others. His manner and
department upon the bench were always
kind and considerable; he listened patient
ly to even slow and Flooding councillors,
endeavoring to explain and illustrate what
! he already saw CLEARLY
He was ever prompt. fearless, and in.
flexible in his decisions, with nothing Of
timidity or favoritism. always SO painful
when exhibited on the bench. 1t is saying
no more than the truth, that he was one
of the most efficient and satisfactory ms,
pri'ts judges who have ever sat upon tn,
bench.
His published opinions while a judge o
the supreme court arc models of judicial
compositions. For accuracy of learning
terseness of statement. clearness and com
prehensiveness of style, do not know
where they are excelled.
Had Judge Collamer remained upor
the bench to the end of his life, like
Chief Justice Shaw of Massachusetts, o,
Chief Justice Gibbons of Pennsylvania
have no doubt his judicial fame would
have equaled that of those eminent ju
rists