The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-05-04

His correspondence during this, the last
year of his life, is, for one so young, both
copious and interesting, and would be sug-
gestive, and even instructive to any young
man who proposes like career. will not
stay to mention his strength of character as
exhibited in resisting the temptation OF
beer-drinking and other social pleasures,
which so banefully beset the path of the
young American student abroad, but | pre-
fer rather to refer to the fact which his let
ters shew, that he early measured the broad
horizon that bounded the field in which he
purposed to labor for lifetime. He says,
81 don't agree with many, as to the superi-
ority of the Civil Law as practical system,
but its scientific superiority is undoubted.
The study of the Civil Law as carried on in
Germany, is the deduction of a whole system
from the "Corpus Juris;" hence as a pre-
paration for the most difficult part of Law
yer's work, viz: applying the Law to special
cases, its value is inestimable. So far, it
seems to me, to possess more practical value
than l had anticipated As development
of the principles of Nat7ral Law and in the
Law of Inheritance and Family relations it
is perhaps not SO valuable, but in the Law
of Obligations and the Rights of Property it
is eminently practical, and hence exceeding
ly useful. 1t is decidedly as profound and
broad as any system of Law (which is never
very much of ether can be, and is very
stimulating to the intellect. In this, as in
all systems of Jurisprudence, positive pre-
cept often opposes strict consistency, but |
think less frequently than in English Law.
OF American Law know very little, but l
know that the differences between this and
that, although, perhaps, more striking are
certain to be less numerous than the points
of coincidence, and on the principle that
simple and consistent system is apt to re-
semble complicated and inconsistent sys-
tenn more nearly than another complicated
and inconsistent system would, am inclined
to regard this as better preparation for an
American Lawyer than the study of the more
complex system of English Law"
In the latter part of July, 1869, having
determined to spend another year in Europe,
after speaking of its advantages by perfect
ing him in German, he says, "Tbe benefits
of the study of the Civil Law seem to me to
be two; first, the study of Jurisprudence in
its most simple and juristic form, in order to
train the mind to work in that manner; Sec
ond, the having this system of Jurisprudence
as theoretical basis from which to study
the variations Of more complicated and
practical system. The first object has, of
course, no definite limits, l hope however, l
have derived some profit. The second OBJ.
ject | have not yet attained. l have not
mastered the system sufficiently in its de-
tails. / want fuller course of the Pandects
and course of the History of Law. Per-
haps course of lectures on Gaius would be
better than regular course of History. l
would like also to take Criminal Law. / am
told by some of my friends here that some
of the best American Criminal Lawyers have
studied here and have advised them to do
the same He then intimates purpose of
spending the coming year in Berlin. have,
lsk Of being tedious, quoted these
not only to illustrate the mind and
of the subject of this memoir, but
ght render his brief life useful as
to some young man contemplating
/: course Of study.
hiking over this life from childhood to
grave, | am forcibly remined of the
of the great Carolinian, Hugh Swim
re, who died at the age of AZ, the
lawyer and non-professional scholar,
ointment Legare's delicate boyhood
ndneSs for athlete sports-his school
is college habits-hs modes of study
pirations-his taste for speaking and
and his assiduity in their cultiva-
is purpose in going to Europe-his
f Civil Law and German and French
thoughts and feelings as expressed in
ers to his mother whilst abroad, are
much like the incidents in the life of
Miller, that memoir of the one
lmost be taken for that of the other.
Early death has broken the parallel;
ft too much for me to say that that
prevented this young man from Great
!, fame not less brilliant than that which
5overs the name of Hugh S. Legare?
The remainder of this story shall be as
brief as it is sad. 1t was less than four
months from the date of the letter which I
have quoted abore-so full of life and
thought and purpose, that he died at home,
which he had reached only week before in
dying condition, of consumption of the
lungs, as rapid as it was fatal. 1t was so
sudden and unexpected, that no one seemed
able to meet it with any calmness but himself
He had never made an open profession Of
religion, and had, on this subject, even to his
most intimate friends, been singularly re-
served. I cannot better close this sketch
than by making some extracts from letter
now before me, from friend who formed