Litchfield enquirer., 1871-08-17
THE LAW AND THE. GOSPEL; LAWYERS AND MINISTERS WHO HAVE BEEN IN LITCHFIELD.
LITCHFIELD. August. l871

THE LAW AND THE. GOSPEL; LAWYERS AND MINISTER'S WHO HAVE BEEN IN LITcHFIELD.
 LITcHFIELD, August, 1871.
 There was for many years famous law school in this place. It was opened in 1782 by the Hon. Tapping Reeve. Chief Jus. tice of the State of Connecticut; and in l793 be associated with him the Hon. J.. Gould, and by them it was continued fifty years! It's reputation was as wide as the country itself, and students ''from Maine to Georgia focked here to learn at the feet of these two great teachers. As law schools were afterwards established in other places and these gentlemen became advanced in years, the school declined in numbers; but 1t is quite probable that in no similar school, of ancient or modern times, was the science of law more thoroughly and ably
 taught than in this rural village. The whole subject was divided into forty eight titles, each one of which was treated in systematic detail: lectures were delivered every day on the several principles and rules of each title; these lectures were taken down by the students; authorities consult ed to challenge every position examinations were held every week, and moot courts and forensic debates, to train and sharpen the wits of the young lawyers. Among the students who came hither were men who have held high positions in the courts and Government of their country. I regret that no catalogue is preserved of the first sixteen years of its history; but in the class of 1798 were Chief Justice Skinner, George Griffin and Senator Edwards; Ogden Ed wards was has here in 1901, Eldred Simkins, of South Carolina, in 1903, and Cuthbert, Tellfair and Clark, of Georgia, in 1894; JOHN 0. CALHOUN was student here in 1895 with John A. Collier, Virgil Maxey, Champion and Howe; Crawford of Geor- gia. Ellmaker of Pennsylvania, and Ruth erford of South Carolina, were here in 1906; Woodbury, of New Hampshire, in 1909, with Amasa Parker and R. R. Troupe, of New York. In 1910, Peter Gansevo0rt and James G. King, and in 1911 the Ellsworths; Stephen Camberling in 1913, with A. .B. Longstreet of Georgia, and Taliafero oi Virginia, and Jacob Condit of New Jersey. In 1914. Sidney B. Morse, the founder of the Boston Recorder and N. |. Observer, was l law student here with Daniel Lord, IT,, of New York, and W. Halsted of New Jer- sey. In 1877, John M. Clayton and Jo- seph 0. Stiles, afterwards pastor of Mer. cer street church, New York, studied here
 and John Y. Mason, and W. w. Aston, and Charles P. Kirkland, and Frances l.. Hawkes., who, like MT. Stiles, forsook the law and followed the Gospel And besides these, there is a host of names on the cat. alogue, of men who became Governors of States. members of Congress and officers of Government, but there is no time ol room to mention them. The Gamaliels oi this school were men of great worth, learn ing and ability, loving God and his law, and they died in the faith of the Gospel.
 The ecclesiastical history of the town is full of material for record, but it has been so much written that will not go largely into it. Timothy Collins was the first min. ister. The town was settled in 1720, and the minister was called in 1921. A meet. ing house was soon built, the General As. sembly of the Colony being petitioned for ssiberty to set up church and society iu Litchfeld." The support of the ministe, was then town charge, and all matters relating to the church were determined by vote at town meeting. Even the location of each family in the meeting house was fixed by committee appointed for the purpose by the town. In some of the towns in New England the seats in church were arranged in the order of merit, as follows ' 1. Long Public Service; 2. Dignity o