The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-09-04
"REMINISCENCES
PUBLIC MEN.
By Ex GOVERNOR b. f. PERRY.
GcoNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
JAMES KENT.


Chancellor Kent is known to
the whole civilized world as a dis
tinguished jurist and comnenla-
tor Oh English and American law.
HIS decIslons are quoted aud his
Commentaries read wherever the
common law is know, and prac-
ticcd. Few ,uen i'll .America Or
England have lett oenlnd them a
more envlaOle reputation as u
Judge, Chancellor and Judicial
writer. He presided III the law
Court of New York, sixteen years,
and ten years a, Chief Justice.
Lie was thea elected Chancellor of
that great Stale, aud Continued to
serve IN that higu office I'LL he ar'
rived at the age ot sixty, wien he
had to, retire from the Bench, un.
der the provision of the Slale Con-
stitution, limiting the judicial term
to that aye. He then became Pro
tessor of Law III Columbia College,
New York, and delivered series
OF lectures 10 numercus. classes Tor
several years. These lectures were
at,erwa, DIS published III his Com
nienlaries OH Amei ican Law. -
No law work ever published in the
United States had suci, a run as
these coinuientaries- the, passed
through Ten edlt.ous before the
death OF their author. Iney be-
came to the American lawyer what
Biackslune's Commentaries bad
been to the Engllsh lawyer. Z
.rUhaucellur Kent was born in
the State OF New York. Putnanl
County, July 81, l763. Ills father
was a lawyer, and for a humber ot
, years Surrogate or Probate Judge
of Rensselaer, County. He gradu.
ated ut Yale College, in his cigh.
teeuth year, and was admitted IL
the Bar i'll 1885, being then twen-
ty.two years old. 1t is SAID that
he " soon became reniarkab. Z
among his contemporaries for his
legal learning and literary attain
ments.' He was elected mem.
ber of the Legislature i'll 1870
and 1892, and became ali active
and leading Federal,st. Ihe nex!
year he was a candidate Tor Con
gress, in Duchess County, and de-
feated. Ihereupop, he moved ito
tue City Of New J ork, and in I79d
he was again elected y member ol
the State Legislature from thai
city. LII early lie he was the fa~
vorile vt SUCH men as Chiet j Justlce
Jay and Alexander Hamilton. He
died in the elghty-iitth year of his
age, aud remained III tull posses
sion VI his health and mental pow
ers up 10 the period OF iis death
In 1921 he was a member of tho
State Convention of New York
7an6 took an active part in the de
bates on their new Constitution
In 1885 there was CONSIDERABLE
discussion in South Carolina or
the subject of our Judiciary.
was then a memb ber ot the Legisla
ture, and thought IL would be I
great matter to have the opinion
of 80 distinguished and eXperienc
ed Judge as Chancellor Kent oi
the question Of amalgamaiing tn
Courts OF Equity aud Law aud al
30 as TO the propriety Of a separat
Court VI Appeals. ! was my ysel
in favor Of blending the jurisdie
tion Of Law and Equity in on
Court, but keeping the practic
and proceedings in Law and Equt
ty separate and distinct, tl,oag
administered by the same Judge
] was also in favor of a separal
Court Of Appeals, TO hear all ap
peals in Law and Equity, instea
e xlo H:.ou;t T,l,no ,x,o1k.. q