The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-17
SAMUEL. NELSON

To Samuel Nelson il was permitted TO
perfectly round out n career Of public use
fulncss and honor before he was called
hence \ democrat of the old school, and
of the straightcst sort, he won the respect
aud admiration Of all parties not by sycho-
phancy and political iricllory, but by no.
bic, upright, manly discharge Of duty,
life Of integrity and usefulness, and
strict adherence to principle regardless of
policy or personal advancement. Called |
into public life at a remarkably early age, |
he adorned every position he occupied and |
won new laurcls at every point Like a
shock of corn fully ripe he came to his
end, and has left, in his life and public ser
vices, an impressive lesson for every Amc-
rican youth. Warned Ivy his advanced |
years having already passed his four score
years when, according TO the Psamist, |
mans strength is but labor and sorrow, he |
retired from the bench of the Supreme
Court of the United States something over |
II year ago. after more than n quarter.of a |
ccntury's service thereon and nearly n half |
ccntury's services in high judicial station. |
He retired before his intellectual faculties |
were impaired. and the country was panied |
from witnessing any dccldcnce in those
qualities of mind. that had enabled him to
render so many, so varied and so impOr-
tant services to the nation. He was favor
ed in another way. He saw his place filled
in the Supreme Court Of the United States
by one we'll qualified to be his successor,
and who. if life and health shall be
spared him, will prove an ornament to the
bench Would that there were more Mel
sons and Hunts. The death of Judge Mel
son. and the reference TO his successor re-
calls the fact that this particular line of
succession if we may use the term, has
been the most remarkable of any in the
country's history. The bare mention of
the names will be sufficient TO show that it
can hardly be paralelcd for the purity, in
tegrity and ability of the several incum-
bents. Without comment, we give the
honorcd roll. First was John Rutledgc, of
| South Carolina, who was followed. in
|
William Patterson, of New Jersey, Brock
hoist Livingston, of New York, and then
by Smith Thompson, Samuel Nelson and
Ward Hunt, all of the same state
Samuel Nelson was almost a Ncrmonter
born lust over the border, educated at Mid
dlebury college, and, for years. pre-
siding over the United States courts for
Vermont, we feel that his name and fame
are part of the history of Vermont. He
was born in Hebron. n. y, November
10th, 1899. prepared for college at Gran
vile, under Salem Town. one of the most
distinguished instructors of his day, and
entered Middlebury college when nineteen
years old, graduating there in 1913. He
studied law, at Salem, with James Savage,
afterwards the learned and distinguished
chief Justice of New York, and was admit
ted to the bar in 1917 llenceforth his
career was successful and brilliant almost
beyond precedent. He entered political
life in 1920, as a presidential cector, and
the same year was elected Il member of the
constitutional convention. Although less
than twenty-eght years Old, Hammond
the most competent of authorites--says that
he was among the most distinguished and
useful members of the convention (Which
presented an array Of talent, political cxpe-
rence and moral worth never surpassed in
any assemblagc elected from single state. v
Two wears after the close of the convention,
he was made judge OF the circuit court, then
Judge of the supreme court, and afterwards
chief justice of New York. This latter
; position he left, in 1S45, TO assume place
upon the highest judicial tribunal Of the
land. We have not attempted a biography
of Judge Nelson. haye not mentioned his
services on the Joint High Commission
nor enumerated 1.-THE of his public SER
vices, neither do we propose To analyzc his
qualifications as q Judge In this rapid re.
view, We have had but one object in view
Samuel Nelson was "A poor boy and hi.
early years were passed in labor Oh farm
This honorable work he was never ashamed
Of He altcrnatci labor with study rs hi,
opportunities afforded. We have been told
D by those who knew him as young man
that his mind was not peculiarly brilliant
: that hc had no remarkable aptitude fol
study. and that he did not possess the pow
= or of graspng propositions and principles
with easealmOst, with some, by intuition
b it sometimes seems. Very different was i
with him. Persistent, hard study, some
J. times irksomc, only enabled him to educat,
Z himself and master the ntricaces of tn,
g law in all its branches. This, with q stric
Integrity and an answering devotion L
- principles, made hun what he was. Boy
L OF Vermont you can, by following his OK
y ample, make yourselves valuable and use
IL full citizens and be enabled to do your coun
u try some service. 1t may not be your for
s. tune to occupy, as he did, high station, bu
'f you can make the country wiser and bette
j. by your lives, so that when you are callet
% home 1t can be said of you, as of him, tina
l. the country has been honored by you an,
'e that you have not lived in vain. Let you
+e motto, as was his, be hard, persistent study
q strict integrity, unyielding devotion Il
'r principle, unselfish patriotism, and tn
'e good of the country above all other consld
IS erations.
10 ---=-=--==-=-z=--=--
ID The VERaRNNEs JAIL.-The ancient cit
A. of Vergennes brought suit against Hon. j
M. Dyer. of Salisbury, to eject him from
10 certain "lease lot" in the city because h
N refused to make extensive repairs of thei
re jail, which they claimed he was bound L