The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-06

W WHICH uculn tTiuSidlSS SuCll niol Will u
said here to-day. 1t is due to ourselves
and to tho proprietes of the occasion to re
member and recognize his virtues and hi
abilities.
And yet 1t is difficult to say anything
that adequately expresses at such time
what all men feel Death is so common
the extinction of great lights, the unex.
pected termination of great lives 80 often
occurs, that only the solemnity and grand
eur of death prevents its becoming com
monplace. All that can be said falls SO fai
short of what is felt as to be likely to seem
commonplace. ~
Mr.. Phelps proceeded at some length to
observe upon the judicial qualities and
characteristics of Judge Woodruff. He
remarked that lie was not only good
judge but great one. Referred to his un
common powers of reasoning, discrimina-
ton and analysis. HIS complete mastery
of the sources and principles of the COM
mon law, learning that was ia principles
rather than in cases. His extraordinary
patience in hearing, often tried but never
failing. His uprightness' of character,
proof against all fear and all favor, aud
the dignity he impaired TO the adminstra-
ton. In view of the ripe Judicial expe-
rience which he added to his natural quail
fication, it might well he doubted whether
in the ordinary coIrsc of things we could
expect to see his place filled.
lie concluded by seconding the motion
of the district attorney, that the court in
regard to his memory, do now adjourn.
HON. LUKE p. POLAND
addressed the court as follows
Nay IL please yo,tr Honor: The con
dition of my voice is such rs to make my
utterance indstinct and hardly intelligi-
bic but still 1 should feel that WAS un-
just to myself IL did not contribute a
word on this occasion. 1t was not my
good fortune to know Judge Woodruff
personally until he was appointed to the
federal bench, nor were my opportunities
ever such as to bring me- into very great
social intimacy with him. had known
him by reputation for many years as a
lawyer of learning and eminence and as II
proper and acceptable judge Of the courts
of the city and state of New York. My
personal knowledge Of Judge Woodruff as
man and judicial magistrate was all
derived from seeing hin preside at the few
terms of The circuit court in this state, and
believe l was present at them all.
could not add, if would, to what has
been so well said of him by my learned
friends, the district attorney and Mr..
Phelps. All that was said by them OF his
great learning. his untiring industry, his
patience in hearing, hi4 skill in analysis,
and in the application OF legal principles to
complicated and .entanglci facts and
above all, of his strong and keen sense tf
justice, and his absolute and thorough go.
ing judicial integrity and independence, il
no more than the exac. and literal truth, anil
is in no manner to he regarded as the phrase
of journalistic culogy. | desire TO say that
/ CONCUR most fully with them in their
judgment of the quality of the man and
the Judge. think. your honor, that even
members of the bar do not fully appreciate
thepeculiar embarrassments necessarily at
tendant upon the administration Of. the
law by the federal judges. The profession
generally are far better acquainted with the
state laws and the practice Of the state
courts than they are with national iegisa-
ton and the course of proceedings in the
federal courts. Thepeople at large become,
to considerable extent, familiar
with the laws of the state III which they
live, and also with the course of proceed
ings with their own courts which sit in
their vicinity. But with the statutes of the
United States and their provisions (Which
constitute so large part ofthe jurisdiction
of the federal courts) they are not familiar,
and know little or nothing of their provi-
sons. The federal courts sit at points re-
mote from most of them, and never be-
come familiar to them as do their own
local courts. Hence there is great danger
of feeling of distrust and dissatisfaction
growing up against the federal tribunals
and their modes of administering the laws
a feeling that the tribunal itself and the
law which it administers is alien and for
eign to them and not entitled to that re-
spect and reverence belonging to their
own. have seen something of this in my
professional and judicial experience.
But in the case of Judge Woodruff his
judicial bearing and conduct at once dis
armed any jealousy, of this character and
both profession and people at once saw that
none but violators of law need fear ut
his hands, am sure | never
heard any man, either lawyer or layman,
speak of Judge Woodruff or of any official
act of his but in terms of high respect. So
far as | know, this was true of the whole
OF his great circuit. The duties of his Of
flee were immense. l have always felt that
he had the hardest judicial place in the
whole country. He was man of great
physical as well as mental power, and pur-
sued his mighty task with constant and I'M
firing industry. But the labor was too
great and after all too short n tenure he
fell at his post.
Not only his judicial judgment but his
whole life and conduct furnish safe prece-
dents for us all, not only in professional
walk, but in all the various duties OF oui
lives.
COL. AIDACE L. WALKER
spoke briefly and in substance as follows
May ii please your Homer: ] should
lot rise to speak on this occasion among
so many, my elders in the profession, were
1t rot that / was so situated as to know
something of the value of Judge Wood
ruff's appointment to the bench in New
York city. AS is well know to the court, q
state of affairs existed at that time in New
York which was disgraceful to the pro
| fession The whole of the proceedings O.
Judges Cordozo and Barnard as they hay,
since been shown in the legislative invest
CATION, but enough was known to shals,
| the confidence of attorneys IN the courts
of the city. At this time the appointment
| of Judge Woodruff was hailed with delight
as step forward. Cases began at once t
be removed TO his jurisdiction, under TN
authority of acts of congress for the adj
ministratlon of justice in other parts of tn
country, and it was found that we had no
only an able judge, learned in all the in
tricacies of the law, but an upright and in
corruptable one. Since that time hi
popularity has increased with every tern
of the court at which he has presided.
| JUDGE sHlPMAN.
In conclusion, Judge Shipman spok