The Portland daily press., 1878-10-16
Tribute of Resnect.

States Circuit Court held meeting at the court
room of the United States Court House at noon
to make formal expression of their sense Of
loss by the death of the late Judge e. Shepley
OF the United States Circuit Court. Among the
members of the Bar present were Mr.. Sidney
Bartlett, Hon. e. Il. Hoar, Hon. G. Fl. Hill
Henry w. Paine, Chauncey Smith, Elias Mer.
win, Causten Browne, T. L L. Wakefield and
Hon. w. A. Field.
The meeting was called to order by Judge
Hoar, who presided at the preliminary meet.
ing, and MIR. Lidney Bartlett, of the committee
on resolutions appointed at the previous meet
ing, read the following: The committee sp
pointed at meeting of the Bar of the Circuit
Court of the United States for the district Of
Massachusetts held at Boston on the 23d Of
July last, reported the following resolutions to
be presented at the court at its next session
with the request that it be placed on its records
The death of the late Judge G. f. Shepley
lmpes this bar to express in some public form
its sense of his high judicial and personal char
acter, and OF the earnest and universal feeling
of its own and of the public loss.
Judge. Shepley probably Inherited from a
father whose judicial career was marked and
eminent, the legal instincts which directed and
shaped his subsequent course of life. Thoroug h
training placed him early in the front rank of
the profession in the stats of his birth and resi-
dence. After a short interval devoted to the
service of his country in the field he was in
1869 elevated to the position of Judge of the
Circuit Court of the United States for this dis
trict, and thenceforth his capacity aud charac-
ter have become known to US all. The personal
characteristics of Judge ShsDley were those of
fair, patient, truth-saeking mind, free from
aTh IN nFfn hat
won the regard of all, and made pleasant the
discharge of our professional duties.
But it is only by review of his intellectual
and judicial powers that a true estimate of his
public weight and usefulness can be had. To
be learned, to be laborious, falls far short Of
the requirements of the high Office he filled.
Judge Shepley had eminenty both these
qualifications, bat he added to them an ACUTE
Iess, strength and reach of view which placed
him among the foremost in his judicial career.
Hardly ripe. in the full vgor of his powers,
he has been taken from us, and we ask that
our imperfect tribute to his memory be placed
on the records of the court.
Mr.. Elias Merwin spoke of the great loss TO
this court and this bar, as well as the court 10
other districts and the profession generally had
sustained. Judge Shepley devoted himself to
his profession and exhibited rare sagacity. As
judge second only to his official fidelity was
his loyalty to the law.
Mr.. Bartlett said he could hardly add any
thing to the resolutions They had been drawn
without any extravagant eulogy. He spoke of
the readiness with which he abandoned lu
crative and successful practice to render aid 10
his country 10 time of need, and he also dwell
upon his strength of character He spoke OF
his ability, especially in the domain of the
patent law. He told the speaker shortly be-
fore his death that in the nine years he had
held a seat upon the bench he had met with no
unkind or dscourteous word from any mem
Der of the bar.
Col. Thomas W. Clarke. in considering the
leading characteristics of Judge Shepley's mind
and character, spoke of his versatility, tenacity,
appre citation, loyalty to his friends and to the
country. 1t was these characteristics that
prompted him to lead a thousand of Names
bravest and best to the field of battle for the
defence of his country.
The Hon. Charles Levi Woodbury. while the
preceding speakers, as he thought, had done
justice to the memory of the late Judge Shep-
He was warm-hearted, strongly patriotic and
devoted to his profession. AS a judge he was
quick and ready to appreciate the points of a
case and patient with the members Of the bar.
His kindness of heart and keeness of percep.
ton commanded the affection of the bar
The bar adopted the resolutions by rising
vote and the District Attorney was requested
to present them to the court with request
that they be placed upon its records. The
meeting then adjourned.
The Court, Judge Lowell, came 10 immed
ately after the adjournment If the meeting Of
the bar. and District Attorney Sanger in
brief address presented the resolutions to the
Court, aud asked that they might be placed on
the records. He spoke of the loss to the Court
and bar.
The court ordered the resolutions to be
placed upon the records and spoke briefly of
the life of judge Shepley and his career upon
the bench. He entered upon his duties and
mastered them with SO mach ease and ability
as to command respect at once. Among the
qualifications Judge Shepley had for the bench
were love of justice and the seeing each side Of
case as that side sees IT. The only serious
criticism he had heard was that Judge Shepley
left large number of cases undecided, but he
left no more than any Judge would be COM
PEELED to leave under the present system. His
personal qualities endeared him to all his as
sociate, on the circuit, and to all with whom
he was brought in contact The court then
ordered the clerk to record the resolutions and
adjourned.