The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-07-17

Hon. |. y. Arnold, OF chicago, IN an inter-
estng paper on "Ihe Bar of Early Chicago
and the State" recently read before the Chlca-
90 Bar at Fairbank Hall, pays the following
tribute to Lyman Trumbull. The article IS
made doubly interesting from the fact that
Mr.. Trumbull has since been nominated by
the democrats of Illinois for Governor Mr..
Arnold is a republican, and he writes from Il
long personal acquaintance with the man:
"A very conspicuous member Of the Illinois
bar in what we now call ITS early days, was
LYMAN Trumbul The distinction he ac-
quired then as a lawyer and on the bench OF
the supreme court mas been so cclipsed by the
national reputation he made as United States
senator that the former has been almost for,
gotten He was elected to the senate in 1886,
and served in that body twelve years As he
is stil among US (and long may he rcmain) |
cannot speak OF him as freely as | have Of
some of his contemporaries. But should like
to do something toward making our people
appreciate the great public service rendered
by one now living SO quietly and modestly
among us. | do not think it eXtravagant To
say that there are few Of our public men now
living, if we except two or three great sol
dlers, to whom our country owes more. In
Great Britain, or in any of the great nations
of Europe IA man who had rendered such ser
vice would have been rewarded with titles of
nobility and wealth. AS IA practical legislator,
as q man for useful thorough and honest
work, guided by the purcSt motives and the
clearest good sense, he had no superior III the
senate As chairman of the judiciary com
mittec during the rebellion he largely shaped
and guided the legislation of congress.
limo hlli AII n T
and prohibiting SLAYER was reported from the
judiciary committee by lin. The committee
wisely adopted the language Of the ordinance
of 1884, and his able advocacy did much to
carry the amendment through congress. He
is Il practical statesman, always a conservative,
and still a refOrmcr No greater contrast can
be conceived than that between HIM and the
learned, eloquent, scholarly and pure, yet
sometimes mpracticable senator from Massa-
chusetts, Charles Sumner AS leader IN the
gacat anti.slavery revolution, as man to at
TACK a moral wrong, Sumner was very great,
but for practical legislation, as a judge of the
best means of remedying an evil, he was com
paratively weak. On a question Of right and
wrong, none surpassed him. but he was not
preeminent for constructive ability. A strlk'
ing illustration of the difference between these
two able men, was afforded in their treatment
Vi inc unli-SlaNCIy ulhtHuucHI' lluihDuli
wisely adopted (as has been said the language
of the ordinance of 1887 Lawyers will ap-
preciate the importance of this when they re-
member that 1t had been the subject of judi
cal construction. The exact meaning of the
words had been settled. Mr.. Sumner proposed
to substitute for it the vague, indefinite Ian
guage Of the French constitution of 1871. Mr..
Trumbull said: Il would not go to the French
revolution to find the proper words for con
lstitution' After discussion Mr., Sumner with
drew his proposed amendment, and the Joint
resolution was adopted as Mr.. Trumbull had
reported it. There was another act of his
which at the time required a courage higher
and much more rare than that of the soldier
who faces death on the battlefield but which
| suppose to-day Is approved by all, or nearly
all, thoughtful, intelligent men. | mean his
decision against the impeachment OF Andrew
Johnson. He sacrificed himself as party
leader, in the discharge OF high duty. | have
no sympathy with his present political associ
ates, but | honor him for the great service he
rendered the country and for his bold self
sacrificing discharge of duty"