Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-02-09
THE HONORED DEAD.
Remarks Of Hon. Geo. {. Hazelton in Eulogy or
Senator Matt II. Carpenter, In the House
of Representatives.

|
far beyond life's noon his sun went down
into the night of death, but its splendor
still fingers athwart the western sky,
and another illustrious name adorns our
American roll of honor and fame. The
muniments of his title to be ranked
among the worthless of American history
J, and secure the lasting remembrance of
the American people are largely enroll
led in this capitol Of the free, where foi
a quarter of a century and more he spoke
as an advocate or Senator, and where
the light of his life went out forever. 3
And as it was with Clay and Adams,
as it was with Sumner and Collamer,
with Stevens and Morton, with Chandler
and Burnside, this solemn memorial
ceremony is no idle form; for oratory
cannot weave garland of praise OF love
that his sweet nature and commanding
genius did not merit. What could be
more appropriate than this customary
pause in the active duties of national leg
islation to offer a tribute of friendship
and eulogy to those of our associates
who fall from time to time at their high
post of duty TO be seen by us on earth
no more
And now, turning from the new-made
grave of the dead Senator to retrospect
of his life and its results, his long line of
distinguished service in the forum of
Justice, his career in the arena of poll
tics, his gifted contributions to oratory
and literature
Fruits OF genial mort and glorious noon.
The deathless part OF him who died too soon
and then to undertake an analysis of
| fhnca alot,1aptS of oh. aran fa (which
him commanding power and influence
among men, that made his presence the
charm of every social circle, and to those
who sought him, sweet as summer, can
but realize how inadequate is this oc-
casion and how weak my ability to do
justice to his memory and his fame.
| | know but little of his boyhood his
tory, except that, with the blood of the
Pilgrims in his veins, he started out
from among the free homes and alters
of New England, solitary and alone, to
make that journey which has just ended
at the gateway of another existence.
He commenced with genius for his scep-
ter, and for his fortune, poverty. The
extremes of his life illustrate the marvel
Gus opportunities for success afforded
| by free institutions; and this life picture
in its triumphs stands not alone in the
history of our humanity. To paraphrase
the language of Griffith to the Queen:
From his cradle
He was lawyer and ripe and good one,
The early inspirations of his life in
clined him toward the profession for
which his natural powers were best
adapted, and it is on his line of develop
ment that his genius shines with its
purest luster and his fame finds its
strongest and surest foundations. From
that period of his existence when he
was first capable of fixing his true course
he never surrendered his purpose and
his determination to reach the front
rank of the American bar. On his way
up, some generous spirit assigned him
to West Point and remaining there but
| two years, he resigned to resume the
| golden thread of his true ambition.
In his profession he was a tireless
student And if he had the advantage
of intuition in the consideration of a
cause, no essential fact excaped his no.
tice and no principle of law remained
unexamined.
All through his professional life he
gathered the choicest books of law and
| illCt uIllll MS NV grow w
magnificent proportions and became a
part of the rich heritage left by his death.
All along its pages are the annotations
of his pencil. and he who undertakes to
follow him will grow weary on the jour
ney He knew all ''the paths the
worthless held and the opinions of
Marshall and Storey and all the writ
ings of the great publicists read to him
like romance. He became familiar
with all the authorities and the princi-
Piles and practice of the civil and COM
mon law, with the code and all that per-
tanned to it. Such marvellous facility,
such strength and practical knowledge
had he acquired in the wide range of
his profession, that there was no court
of justice on earth whose adjudications
were in the English language before
which he could not easily and readily
practice. Lawyers who could do this
were few in any age or any country. AS
a trial lawyer few men ever held a Keen
er lance; and in the courts of final re-
sort he was welcomed as an oracle of
the law.
Adopting the State of Wisconsin as
his home and the theater of his early
professional career, he commanded the
leading practice of Tie Northwest, and
through his untiring devotion to the law
and through his commanding ability
and force of character pushed his way
on to the highest judicial forum of the
nation where he became the recognized
peer of its ablest advocates such men
as Reverdy johnson and Black and
Cushing and Evarts.
IT
occasion, Il have seen further into
science than others, than Columbus or
Kepler or Descartes, it is because | have
stood upon the shoulders of giants" So
he of whom we speak, mounting the
shoulders of the older giants of the pro-
fession, in the growth and spirit of free
institutions, and in the light of new
principles and broader demands con-
stantly arising i'll our progressive civil
ization, became stronger than they who
were masters in another day and gener-
alton.
The nation itself in an exigency of
great Importance to its welfare recog-
nized his ability'in law when it sum-
moned him to advocate and maintain
before its highest judicial tribunal the
constitutionality of the reconstruction
acts, and his great argument in later
days gave construction to the fourteenth
amendment of the Constitution con-
struction affecting the rights of untold
millions of men and perhaps for all
: time.
So well and so ably did he present
the McCardle case, involving the con-
stitutionality of the reconstruction acts,
thatit became the bridge over which he
! passed into the Senate of the United
, States, where his legal accumen was des-
tined to blend with the polity of true
craftsmanship.
In the Senate he was CONSPICUOUS from
e the beginning for his profound knowl-
edge of constitutional and parliament
tary law, and at the threshold of his SER
vice challenged its oldest and ablest
a members in debate on the mostintricate
e questions of International and constitu-
tional law and those great measures of
national legislation ever found him
equal to the emergency.
: Among the fruits of his handiwork is
n the Judiciary act, now the guide of the
n courts of the land; and upon the pages
of all important debates he stamped the
impress of his great intellect. He made
c one mistake, and that was in the en-
G deavor to divide his energies between
i, the duties of that great body and the
= | ,,racfsoa e NJ NO :,