New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-20
.TUDGE BLACK.

The death of Judge Jeremiah ,. black
removes another of the strong figures IN 'nA'
generation of statesmen who are fast pasSins
away-the men who played parts In the grea'
nolitical drama of which the civil war was the
trapical climax. There are many other Things
for which he will he remembered, though MS
share in the events Immediately preceding tne
rebellion. which have just been brought again
to public attention by the attacks OF 'enei SOU
Davis. is his chief claim to historic fame. lie
will long be remembered as one or the apies'
counsel before the Supreme Court VINO 'ooA
liberties with that reverend BODY WHICH ho
other lawyer ever ventured upon, ana was as
much noted for the audacity and qualnthess VI
his wit as he was for his great learning anu HIS
peculiar skill in clearness OF statement anu
readiness with authorities. Probably ne was
the only lawyer that ever denounced judges OF
the Sunreme Court to their faces. This was In
the arguments before the Electoral Commits
sion and it is said to have been remarked by
one of the Judges that if the same things had
been said before court, Judge BLACK woula
have been committed for contempt. AS a lawyer
he will be remembered chiefly i'll connection
with the Millken case, the series OF recon
structon cases, the impeachment Of Belknap
and the Electoral Commission arguments. In
all of these. he was both the lawyer and the
politician, the dexterous servant of his clients
and the persistent. aggressive Democrat. lie
usually managed to make a point for his
client and his party at the same time, as he ava
in the famous passage in the Belknap trial,
when he argued that the guilty Cabinet officer
was no worse than other men in the Govern
La.I arfh oil =
punished.
He had strong, controversial temperament,
and his numerous contributions to reviews
and magazines give quite as striking evidence
| of it as his legal arguments and pohtlcai au-
dresses. He defended the Christian religion,
of which he was a devout believer, against
Colonel Ingersoll with almost the same
| warmth and invcctive as he used In den0unc-
ing "The Great Fraud of 1876" He was
debater to the very last. The dispatches said
the other day that his first utterance when
he came to his senses after the operation
which gave him temporary relief and he 1ouhu
that be was free from pain was, " VIII now
proceed to answer the criticisms OF Mr.. Je1er
| son Davisn There was hardly time that he
was not involved in some controversy, yet rev
public men had more stanch friends IN both
PARTIES. With his kindly nature and his fierce
rhetoric. his abundant humor and yet great
| earnestness, he was one of the most interest
ing characters in public life.
There was one period in his long political
career of more than forty years when he was
able TO render valuable service to the coun-
try. This was when he sat In president
| Bucbauan's Cabinet, first as Acknowledgement
and for the last few months of the Admins
tration as Secretary of State. The extent OF
this service has only become known IN recent
wears. for Judge Black, out OF loyalty tC
| buchanan. suffer ed himself to be blamed 1oi
n long time for acts for which he was moi
wholly responsible rather than justify himself
at the expense of his former chief ana taith
ful friend He was a Democrat ana held
views. especially with regard to the power Of
tho Frecutive to subdue rebellion, which coulC
rot be accepted then'or now, but there Is ne
ouestion of his sturdy devotion to the Union
nor that his influence over MIR. Buchanan WA
a stout barrier for time IN the way OF tht
Secessiopists. He brought Stanton into thu
Cabinet by making the latters appointment
"a Acknowledgement the condition of his owl
acceptance of the post OF Secretary Oh state
and then with Stanton and Holt fought th'
treaoherous schemes of Floyd and thompson
Tbouoh ne was identified with the genera
nolicv of the Administration, it becam'
known. finally, that he had opposed 1T IN part
and had done much to save it from beint
even weaker than it was This was pa
triotic service which will not be forgotten.