The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-21
JERE BLACK.

The wires bring the news Of the
death of this great and good man,
whose name is as familiar to all n
America as that of pretty nearly
any other man who can be mea-
toned. The announcement viii
occasion sorrow and mourning
everywhere iii this broad land,
though it should arouse neither.
The old man long ago lived out the
allotted three score years and ten,
and if ever one had earned the
rest that has at last c5me" to bis
weary body and never idle brain, he
is entitled to that repose, having
completely filled the measure Of his
creation and done more than his
share Of the work Of this world. The
Life of jeremiah S. Black was 4 re-
markable one in this country ard
this age of remarkable lives, and
furnishes another illustration CT
what industry and application can
do for a person. Black was born
Jan. 10, 1910, of the literally poor
nut honest parents" his father being
q small farmer in the then wilds Of
Somerset county, Pennsylvania. The
lad early developed an inclination
for books, and his parents grstified
his desire in that respect as much
rs circumstances and means
would permit. Young Black was
sen to school whenever his father
could spare him from the farm, and
finally short college term
was the young mans good
fortune. Jere took to the
law as a profession, and at the early
age Of 20 years was admitted
TO the bar and at once opened an
Office. He soon made a reputation,
not only in his county, but through
out the state, and in 1912 was made
president judge of the Judicial dis
trict. Nine years after he vas
elected judge of the Supreme court
Of Pennsylvania, and chosen
chief justice, being reelected
in 1854. By this time Blacks
fame had extended throughout
the Union, he everywhere being
known as possessing one of the
brightest legal minds and being one
of the very best constitutional
lawyers in the land. The day after
President Buchanan's Inauguration
ne appointed Judge Black Attorney
General, which Office he held until
December, 1880, when he was made
Secretary OF State, in which position
he continued until 1861, when Blu
ohanan's term expired. There have
been very few cabinet officers who
administered the affairs of Gheir
departments with greater ability
than Judge Black displayed. 1t is
certain that no Attorney General
since him was anything like his
equal in that Office. Going out of
Office with the breaking out of the
var and the retirement of the DEM
cratic party, Judge Black confined
himself strictly to the practice of the
law and rarely appeared in any court
except the Supreme where his serv-
ices were frequently in demand for
the argument and elaboration of
constitutional questions. He was
generally admitted to be among the
leading constitutional lawyers of
the United States. and his opinions
always carried with them great
weight.
Judge Blacks death cannot be re-
gagded otherwise in Utah than as a
soTOwful event. 1t is generally
understood that he had been re-
tanned to argue some highly import
ant constitutional questions in
yolying the rights of the Mormon
people, work which will now have
to be done, it is feared, by less able
and not so influential iurists.