Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-08-31

IOIkOWeQ ny d DdnQ UoG III GHe SSoLAAB, Rf"-
en- by st. Paul at Hotel Lafayette.
PRESIDENT GARFIELD IND JUDGE
Black.
President Garfield and Judge Black,
who has recently died, though political
leaders in opposing parties, were for q
long time warn personal friends. Gen.
Garfield went from the presidency Of a
college to the army. He was at that
time prosecuting his legal studies,
having determined to enter the
legal profession, but had
not been admitted to practice. He was
elected to cengress while yet in the army
doing active work in the field. He was
admitted to the bar after he took his seat
in congress. OF course he had had no
opportunity to gain experience in the de-
tails of practice. Yet he held himself cut
as lawyer, as did othe- members of the
legal profession, who were members of
congress.
Many cases of great Importance, involv-
ing large values came to his hands, and in
his inexperience he sought out Judge
the conduct of suits. Judge Black ccm-
plimented Garfeld's profound research,
and mastery preparation of his cases which
they together conducted to successful re-
suits.
A Washington corresp ondent gives the
following interesting details of the per-
sanal relations existing between Judge
Black and Gen. Garfield:
The two were brought together through their
membership of the CEmpbellite, church. Black
had been swept into the Christian movement
with his father-in-law, Chauncey Forward, under
the strong influence of Alexander Campbell;
which carried away so many cultivated men.
Garfield and Black had both preached, and the
older man was attracted by qualities in the
younger that made him liked by many others.
Garfield, on his part, looked up to Judge Black
as to father. He was the docile pupil of the
lawyer and statesman during the first years of
his public life. While the war was
raging and IN the DAYS of
reconstruction, Garfield often went to Penn
sylvania to seek the advice of the man of whose
wisdom and patriotism he then trusted mere
than he did those of any other whom he knew
familiarly. The strong conservative bent that
marked Garheld's mind, and that sometimes
aroused the enmity of the smaller Emen of his
party, was the result of Judge Blacks influence.
At time when Buchanan's attorney general and
secretary of state was looked upon by excited
partisans as "copper-head,' Garfield knew
him to have been the mainstay of the union in
the crisis before the war, and loyal patriot
always. On the other hand, Judge Black loved
Garfield for certain traits of character and for
the intellectual power that he had.
Judge Black was a strong if not vim
dietive partisan. As Garfield rose in po-
Itical power and eminence, Judge Black
took umbrage at some
of his alleged acts and in the public prints
commented on his public acts and charac-
ter, with especial severity, considering the
personal relations, and tie
oo1fding trust Garfield had
reposed in him. This aet of Judge
Black put on end to all personal relations
between the two men and their fam lilies.
Thus does the needless asperity of party
advocacy often sunder the ties of friend
ship, and seperate the veriest friends.
The Washington correspondent, from
whose letter the foregoing extract is taken,
adds, that notwithstanding the severance
of their personal relations, Judge Black
@'always retained an affection fer Gar
field" and his published attack On Gar.
field "was cause of regret to Judge Black
the rest of his life"
How unwise and unnecessary on general
principles to let partisan animosity when
there is otherwise no ingredient of person
al i'll will, intervene to destroy such warm
personal regard and friendship as
had long existed between these
two gentlemen. Yet, on mere
shadowyipo questions, on mere tech
meal party considerations, Judge Black as
sumed the responsibility, in the
interests of his partisan fervor, of severing
personal relations, alike honorable to him
self and his friend, an act that he regretted.
if, as alleged, he afterwards retained affec-
tion for Garfield.
But Judge Black was a man of strong
feelings, if not vindictive temperament.
He was, however, true patriot, loyal to
the government, and did his country in
valuable service as attorney general in
the closing days of Buchanan's admins
tration, when the threatening storm of re-
bellion and civil war was about to burst
upon US. When Buchanan in his weakness
proposed to treat with the commissioners
of South Carolina as the representatives of
an independent power, and to recognize
their assumption of sovereignty, Judge
Black prevented him from making
that stupendous, if not crimi-
nal blunder. President Buchanan had prs.