The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-20

member, then editor of a paper
at Carlisle called the Keystone, now the
Volunteer, of the same place. Bratton
jumped over his desk and ran, MCGOWAN fol
lowing, cutting at him as they went. All
around the floor they pushed until separated
by friends, but neither was badly hurt. 1t
was queer enough that the personal &C
quaintance of these men began under the
shadow of a tragedy and their othc!al asso-
citation dissolved on the threshold OF war.
The acquaintance between Judge Black
and Mr.. Buchanan did not grew rapidly, tor
they did not often see each other for some
years after their Introduction. Year by
year, as they both began to cut a WIDER
swath in public affairs, they were thrown
more together, and there sprang up i friend
ship between them as lasting as life. Ihey
did much confidential correspondence, ana
often met at Bedford Springs and talked
over the present and forecast the future.
When Mr.. Buchanan became President
Mr.. Black was appointed Encouragement.
In that position he was not nominally the
Presidents chief advisor, yet his long and
intimate acquaintance with Mr.. Buchanan
naturally forced him into that position, and
he was charged with many of the acts ana
utterances of mis- chief that he not only ac-
tually but s~trenuously opposed. Going to
Washington as he did, the especial friend OF
the President, with a countrywide reputa-
ton as a iurist and scholarr it was natural
that he should at once take a front seat IN
the political councils of his party and a hrst
place in the society of the National capital.
His marvellous conversational power, his Keen
wit and inexhaustible fund of anecdote and
information soon made him a favorite in all
circles and among all classes. His political
opponents, as we'll as his party associates,
even in those days when party spirit ran al
most to personal violence, sought his compa-
pany and enjoyed his friendship, There came
a time finally when Mr.. Black could not
reconcile his judicial opinion with the con-
duct of the administration and then there
was an open rupture between the two men
who had been so intimately associated, and
Mr.. Black retired to private life and his pro-
~fession, which he has since SO signally
adorned.
JUDGE BLACK AS A LAwYER.
Col. Frank A. Burr of the Philadelphia
Press in an account of Judge Blacks life,
written about a year ago says:
Within the past twenty years he has
argued more important cases before the SUI
preme Court than almost any other attorney
in the country. His greatest case, p%ecuniari-
ly, was doubtless the New Almedan Quick
silver Mining Company, of California. The
testimony iE this case covered 5000 printed
pages and the opposing counsels' briefs were
700 pages long. Reverdy Johnson, Chas.
O'Conor, and Judah p. Benjamin were the
counsel on the other side, and r. B. Curtis
and Caleb Cushing were at one time or an
other connected with him in the case. He
made the final argument and condensed the
points OF all his mass of testimony in an
eight-hour speech, which is counted as the
greatest legal effort of his life. He won the
case and received one of the largest fees
ever paid an American lawyer. His argu-
ments in the many cases involving the con-
s~titutionallty of the reconstrnction acts are
familiar history. His great effort in the Mil
ligan case, which secured a decision from the
Supreme Court denying the right OF i mill
tary commission to try a citizen for his life,
is also we'll known. The late Presi-
dent Garfield was associated with him
in this case. The Campbell will case and
many other important cases were also
in his hands. His legal work before the
electoral commission, where he was one
OF the Democratic counsel, is of so recent
date that extended mention of 1t is unneces-
sary. His argument before this tribunal
has been much criticised and is generally
counted as very severe upon the decisions
oil that commission. One of the justices of
the Supreme Court, who served thereon, has
often remarked:
He took advantage of that occasion to say
things that he would have been punished
for contempt for if uttered before a court"
This may be true, but there seems always
to nave been a latitude of expression allowed
Judge Black before the Supreme Court that
no other lawyer approached. This may
spring from the fact, however, that he can
say more cutting things in better language
than any other lawyer in the land,
and that his whole life has been character
lied by bold audacity of speech of which few
men are capable. He has figured conspic-
uously in all the State trials since he gained
eminence at the bar. He was at first Andrew
Johnson's leading counsel in his impeach-
meut trial, but withdrew because the Presi-
dent broke faith with him about other mat
tiers in which he was interested. He defend
ed Belknap in his Impeachment trial, and
his speech in his defense was a model of argu-
ment and invective against the system
which made Belknap's offense possible. His
range of practice and success has been wide
broad enough, indeed, to satisfy any mans
ambition and to comfortably fill his purse.