The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-20
Sketch of His Life and Services.

Judge jeremiah S. Black was born in the
glades of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, on
the 10th OF January, 1910. He was admitted
to the bar when twenty-one years of age and
continued in active practice almost to the
time of his death. In 1912 he was elected
Judge of the court in the district in which he
lived. and in 1851 was elected to the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, and chosen its chief
justice, being reelected in 1854. In 1857 he
was appointed Encouragement of the
United States, and in 1860 he became Secre-
rotary of State, under the administration of
President Buchanan. Since then he has not
held any office, but has continued in his
profession, being extensively quoted as
especially good authority on points of con-
stitutional law. This is a brief outline of a
career of great honor and usefulness.
Mr.. BLACKS EARLY LIFE.
When a boy Mr.. Black did not enjoy even
the meager educational advantages of his
times, and the fine scholarship and great
learning that distinguished his later years
were the result of a lifelong study of the
best works of the best authors, together with
q close observation of men and current
events. He had formed and maintained de-
cided opinions on important questions, when
others of his own age were still content with
Juvenile pursuits. EARLY in life he eSDoused
the principles of Jefferson rather than the
policies of Clay, and the study of Randolph's
collection of Jefferson's letters fixed his po-
litical faith before he was sixteen. Even be-
fore he was of age he affiliated with the
Democratic party, and he has never broken
the association, Notwithstanding that party
has for years represented his principles only
in name. He has often seriously differed
with its conduct, but has ever been too stub
born to leave it, even when it
drifted away from him. His father.
also originally a Democrat, became dissatisfied
with the nomination of General Jackson in
1924, and he was in that year a Crawford
presidential elector for his district. In 1S41
there was a political event in which this
father and son played an important and in
teresting part. The Democrats had deter
mined to nominate Jerry Black for Congress,
and the Wing conferees had all been chosen
to name Joshua T. Cox. When they met,
however, they chose Henry Black to prevent
his sons nomination by the Democrats.
Although importuned, he would not become
a candidate against his father, and thus
Henry Black went to Congress and his sons
feet were turned in a judicial direction, and
doubtless the whole course OF his life was
changed.
His father died in 1912, while serving his
first congressional term. There was never
in Judge Blacks career as painful a period,
politically, as this which put him and his
father in opposition for all time, and placed
him in an equivocal position with his party,
Honor and wealth did not come to the
young man in a day. His father had strug-
gled hard to keep the parental estate in his
own hands, and it was no easy task to get
the membranes off land not overly pro-
ductive. 1t was the dream of his sons early
life to free his father from debt, and while
his practice almost overwhelmed him from
the start, it brought him money to do this,
and this fact kept him to the work. In less
than three years he paid off the mortgage on
the home farm, lifted all the judgments and
made his father comfortable.
HIS POLITICAL CAREER.
In 1913 Mr.. Black was appointed Judge of
the District Court, and it was while acting in
this capacity that he first met James Blu
chanan, with whose administration he after
wards had such a close and influential con-
n~ection. He was at Harrisburg during the
session of the Legislature, and was upon the
floor of the lower house when some friend
introduced Mr.. Buchanan to him, and while
they were becoming acquainted there was a
very dramati scene going on in the House,
Just as they clasped hands Mr.. MCGOWAN, o
member from Philadelphia, pulled out a
knife and stabbed Mr.. Bratton, a fellow