The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-29

: engagements compelled him to re
sign his seat before the convention
J finally adjourned and James P. Bar
was elected in his stead. Judg'
: Black, alone most likely of all it
members, served in the Constitution
| al Convention without pay. Th'
f Legislature originally appropriated
81, 900 salary to each member. AT.
terwards when its sessions were long
er drawn out, this appropriation wa:
/ repealed and a new one made in
bulk, leaving to the convention tC
, make the specific appropriations
Judge Black held that the conven-
f ton had no power to appropriate
money, even when thus furnished
with it. A number of his lawyer
colleagues agreed with him, but
when the convention decided other
wise they drew their salaries. He
never took penny of his, and the
public never knew it until the fact
was published in the Times a few
years ago.
To the country at large Judge
Black WIS known not only as an
advocate, but as an essayist of Won
derful power. He never held any
office, and certainly never sought
any, save in the strict line OF his
profession. But he always seemed
to be ready for every great occasion,
and no crisis ever challenged a
champion of Democracy to defend
its faith but he was ready to enter
the lists, and many rash antago-
mist has been unhorsed in the ven
ture of breaking a lance with him.
His memorable letters to Henry
Wilson about Stanton; to Charles
Francis Adams about Seward his
account of the Erie law suits his
annihilation of Stoughton on the
electoral fraud his open letter to
Garfield his articles on the third
term, were all monumental, not only
for their irresistible logic, their mas
terly style of composition and the
utter demolition of the person and
object at which they were aimed,
! but each seemed to serve special
purpose In resisting, exposing and
averting some misrepresentation of
his party, some attack upon Its pub
lie men or some crisis threatening
the country. 1t has been strongly
intimated that some of the best of
Andrew Johnson's veto messages
were his handiwork. 1t is proposed
at an early date to publish a volume
of these writings, to be edited by
Hon. Charles Il. Buckalew.
A LEFT-HANDED GIANT
Personally Judge Black was a fa-
miliar figure in the leading courts of
the country and well known to visit
ors at the National Capital. He was
about five feet elven inches in height,
with shaggy gray eyebrows that in
repose gave his features a sternness
of expression, which quickly melted
away in the humorous twinkle OF
his eyes or as the animation of ex-
preston would steal over his face,
which had never worn a beard. He
was of ruddy, healthy complexion,
strong bodily frame and erect car
riage. In 1865, while going to Gal
weston, Texas, in company with
some other lawyers and Justice
Swayne, 10 argue a railroad case,
wood car that had slipped from Its
place on the siding of Kentucky
railroad bumped against the side of
the passing car, in which his right
band was lying on an open window.
1t was very severely injuIed ard
after careful nursing at Louisville,
during which he was the object of
much solicitude and attention from
the citizens, the arm was saved from
amputation at the expense of its fu-
ture usefulness. When he was told
that he would never use that arm
his characteristic reply was Then
III never enter the prize ring" For
a time, owing to this disability, he
travelled with colored body serv-
ant, but he grew impatient at such
dependence; he wouldn't be de-
pendent on any fellow to shave and
write" so, in few weeks, by per-
sistent efforts and will-puwer, he
learned to shave himself with his
left hand and to write a clear, beau
tiful back hand, his autographs now
being out in two entirely distint
chirographies. In conversation or
in argument he twirled his silver to-
bacco box in his left hand with great
dexterity, and many amusing and
apocryphal tales are told of his to-
bacco box and other personal char
acteristics such as mark only men of
genius.
Among the public men of the
country there was probably none
who was so great = social favorite as
Judge Black, and, in the face of bis
radical political principles, some of
his warmest personal friends were
his partisan antipodes. Garfield,
Matt Carpenter, Blaine and Bob In
gersoll invariably sought his com
pany in washington. On one occa-
sion, when attacked on the Demo
cratic side of the House, Thad Ste
vens highly eulogized him as law
yer and a man, but expressly with
held any Endorsement of his politics,
which were as bad, he said, as pos
sible. In their originality, their
courage and their inflexibility there
were points of resem blance between
Stevens and Black, though in other
words the widest dissimilarity pre-
vailed. There were no social rela-
tions between them; they scarcely
ever spoke, but up to the time of his
death Stevens cherished the highest
respect for him. and Black has said
"When Mr.. Stevens kied he was un-
equaled as lawyer, and he said the
smartest things that ever were said,
but his mind, so far as sense of
obligation to God is concerned, was
a bowling wilderness"
One day Black was surrounded by
bevy of his personal friends on the
floor of the House, among the rest
Judge Mercur, then the Bradford
Congressman, who turned to him
and said "Judge Black YOU have !