Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-03-27

5. usually attract public observation. He had
l. added to his professional studies, which
a were laborious and conscientious. a wide ac-
l. quaintance with our literature, and had
: found in its walks delight which is Welded
: to few. In history. biography, criticism.
7. romance, he had absorbed everything in our
language worthy Of attention. Shake
D speare, Milton. indeed,all the English poets.
: were his familiar companions. There was
l not disputed passage or an obscure read
ing IN any one of the great plays upon
: which he could not off-hand quote the bes,
renderlngs, and throw original light from
h's own lllumined mind Upon theology he
had apparently bestowed years of investiga-
ton and reflection. A sincere Christian, he
had been devout and constant student OF
the Bible, and could quote its passages and
apply us teachings with singular readiness
and felicity. To this generous store of
knowledge he added tiuency of speech. both
IN public address and private CONVERSE
ton, and style of writing which was at
once unique. powerful and attractive He
had attained unto every excellence Of men
tal discipline described BY Lord Bacon.
Reading had made him full man. talking
ready man, writing an exact man. The
judicial literature of the English tongue
are found in the opinions of Judge Black
when he sat-and was worthy to sta, the
associate of Joha Bannster Gibson. on the
supreme bench of Pennsylvania
In political opinion he was Democrat,
self-inspred and selftaught. for his father
was Wing who had served his state in
Congress. He idolIzed Jefferson and re-
'ered Jackson as embod, ing in their re-
spective characters all the elements of the
soundest political philosophy. and all the
requisites of the highest political leader
ship. tie believed in the principles Of
Democracy as he did IN demonstration Of
Euclid all that might be said on the other
side was necessarily absurd. He applied 4
/ 70 his own political creed the literal teach .
/ ings Of the Bible Ii Abraham, Isaac and .
Jacob had held slaves without condemnation
Or rehuke from the Lord of Hosts be. 4
i!eved that Virginia. Carolina and Georgia
might do the same. He found in the case
OF oneslmus. -. Pauls explici, approval of
the fugitive slave law of 1850, and in the
cruel case Of Passmore Williamson he
believed himself to be enforcing the doe
trlnes of the New Testament. Personally
unwilling 70 hold even i beast of burden
n oppressive bondage nothing could induce
him to condemn sa,c-holding il those
whose conscience permitted them 10 practice
H. In the Abolitions,s he found the chief
disturberS Of the Republic. aud he held New
England answcrah!e to posterity and to God
for all the heresies which uffl rtel either
church Or STAKE. He had an uncomprnmi,
ing hostility to wha, are termed New Enr-
.and IDEAS. though the ;enlere>t tl., or hIs
l'te we're of New England origin "Thc
New Highlander Individually great, at-
feet he often said, but. IN the mass.
Judge item TO be stark mad" II think,
too, he would add, THAT II YOU are gong
10 make much Of New Enslander, he
should. Ike Dr. Johnson's Scutchman, he
caught Young.
~ M, native state JuIsr Black vas a.
,otel,y attached. Iir Inherited thr b.pp
n t"o strong elements of its population
the German and the Scotch -lrl-h-anI Ne
united the best chnrartert,tlc- cf both IN hls
own person. He had always looked upon
fennst iNanla as tn. guardian OF the federal
mon almost a. the guarlntor of ~ safety
ana - prrpctuitI. He spoke Of her aS the ,
break"aler that protected the Save State,
from the waves pt radicllsm which werc
threatening ~ enguif southern institutions.
sorruwful. lAe excitement IN the southern .
state, u,er the probability Of Mr. Lncoin's
protest altogether JI,thab.r He desired t
the free states To he awakened to the gravity I
OF the situation, to be thoroughly alarmed, ,
and 10 repent ot their s.ns against the South.
IL wished il understood from ocean 70
ocean tia. the position of thu Republican
bart, w,s iucon,i,tru; with loyalty 70 tie
nlon and that ID, permanent success would
lcaI ID the destruction " the gosernmcnt.
|, was not unnatural that with these tN-
rrrmr views lie should be carried bcl 0nd he
bounds of prudence, and that IN has head
long desire TO lcbukc the Republican party
u, euemi-, # the Union. he should dlI IN
prcc.ptal.ns a dissolution Of the govern
mrnt before the Republicans could enter up-
On IN, Administrations IL thl> became. ln
! large degree responsible fJr the ln,ound
position ana the dangerou, teachings W:
Mr. Buchanan. In truth. some oi the worst
doctrine, embodied IL the President, eviI
message came directly from an opinion CIV
en- by Judge Black a. attorney general, and
made by Mr.. Buchanan still more odIou>
and more dangerou, by the quotation OF Il
part and not the whole.
ID va, soon manifest, however, tO Judge
Back that he wa, PLAYING WITH ire. ani
,hat while he Vas himself dr>IroI> only u
arouslng the country 10 the dangers Of anti
slavery agitation. Mr.. Buchanan'S admins
tratlon was every DAY eifrctuay aiding the
southern conspiracy for tht destruction Of
the Union. This Light dawned on Judge
Black suddenly and irrtsI>tIblv Tie wH>
personally intimate with Gen. Cass. ana
when that venerable statesman rrllred from
the cabinet 70 preserve his record Of loyalty
10 the Union, Judge Black realized that he
was himself confronted By an issue which
threatened his political destruction. Cou.d
he afford, a, secretary Of state, to folio"
policy which Gen Gas, believed would de
,troy his own fame ? Gen Cass was nearly
fov.score year. OF age with his public ca
reer ended, his work done. Judge Black
vas but 80 and he had before him possibly
the most valuable and most ambitious period
4 Of his life. He At ance that IL Gen.
Cass could not be sustained III the North
west, he could not be sustained III Penn-li-
+ vania He possessed the mora courage to
/ stand firm to the end, in defiance OF oppos! .
/ tlon and regardless Of obloquy If he could .
/ be sure he was right. But he had begun 10 .
doubt, and doubt led him TO review with .
/ care the position OF Mr.. Buchanan, and TO .
examine lis inevitable tendencies. Tie did .
il with conscience and with courage. Tie ,
had none OF that subservlency TO southern 4
men which had injured many northern
/ Democrats. Until he entered the cabinet in |
| 1857, he had never come into personal as +
sociation with men from the slave holding /.
states, and his keen observation could not /
fail TO discern the inferiority to himself of
the four southern members of the cabinet.
Judge Black entered upon his duties as
secretary Of state on Dec. 1.-THE day on
| which the dlsuuion convention OF South
Carolina assembled He found the maign
influence of Mr.. Buchanan'> message fully
at work throughout the South. Under lis
encouragement only three days were re-
quired BY the convention at Charleston to
pass the ordinance Of secession, and four
days later Gov. Pickens issued a proclama
ton declaring 'South Carolina separate,
sovereign, free and independent state, With
the right to levy war, conclude peace and
negotiate treaties" From that moment
Judge Blacks position toward the southern
leaders was radically changed They were
no longer fellow democrats. They were
the enemies of the Union to which he was