New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-15
PEN PORTRAIT OF JUDGE BLACK.

E4oYa ne Tent. chapter OF Names Book, Tsen'y Years
Judge Black. who had from the beginning Of his
Administration been Mr. Buchanan : chief ADVISER
was man Of remarkable character. lie
profess PROCESSION iou q the law he Lad attained
illustrated by prolonged service on the bench be
fore the age at which men, even Of exceptional
success at the bar usually attract public obseTya-
zion. He had added 10 his professional st2dies
which were laboTOus and conscientious, Wlue ac-
OuaintauCe with our literature ana had found IN
It's walks a delight which Is yielded 70 lew. IN
history, biography, criticism, romance, ne had alb
sOrbed every thing IN our language worthy Of at
teutiOn Shakespeare, Milton indeed ali the Ing
There was not a disputed passage or an obscure
reading in any one Of the great plays upon winch
he could not oil hand quote the best TenderlngS,and
throw original light from MS own iliuhnAeq lhlid'
Upon theology he bad apparently bestowed years
OfinvestigatiOn and reflection. sincere Christian
he nae been dcNOUt and constant student OF me
Bible and could quote its passages and apply Its
teachings with singular readiness and 1elclty;
TO tins generous store Of knowledge he added
fuency of speech both public address and private
conversation, and style OF writing when
WIS al once uniGUe powerful and attractive. He
had attained into every excellence of mental dlscl-
pine described by Lord Bacon. Reading had made
hun full man. talking ready man, and writing
an exact man. Inc judicial literature OF tAe
English tongue may De sought IN VAN Tor untf
models than found III the opinions OF Judge
Black when he sat, and was worthy 10 SIT, as
the associate Of John BannlsteT Gibson, on
In political opinion he was Democrat, set-ln-
spired and seit-taught, for bis father was a Wing
who had served his state IN Congress. lie ldOlIzed
Jefferson and revered jackson a. embodylng IN
their respective characters all the elements OF the
sOundest political philosophy and ali the
requisites OF the highest political leader
ship. lie believed IN the principles
OF Democracy as be did in a demonstration of
EuCld-su that might be sad on the other side was
necessarily absurd. lie applied to his own political
creed tie literal teachings of the Bible II bra
ham Isaac and Jacob had held slaves without
q or rcbu lxp o
believed that Virginia, Carolina and Georgia might
do the the same. lie found in the case OF Onesinus
St Pauls explicit approval Of the fugitive slave
law of 1850, and IN the cruel case Of PassmOre
Williamson he believed himself 70 be
enforcing TIT doctrines of the New Testament
PERSONALLY uuWlHng to hold even beast OF burden
IL oppressive bondage nothing could mduce him 10
condemn slave-holdmg IN those whose cousCences
permitted them &c practise In the Aboliuoulsts
he found the chef dIstuIbers of tie Republic and
he held NtW-LL gland ansWrraDle To pOsteTlty
and to God for all the berr,ics
which afflicted either church or state. lie lad
AL incorporating hostility 70 what are termed
New England ideas, though heteudcTcst ties of his
life we're OF New-Eugland origin. The New-Eng-
landers Individually greatly Affect, he often ga d,
"b4t IN the mass, Judge them 20 be stark mad
think too he would add thatu You are going
70 make much Of a NewEug .auder he should. like
Dr Jobnson's Scotch man be caught young" To his
native STATE Judge Black was deyOtedly attached.
lie Inherited the blood OF two strong elements Of
it, poyulatlOn-the German and the scotch church
and he united the best characteristics OF Doth ID
his own person. lie had always looked upon fenn-
eylY0ula as the guardian Of the edeIdl Union,
almost a. the guarantOT of safety and Its per
petuIty. lie spoke Of her as the Dreakwater that
protected the slave states from the Of radl-
calisn which were threatening to iugulf Southern
institutions. The success of the Republican
party IN 1850 he regarded as a pOrtent
OF diTest evil-indeed, as present
disaster immeasuraby sOrrOwful. The excitement
IL the Southern states over the probability of Mir.
IInc0ln's election be considered natural, their
ssrIous protest altogether ustlhable. lie desired
the free states be awakened 10 The gravity of the
situation to be thoroughly alarmed, and TO repent
Of their sins against the South. lie wished it
understood from ocean 10 ocean that the position
of the Republican party was inconsistent with
loyalty 70 the Union, and that its per-
Inaneut success would lead TO the destruo-
tion Of the Government. IL not
unnatural that with these extreme views he should
be carried beyond the bounds of prudence, and
that, ia his headlOn desire 10 rebuke the kepObll
can party enemies of the Union he should aid IN
pTecipltatlng dissolution Of the Government be-
fore the Republicans could enter upon it's admins
lstiOR. do thus became in large degree respon-