Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-25
FAREWELL PARTY.
A Banquet rendered Chief
Justice Fuller.
THE LEGAL LIGHTS OF CHICAGO.
Five Hundred Distinguished Guests,
Speeches by Judges Fuller
and Gresham,

| Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
CHICAGO, September 24.-Fiye hun.
dred friends of Melville w. Fuller, the
new Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court, comprising not only the
members of the legal fraternity, bus dis
| tinguished representatives of the leading
professions and business interests OF
Chicago, met him tonight at grand
banquet previous to his departure to
assume his new duties at Washington.
The scene of the banquet was the grand
dining-room of the Palmer House, and it
was tastefully, artistically and in some
instances resplendently decorated. The
tables were fairly hid by huge banks OF
flowers, this being particularly the case
at the main table, at the center of which
sat the guest of the evening, and at
whose right hand sat Judge Walter @.
| Gresham. When the Chief Justice ap-
peared in the magnificently lighted ban
quet hall, he was saluted with round of
hearty applause.
After the good things on the bill of
fare had been disposed of. Judge Drum
mond raped the assemblage to order
and made speech which evoked great
applause. AT its conclusion, all present
arose to their feet and drank to the
health of Chief Justice Fuller. Alter
this demonstration had subsided, the
guest of the evening began his speech.
THE CHIEF JUSTICES SPEECH.
He said: profoundly appreciate the
manifestation of kindly feeling toward
me, personally, which accompanies this
tribute to the exalted office to which |
have been called. | can conceive of no
reward OF human endeavor, no gratifica-
ton in the attainment of objects of hui
man ambition which can be compared to
the affectionate commentator of the
friends, the associates and fellow labor
ers of years. Centuries ago friendship
was declared to be only thing in regard
to the benefits of which all men we're
agreed. Many despised riches; many
spurned great Offices; many disregarded
what most thought worthy of admira-
ton; but all found friendship essential
to endurable existence, rendering advers-
ity more supportable, and prosperity
more brilliant. So at the close of more
than thirty-two years of professional ex-
ertion and daily companionship, this
assurance of the regard of my brethren
and my people is inexpressibly grateful.
1t illuminetes the remembrance of the
past and brightens the anticipa-
tions of the future. In those
thirty-two years the circle, en-
larging as they passed, has known
many loosened hand, many
a missing face. Yet the ties of youth
and of advancing age remained in effect
unbroken, holding the past, the present
and the future in an indissoluble bond.
When leaving the whispering pines and
hundred harbored shores OF my native
State, cast my lot with the busy deni-
zens of the rising city of the Imperial
West, the members of the Supreme
Court of Illinois were Scates and Skinner
speedily followed by Breeze and Walk
err and Cation Cation, the master of the
Chicago bar, who has not ceased to enjoy
the gladsome light of this jurisprudence
whose foundation he did so much to Law
so deep and broad for the building of
prosperity. Treat had shortly before
transferred his distinguished services
from the seat of the Federal Court, and
Trumbull, whom we welcome here in the
full tide OF successful practice, had but
just entered upon his great career in the
National Senate, having for his colleague
Stephen A. Donglas, whose remark
able abilities had already made his
name a household word. Manniere, who
died all too early for his fame, graced
the Circuit bench, and the astute and
logical John M. Wilson adorned the
Court of Common Pleas, while Payne
Freer discharged to entire satisfaction
the duties of sole Master in Chancery of
Cook County. Mr.. Justice Mclean, who
had been Postmaster General under
Monroe and appointed to the Supreme
Court by Jackson, was our Circuit JUS
tlce, and he, relieved by the friend who
has honored us by presiding on this
occasion (Drummond), had for several
years been informing the country,
through the decision of the United
States Court for the Northern District of
Illinois, that the judicial capacity was
not confined to that part of the country
east OF the Allehany Mountains. Long |
may he be spared in his well-earned re |
tlrement to find that "as the evening
twilight fades away, that the sky is filled |
with stars invisible by day."
In our courts appeared from the out |
side county such accomplished lawyers
as Abraham Lincoln, Archibald VIII |
..''Aio, " NtIiO iAs DloHluR, JdIQ0S Il.
Noy, N. H. Purple, Chas. II. Lawrence. |
Leonard SWEET and host of others; our
local bar was represented by such men as
B3ckwith and Arnold, Blodgett and Nc
Allister, Hitchcock and Tom Hoyne Sam
Fuller and Kales, Walker and Dexter
Tully, Anthony and McCragg, and a little
later Jewett, Arlington and Goudy and a
year and-but l can't 60 on; the list
would embrace substantially the entire
roll of the bar, for the fighting was hot,
every ran was little corporal. For
learning, accuracy of thought, knowledge
OF men. elcquence, industry and skill,
the bench and the bar of that day were
the equals of those OF older communities,
as, indeed, l need not say, since victories
are still won or prizes of victory awarded
by many of the veteran field marshals
who put their squadrons in the field in
that old and far-off time. If there
was something lacking in the suayiter
IN n0dO, it was fully made
up by the fortiter in re; if there was
little neglect of literary cul-
ture the exigencies OF the time did not
demand elegance of diction in all cases.
The law was their schoolmaster and
familiarity with it's precepts led to the
knowledge and application of it's princi.
pies and strength in their expression.
And there was about all an esprit du corps
which made them band Of brothers,