Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-06-22

At my last personal interview with him In
February, while he was physically too feeble to
! leave his room, he showed deep interest IN the
work of the court, aud earnestly urged my
clearing the Penobscot docket of dead cases.
He had loved the judicial labors. He had lived
4 in the gladstone light Of Jurisprudence. In
Z bis retirement that love was uudiminit ned the
ligh, still shone about him.
But now we are admonished that he has not
only put off the judicial armor. but the armor of
I physical life. lie has now gone to his rest.
| That rest Il where Bishop Hooker said "the law
hath her seat IN tho bosom of God". He has
left US however. a splendid legacy of judicial
exposition TO guide us In our continuance of
the great work. lie has set for us high stand
ard Of excellence to be achieved only by unJe.
hitting labor.
We cannot hut share deeply In the general
sorrow that death claimed him az last. still, in
contemplating the mournful event, we may re-
member that death Is but the perfection Of
HE, and may say, with that other great poet,
EnglARd's Meonides,
"NOthing is here for tears, nothing to wal,
Or beat the breast, no weakness. no contempt,
Dlsprai-e OF Dlame-nOthiug but well and iair
And what may quiet us In death 30 noble"
AM instructed to say that tine court CRATE.
fnly accepts the resolutions aud orders them
recorded rs memorial to the deceased chief
Justice. and that In further token of respect the
court will now be adjourned
Senator Hates tribute was an eloquent
one. He said In part
I'm making my address 1 shall niy try to give
tribute OF deep respect Tor his great qualities.
for him as man and as a friend The character
OF the late chief Justice, though marked by orig
tnaliy, was singularly sinple and direct. His
mlId was ne clear as water. He made deep
impression ON minds of men herever he lived
or moved. realized the impress that his sim.
pie, straightforward mind made on me while in
Congress.
"Ile impressed the great men in Washington,
the great lawyers, such Mr. Justice Miller,
than whom there was no greater; MIR. Justice
Field, another great legal mind. Whenever 1
met Justices Miller aud Field they always asked
for Judge Peers, and many times have | heard
Dir Justice Field regret that JAdge Peters could
not have been a member of the United States
supreme court
Judge Peters became perfectly equipped a
justice OF this high court have been sep4-
rated from the strife and conflict of tho bar for
n generation but know something Of the fame
NutH shaIl nc ldStlns III Luc NolumeH u tht
Maiue reports
Senator Ha then told of the days
when proceedings in the Senate were I'M
usually duh, when he would send for q
copy Of the latest Maire reports.
~ read that report, not as my friends read it in
preparing their cases for the court, not as every
young lawyer should read it. but | read OF
~ ,i,. . Is,. nv
cecntly by my friend, General Hamlin, whom
| hope may continue to report the cases of the
court for many years to come.
CHOSE reports are monument that shall stand
after we have all gone and 50 long as the world
shall stand. Judge Peters was not technical
ye, he had technicality such as was necessary
in the courts 1t was not dead law but live law
TINT he used"
In speaking further of his decisions,
Senator Hale said that one could discover
Ia them "a love OF stern iustc3 in which
he never ct the law serve to oppress".
while he did not allow the guilty to go un
punlshed, he laid the heaviest burden Of the
statutes on the prosecution in a criminal case,
always having hand Of messy.
There was no man in the State welcome.
He had troops of friends wherever he stay ed
CiIzens attending his court l'yed him. Law
yers loved him and young lawyers loved him IN
the way In which he made Iough places In u err
practice In his court smooth for them. suitors
felt that their were safe in his court
II don't know what | can say of that other
side of his life, the lar er side, the umprotes
slonal de. the humane side OF his character
No man or imam, however unfortunate, ever
went Ia him, for Couus ell In vain,
"He was generosity it-eif. IL: was generous
to his family, to his Kin aud all who came within