The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-27
ELLSWORTH ANNIVERSARY
JUDGE BALDWIN SPEAKS
Memory of Chief Justice Ap- pointed by Washington Hon.
 ored at Windsor.


 Windsor, Nov. 26-The memory of Oliver Ellsworth, who was chief jus tice of the supreme court of the United States by appointment of President Washington was honored to-day by the Connecticut Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Judge Ellsworth's death occurred just 100 years ago.
 The exercises were held in the Falls, ade church and the sermon preached at the chief justices funeral was read by Rev Roscoe Nelson. Mrs, Sarah T. Kinney, state regent of the D. A. R. and Mrs. Frank c. Porter of New Ha- ven, placed wreath upon Judge Els worth's grave in an adjoining church yard and addresses were delivered by Rev. Dr. Samuel Hart of the Berkeley Divinity school and Chief Justice Sim con E. Baldwin of the Connecticut supreme court of errors,
 Judge Baldwin's Address.
 Judge Baldwin spoke as follows:
 There were two periods in American history peculiarly favorable to the for- nation of great men. One was that of the Revolution. The other was that which closely followed, when our con- stitutional systems of government were set up.
 It was Oliver Ellsworth's good for tune to live in both, and shine in both. Conspicuous on the constitutional con- gress, he took a position of still greater prominence in the constitutional con vention of 17S7 and later in the senate of the United States. The first vote passed by that body named him chair man of a committee to organize the ju- dietary system, and the plan reported was largely his. The sufficient proof of its excellence is that it's main fea- lures continued absolutely unchanged for more than century, and that most of them still remain.
 His training for the great office of Chief Justice of the United States had been tn the courts of Connecticut Here during long years of service on the bench, both of the Superior court and the Supreme Court of Errors, he had won the reputation of a sound and clear headed judge. The causes com ing before these courts at the period 1t must be remembered, were in i'm portant respects of more varied character than at any time later. Con- necticut was then one of the important maritime states. She had her code of maritime laws and of prize courts up to the time when such matters were given over to the government of the United States. He had thus learned as Connecticut judge much on which he wag called to pass as the head of the national judiciary.
 What sort of an impression did this man make on his contemporaries? Each generation ds, after all, in the best position to judge the real worth of it's leaders in public life. Future times may be able to form a juster opinion of the solid merit of their worth. Their own times can always give the best picture of the man.
 President Dwight of Yale college has left Us his matured impressions of his character His very attitude inspired awe Always posseseed of his one scheme of thought concerning every subject which he discussed, ardent bold, intense and masterly, his own conceptions were just and great; his reasonings invlneible, his. sentiments noble; his phraceology remarkable for l it's clearness and precision his style concise and strong and his utterance vehement and overwhelming. Tn every assembly, public and private. in which he appeared after he had fairly en- tered public life, there was probably no man, when Washington was not present who would be more readily ac- knowledged to hold the first charac- ter"
 It was qualities like those that placed him on the committee of five appointed by the constitutional convention of 1878 to put the constitution of the United him year later so powerful in urging the ratification of the constitution by the people. It was qualities like these that made Washington name him chief justice of the United States It was qualities likethese that made him will ing, after laying down that office, to giyeto his own state his rlpened pow CTS, as chief justice of her supreme court of errors, when. a hundred years ago, she put it, for the first time, on a strictly judicial foundation It could not add to hls honors, it could add to the dignity and efficiency of the court,
 It has been to his latest successor o a H,y,s dred years, grateful duty to add this word to the memory of one of the greatest of American statesmen and American jurists.