Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/380

 34i '" In a material view New York is indeed the Empire State. It would be arrogating too much to claim for her the Empire in Law. Fortunately for the happiness of mankind, the best jurispru dence does not depend upon material resources, or great aggregations of population. But owing to the great men who early formed our jurispru dence, New York has made law, not only for herself, but for most of the other States of the Union. Her judgments and those of Massachu setts have always been the most influential upon the nascent jurisprudence of the younger States. Her adjudications have long been listened to with deference even in the mother country, and this has grown rather than lessened down to this time. Her reforms in procedure alone have en titled her to a marked pre-eminence. She has always been creative in the domain of the law. With a decent conservatism, she has at the same time headed the advance of legal reform, and still marches in the van. That the laws which her lawyers have devised, her legislature has enacted, and her judges have construed and

enforced, are now ruling a large part of the English-speaking world, and have even been adopted by our venerable mother country, is a prouder and more durable achievement for our State than all her material glory and power. Her judiciary have been the most numerous of any of the States. They have had the largest and the most various interests to protect, and the most intricate legal problems to solve. Great lights have shone from her bench in every period, like beacons visible from afar, illumi nating even the shores of foreign lands. In all times the mass of her judges have been just, humane, and God-fearing men, of good report, not greedy of gain, not ambitious of power, not anxious for fame; learned in the law, cultivated in letters, untiring in duty, unswerving from right, passionate lovers of justice and liberty. The names of most of them have been and can be but little known to fame, but their work has been a worthy part of the heritage of which the State is proud. Their reward is in her pros perity, glory, and happiness."

COURT OF APPEALS CHAMBERS.