Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 22.pdf/407

 Life and Character of judge Wallace

383

never disturbed-self-poised, he was an ideal presiding oﬁicer. No im patience nor temperamental defects

through all that Judge Black touched. And to some extent may that be said

marred his abilities. He was alike to all. No cloud of injustice to a litigant ever

talk, evince a wide scope of reading. Wallace lamented what seems to be

obscured the pure sunlight of his ad

a moral deterioration overspreading the

ministration of the law. He was one of those characters whose life was fashioned upon the theory that anything

land. An over-mastering and an all-per

that was worth doing at all was worth doing well. Therefore it was that due caution, care, yes, inﬁnite circumspec tion, attended him in all his performances. Supplementing that disposition was the possession of a broad, liberal and all

comprehensive nature. His was no circumscribed horizon. I think that he was the most unprovincial man I

of Wallace, but his writings, as his

vading greed devours and renders nu gatory the experiences of the past, the signs of which are visible whithersoever

you may look;

its malign influence

penetrates everywhere; it alienates the

patriotic impulses of men, crushes the

budding honesty of youth, invades the sanctuary of home; fatally infests the marts of commerce; lures women from

ever met; he understood human nature

their domestic duties; strikes its poison ous fang deep into the vitals of our governments; and in short, unchains

and made charitable allowance for faults

every infernal form of deviltry by which

due to men's environment.

I never

empires and political systems have been

heard him in my life speak in con

wrecked in bygone times.

demnatory phrase of the people of any

look around among the citizens of eminence in this metropolis, and you will

particular section or any particular race. One distinguishing characteristic of his was his worshipful love of forensic achievement; of all men of whom I have heard him speak probably his highest regard was for Judge Jeremiah Black

You may

observe men of family and fortune who so far as their duty as citizens is con cerned, do absolutely nothing, and are

as to those matters as idle “as a painted

whom he had intimate personal relations.

ship upon a painted ocean." These are things upon which I have often heard Judge Wallace descant by the hour..

I have often myself thought that Judge Black had not been assigned the niche in the Pantheon of American history

calculated to arouse the keenest appre hension in the minds of every well

of Pennsylvania, upon whose genius and life he so loved to dwell, and with

to which his commanding talents en titled him. This was my friend's

In

1891 a condition existed well

wisher of our institutions. government

was

almost

Our city completely

dominated by as corrupt a gang of

opinion.

I know of no such literature in the English tongue as Black's eulogy on

political brigands as ever plundered a municipality. Scoming disguise they

Andrew Jackson, which was delivered

hoisted the black ﬂag as their emblem

on July 28, 1845. Reading Judge Black’s non-forensic efforts, you would be impressed with the belief that his

while

studies in literature

had been con

ﬁned to the Bible and Shakspere. There is a thread of both running

their

methods

and operations,

were strictly responsive to what it symbolized; their scheme of operations embraced every form of diabolism, but a large source of revenue was derived from a per cent that they