Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/359

This page needs to be proofread.
322
The Green Bag.

Messrs. Andrews, Earl, Finch, Peckham, Gray, and O'Brien, associates. All the rest are dead except Messrs. Danforth and Miller, who have been retired by limitation of age.

dence and respect. He rarely interrupted counsel, and never tried to shorten their arguments within the limit of the rule, be lieving that it saved time to hear them out. The value of such a character at the head Sanford Elias Church. of a great court is incalculable. It gives San ford E. Church was born in 1815. stability to the law, and gains respect for His early schooling was small. He became its adjudications even from the defeated a member of the Assembly at twenty-seven, party. and subsequently was twice lieutenant-gover Judge Church wrote in a plain and simple nor and once comptroller. His was for many and perfectly clear style, with force of logic years a prominent name as a possible candi and expression. His opinions were never date for the presidency; but I believe he long, almost always remarkably short. One never was troubled with the buzzing of the will look in vain in them for any mere dis so-called presidential bee, and he helped nom play of learning or critical review of authori inate four candidates. He was not an aspirant ties. He cited few cases, but showed that for the office of chief-judge, and had not the he had studied many. He literally expressed advantage of previous judicial experience, but the law from the authorities; but he loved he was elected by a majority of ninety thou mainly to deal with questions on principle, sand. He never was known as a learned and to grapple with the reason and right lawyer, but he had a broad comprehension rather than to balance precedents. He was of commanding stature, robust and splendid common-sense and sagacity; physique, and distinguished presence. His the calmness, gravity, and dignity of a su head was massive; his countenance strong, perior nature; a candor, patience, and mag nanimity remarkable in one of such positive sagacious, and benevolent. His manners convictions. He was a strong and active were not warm nor yet austere, but grave politician, but not a bitter or vindictive and dignified, impressing one with a sense one, and there was nothing unhandsome in of his sincerity. But his great frame and en his nature or in his conduct. It is a strong ergy gave way at last in the hopeless struggle testimony to his powers and his purity that to keep abreast of the calendar. He died in 1880, very suddenly and unexpectedly, at the although he had never been a judge and had always been a politician, he acquired the rep age of sixty-six, the ink hardly dry on his utation of a great magistrate, and was never opinion in Burr v. Butt Co., 81 N. Y. 175. suspected, not to say accused, of political bias He literally wore himself out in the public on the bench. He had a cautious, receptive, service; and in the same fruitless struggle perished Allen, Grover, and Peckham. It is and candid spirit, with little pride of opin ion, and a noble desire to do right. So his sad to reflect on this great career cut off so innate wisdom, his experience in affairs, his prematurely by the heartless indifference and knowledge of men, and his willingness to be stinginess of the State, which can squander instructed in the cause made him a safe and money in every foolish direction, but grudges judicious magistrate. He has always seemed a reasonable and judicious investment in ju dicial service. A memorial of Chief-Judge to me a man of a type very similar to Chief Justice Waite. Like him, he was a perfect Church, from the pen of Judge Folger, may model of a presiding judge. He was patient, be found in 77 N. Y. Reports, phrased with attentive, and courteous, keeping his kind the most exquisite felicitousness, and justly and intelligent eyes always fixed on the sympathetic. Examples of Chief-Judge Church's style, speaker, affording especial encouragement research, and reasoning may be seen in to the young or timid, and inspiring confi