Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/472

The Supreme Court of Connecticut. Ingersoll of Stamp-Act fame. He received Donald G. Mitchell, Esq., drawn from his do from Yale the degree of LL.D. At the time mestic life. He recalls the " figure bent with of his appointment as Chief-Justice in 1807, the weight of over ninety years, abounding he had been a member of the Superior Court white hair, a face clean-shaven, an aquiline since 1795, and had previously been for six nose, and an eye that seemed to see every

teen years Judge of the Hartford County thing. ... I remember distinctly his long Court, and for nine years an Assistant, and woollen hose, and his knee-buckles, and his as such a Judge of the Supreme Court of oaken staff, on which he leaned heavily such Errors. He had also been for five years a times as he trudged away to his barns for a member of the Federal look at his cattle, or Congress before the the fondling of some adoption of the Consti pet beast. His long tution, and for a short coat — such as you see timeaSenatorsucceedin pictures of Franklin ing Roger Sherman. — had huge lapels and Judge Mitchell was pockets; these latter not a man of words. often bulging out with There is less of his ears of corn, on the writing in the reports visitations I speak of, than of any of the for the pampering of other Chief-Justices. some favorite horse or Until 1809 the judges pig." The photograph were not required to of which the picture give their opinions on page 426 is a re severally, and Judge production, was taken from a portrait in oil Mitchell even after that time was usually painted by Professor content with the ex Morse, the inventor of pression of his concur the telegraph. rence or dissent. In After Judge Mitchhis last year or two of ell's retirement in 1814, Tapping Reeve, the service he gave several senior member of the opinions, all of them JOEL HINMAN. court in both age and admirable for their service, was appointed clear and practical rea Chief-Justice. But in 1815 he too became soning. His circumstances made it unneces sary for him to pursue the law as a livelihood, disqualified by age and retired. Unlike Judge and he is better known as a legislator than as Mitchell, Judge Reeve had devoted himself to a lawyer or judge; but he was nevertheless the law not only as a business pursuit but as a distinguished judge. After his retirement a study, and had but little experience of pub in 1814, having reached the age of seventy lic life outside of his judicial career. He years, he took no further active part in public graduated at Princeton, served there four years as tutor, then came to Litchfield, where affairs except as a member of the Constitu tional Convention of 181 8. As he was hon he was admitted to the bar in 1772. His ored for the purity of his character and the practice was very large. His eloquence was noble qualities of his heart as well as for his at times marvellous, and at such times his lan public services, it cannot be out of place to guage of remarkable purity and force. But quote a description written by his grandson usually he was careless of speech, though al