Life and Character of judge Wallace
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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
