Action Of The University Senate On The Death Of Judge Campbell

The Sennte of the Unlversily of Michigan !s naain In mourning. It ha lenrned with sorrowlül emotlon of tu dcath of one of lt former members, Mr. Justicc James V. Campbell, of the Siinreme Court. Dcath carne to him witliout warningontue mornlDgol Sfarcn Ilie twentvxlxtl) and iu a moment thcxllver cord of 1 1 f o was loosed and lts golden bowl was broken. Beheving proloundly iu the truth of hlH own word that "there are few more profllablo poseesslons for any luarned lnstitution than the memories of those who have made thelr Uves a part of IU hlulory," we deslre to place this memorial on the records of the Senate, as an exprefsion of the esteem we entertain for one of thcinosi dUUogalsbed names connected with the hlRtory of the üniverslty of Mlch:nan. Although the veil of deth has been drawn between hlm and the living, and we shall not look on hls face asain, yet hls fame and honor remaln an inherltance of whiili this University Is prond. We enroll his name iu that calalognii "t nameR that In future years shall serve to raake the annals of the university resplendent. Por while lic rests from hls labor, hls works du follow hlm. James Valentlue Campbell was bom on Febrnary 25th. 182!, lti BonUo, New York. III parent removed to Michigan and settled In Detroit wuen hens but tbree years of age, and tbat city contlnued uninterraptedly to be hls botne from that time lo tbc date of hls death. As a boy he attended hcIioo) at KlushIng, Long Island. and later on matrlculated at St, Paul's College, In the same place, from which bewas graduated In 1841. Remming to Detroit, be at onco cntered on the study of the law, and In October, 18(4, was admltted to the bar. Hls praotlce extended overa peiiod otonly thlrteen .years. luit In that time he dl8tingulshed;htmself for acutencss of iutellect as. well as for accurate and comprehensivo knowledge, and so won the rspect and confidence of hls fellow-cltiz.ns tbat they beatowed on hlm at lúe early age of tblity flve the Judicial ermlne. He beeame a member of the Supreme Court of Michigan In 1858, and by suecesslve re-elections wan contlnued in hls hinh office to the day of hls death. Hls judicial oplnlonsare recorded in scventy volumes of the Michigan Keports, whlch will ever remain an endurlng monument to hls great learnlng. Heenjoyeil a longer Judicial career than luis fallen tú the lot of any other man In the history of tbe Commonwealtb, and hls labors served In largo deuree to cause the court to take high rank among tbe Judicial tribunal of our country. He was one of those magistrales whose care Itwas "when he went up to the Judgineut seat lo put on rlghteousness as a glorious and beautiful robe, and to render bis tribunal a flt emblem of that eternal throne of whlch Justlce and Judsnient are the habitation." Hts vury look andstately bearing indlcated the Judge. He was bom to wear theerinlne. aud we may say of hlra, as was sala of Slr Mattliew Hale, that if he bad entercd unheralded the court-room of tlie nnjust judge. robedonlyin a miller'8 coat and hut, all heads would bow and all tongues cxclaim "this isajuüie.'' Ia 1859 the Law Department of thls Unlverslty was opened aud Judge Campbell was made Marshall Professor of Luw. On Moii(lay, Ootober Si, 1859, the work of the Law S;l:oil begao, the cpjnlns; nddress hclng dellvered by Judge Campbell, in the l'resbyterlan church, before the law class and the public generally, hls iherne belng 'The Sliuly ol the Law." HIr assoclates in the Faculty at that time, and for maiiy yenrs tliereader.wero Thomas M. Cooley and Charles I. Walker, and together they constltuted a splendid triumvirate. Under their gvidance the school grew and prospered, and lts fame spread throughout thls and other lamls. Thousamh of students durlug the quarter of a century that Judge Campbell contlmietl connecled wlth the school,;1iave sat under hls lnstructlons, been lmpressed by the profuiullty of hls knowledge, charmed by the grace of nis dlctlon, ennobled by the purlty of hls lire, and blessed by the benedlctlon of hlscountenance. The news of hls death will carry sorrow to the bar of every State anil Terrltory In our country. In 1885, Judsie Campbell reluctantly resigned hls professorshtp In the Law School, belugcompclled soto do by a lvanclng years, and the pres?ure of hls Judicial dutles whlch were each yenr becoinIner more exactillir. There is butoneman living to-day whose connectlon wlth Uie Universlly antedates that of Juclge Campbell, and bis does bul by a single year. In 1815-46 Jadge Campbell was Secretary of the Board of Regent-s. Ia 1880, tne Universlty recognizing hls disllngulshed merltconferredou biui lis hlghest honor, thedegree of Doctor of Laws. Iu 1881, upon the luvitation of the Senate, he dellvered in Unlverstty Hall a Memorial DIscourse on tb? Life and Services of Professor Oeorge P. Williams. It was a most uiting and beantlful trllmte toa noble mau who for forty years had fllled a professor' cliair In thls Uulverlty. The most of Judge Campbell's time was kIvi-ii to the discharge of bis dutles in the I.aw School and on the bench. He might easlly have attained dlstlnctlon In the rennblic of letters had ne turned hls at'eutlc n In that direction, and lt must remalu a matter of regrcl Unit he (lid not more frequenlly turn aside from professional dutles and glve wider scope to hls most gracefnl pen. Ju.li.'" Campliell was a gentleman of the old school. Inded, sograclous washisurbanIty. so suave his courtesy, so gentle and considérate lus nature, that he might well be slyled an ideal gentleman. He was as pollte to the man ot low estitte and humble station as to he man of large means and official rank. He was as rendy t converse wlth the humbiest artisün, whom chance had t hrown int o hls company, as wlih the most accompllrlu'ii man of letters. He leiirned something from every one, and to every oue he had something to Irapart. He was a man of accompllshments and of compreheuHlve learning in many flelds. IK' wasespecially fond of hlstorical studies and Is HiH author of a polltlcal lilstory of the sta to. He was probably better versed In the early hlstory ot Michigan than any man, living or dead. He was a fine Prench scholar, and 1nvesligated wlth all the zeal of au antlauarlan the early Krencli records of this reglón. He was possessed of a raemory that muy well be called astonlshlng, so remarkable was lt for extent, exactness, and promptltude. We may sayof him.as has been sald of anothttr, that "'hls raemory was a natural hive for learning, and he stored and fllled it up wlth thebusy lndustry and cunnlug architecture oí the bee,' Judge Campbell was a man of reverent spirit and of unqucstloning faith. All his llfe long he was a devout member of the Protestant Episcopal church, waê prominent In lts counclls.and took a deep Interest in all that pertalned to lts welfare. Whatsoever tblngs are true, whatsoever thlngs are honorable, whatsoever things arejusl, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely and of goou report- he nut only thought on these things, but made them a part of "be warp and woof " of hlsdally Ufe. His soul was upright withln hlm. The staln ui Ju honornevpr solled hlsescutcheou. He uever tnok unfalr advantage, dealt no fonl blows, schemed lor no place, bore hlmself always as became one of the true nobility. He oberlghed that "chasllt.y oí honor whlch feels a stain llkea wouud." Hls lile wasa beautlful fulfllmentof hls Lord's requirement "to do Justly and to love mercy, aud to walk humbly wlth thy Uod. " Thla Universlty wlll ever honor the memory of Mr. Justlce Campbell and whlle lt mournshlsdealh wlth deep senslblllty, it Is thankful that in the provldence of God he was enabled toachieveso much. The Senate most dueply sympathizes wlth the famlly, so greally bereaved.aml implores for them the consolation that comes from knowing that it has been dlvlnly wrltten- Ulessed are the thedead that die In the Lcrd. Germany will probubly snrvivc tlie withilrawnl of the Bismarcks from lier counsels of s'atc, butoertafn it is tljat it will be manj' a long day befi rj anotbir prime minister will tlo tor tlmt countiy wbat Hismarck luis done.