lege, and he began practice and married in South Carolina. Witherell resigned in 1828, when nearly seventy years old, and exchanging places with William Woodbridge, became Secretary of the Territory, so that afterwards, in the occasional absence of Cass, he acted as Governor. Woodbridge was from Connecticut, and was a son-in-law of John Trumbull; he was Governor of Michigan in 1840, and by a coalition between Democrats and Whigs became United States Senator. It was he who suggested to Webster the extradition clause in the Ashburton Treaty.

in dealing with metaphysical subtleties. "Why," said he, unguardedly, "that's easy enough;" and seating himself with the judge upon a dry-goods box, he made the knotty point so plain that to his own subsequent chagrin his venerable friend found every obstacle removed that had kept him out of the Romish communion, and soon after joined that church.

In addition to these twelve men, two thirds of whom may be called eminent, — at any rate, they are in Appletons' Biographical Cyclopaedia, — there were four others who received early appointments to the territorial bench of Michigan,1 but who did not serve. Two of these were Samuel Huntington, who did not accept, and Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., who was not confirmed;

The last three judges in the territorial list were all appointed by General Jack son. They were George Morell, who will be mentioned farther on; Ross Wilkins, of Pennsylvania, who was afterward and for both were afterward governors of Ohio, and Meigs was also Chief-Justice of that State, many years the first district judge in Michi gan; and David Irwin, of Virginia, who was United States Senator, and Postmaster-Gen to succeed Doty in the special judgeship. eral under Madison. The others were one Their nominations were sent to the Senate John Coburn, who preferred a judgeship in at that stormy session when Van Buren was Louisiana Territory; and William Sprigg, of rejected for minister to England, and it was whom I know nothing, but suppose to have three months before they were finally con been a Marylander, as were Tom and Dick firmed. Indeed the point was made by of that name who were members of early Thomas Ewing that there were no vacancies congresses. Able, however, as most of the to fill, since, under the Ordinance of '87, the judges no doubt were in many ways, such judges were entitled to hold office during small trace as is left of the jurisprudence of good behavior. Wilkins, who was probably their times does not go far to prove it. In the last survivor of the territorial bench, the fall of 1822 the "Detroit Gazette" was was born at Pittsburgh in February, 1799, full of attacks upon the court, though Wood and was a graduate of Dickinson College in ward was the target for most of the ponder the class of 1818. When Michigan entered ous abuse of its contributors. One feature the Union, in 1836, he became the United of the newspaper criticism was the publica States District Judge; and he held that office, tion of a series of reports entitled " Notes of without missing a term of court, until he Trials, Arguments, and Proceedings in the resigned in December, 1869. He died May Supreme Court of the Territory of Michigan, 17, 1872. In his earlier years he had been September Term, 1821." These notes pur a Methodist class-leader, and he remained a ported to give the conversations and discus Methodist until he was old, when his relig sions of the judges with each other and with ious speculations led him toward the Catho the bar, even to the exhibition of their dis lic Church. There was one doctrinal point, agreements and asperities; and every instal however, which still troubled him, as he ad ment was headed with the words : — mitted one day to an old-time Methodist "A man may see how this world goes with no friend, the late William Clay. Mr. Clay was eyes. Look wilh thine ears; see how yon a profound student, and a man of rare skill 1 Campbell's Judicial Sketch.