Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 03.pdf/36

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. grantees would employ, I suppose only for his own Benefit. . . . "6thly. . . . T is positively false. . . . "7thly. This is also false. . . . D. Lids, malice putting me on my Guard, I have wholly avoided it." And so on. It must suffice here to state that Logan, impeached by the Assembly and arrested on making ready to cross to

England to vindicate himself, was able still to sail on the Gover nor's issuing a super sedeas upon the war rant, and returned to the Province in 17 12, vindicated. Onthe8th of September, 17 1 3, he writes : " Great numbers of people are crowded in upon us from Europe, but they are mostly servants, and very few of es tates." His many let ters show an aristo cratic temperament and considerable dis cretion. In answer to Hannah Perm's invita tion for him to go to England on diplomatic errands, he says, " I ISAAC formerly mentioned my unfitness to solicit the great; nor can I believe but others are generally much more proper for it than those of our profession." His handwriting is clear, cultivated, and obviously the product of se rene nerves; his portrait shows similar traits. A placid and somewhat colorless wisdom pervades much of his correspondence and other writings. " Sally," he writes of his daughter, " besides her needle, has been learning French . . . but is . . . reading the 34th Psalm in Hebrew . . . though I never design to give her that or any other learned language, unless the French be ac3

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counted such." He translated " De Senectute," — the first classic translation in this Western World, says Franklin. In 1722 he opposed paper currency, and was also sent to quiet the rage of some In dians whose kin had been drunkenly butch ered by whites. Logan's speech should be given; but there is no space for it. His dis creet words and discreeter offering of wam pum " to wipe away tears " were effectual. Next to Penn, the Indians loved Logan; and in 1742 addressed the Governor and Council, saying, "Brethren, we called at ourold friend James Logan in our way to this city, and to our grief we found him hid in the bushes." This was their meta phor, Logan's health being ailing. In 1736, April 13, he told the Grand Jury he hoped this charge would be his last. " To mount a bench on crutches, whic^i I have now done for these five years past, and to pass sen MORRIS. tence of death, gives me a real uneasiness, which neither the present salary of £>oo a year . . . nor a much greater could The charge compensate to satisfaction." is a eulogy, first of creation, and last of the English Constitution. Logan was an inge nious botanist; he also left his library of three thousand books to the City. Besides being Mayor, he was the Governor's secre tary for forty years. His justiceship lasted eight. He was President of the Provincial Council, and declined to be Lieutenant-Gov ernor. In fact, he was called to perform so many and such various public duties, —