THOMAS MCINTYRE COOLEY. BY BENRI WADE ROGERS, IL IN MAS MINTYRE COGLEY, the icon auty on American Constitutional Lev, an emige ad pulicist, was born on the Cch of January, in Affion, New York. His father, This Cooley, cen a Massa husetts firmar,d hd rigrated that State to western New York, then the "Far twenty years before. is a curious coinence, that a Marshall, the pe, whose name will be forever pos dated with national Law of the Unr. 1 Sede, was one of by of fifteen children, and that Ties M. Cooley, t commentator of our system of Constitutional Fkewise one of a sitter member of children. Themas Cooley, was poor, his fifteen children i to wature years, and they were arly cast "pon Are UTUS, If there be a wisdom in Lord Cd's remark: "That the best thing he knew to great lawyer, was great ferty," a was s Melatyre Cooley fortanate in the clations Atended his birth and early manhood; for he was o poverty and destined to cound with ad ersity. ry of h's early life, as he once told the writer, was to hid to make it pleas at to dwell upon". ned with poverty from the first, acquiri g the for attaining h.. education only by hard menu à which extended the gh the period of pissionai study. Such education as he obtained, he acquired in the THOMAS MCINTYRE COOLEY BY HENRY WADE ROGERS, LL. D. Thit THOMAS MCINTYRE COOLEY, the foremost au thority on American Constitutional Law, an eminent judge and publicist, was born on the 6th of January, 1824, in Attica, New York. His father, Thomas Cooley, had been a Massachusetts farmer, and had emigrated from that State to western New York, then the "Far West," twenty years before. the It is a curious coincidence, that John Marshall, the great Judge, whose name will be forever associated with the Constitutional Law of the United States, was one of a family of fifteen children, and that Thomas M. Cooley, great commentator of our system of Constitutional Law, was likewise one of a similar number of children. The father Thomas Cooley, was poor, his fifteen children all lived to mature years, and they were early cast upon their own resources. If there be any wisdom in Lord Mansfield's remark: "That the best thing he knew to make a great lawyer, was great poverty," then was Thomas McIntyre Cooley fortunate in the conditions which attended his birth and early manhood; for he was born into poverty and destined to contend with adversity. The story of his early life, as he once told the writer, was: "Really too hard to make it pleasant to dwell upon". He struggled with poverty from the first, acquiring the means for attaining his education only by hard manual labor, which extended through the period of professional study. Such education as he obtained, he acquired in the common schools until the age of fourteen, then for four terms he attended private schools taught by classical scholars. The last he attended was taught by Lewis Parsons, a very worthy gentleman, who, after the Civil War, was Provisional Governor of Alabama. In 1840-1-2, Mr. Cooley taught school himself for three or four months in each year, and undoubtedly derived as much benefit from the schools he taught as from any that he attended. We may say of him, as Story said of Marshall: "That his attainments in learning have been nourished for the most part by the solitary vigils of his own genius." Nature evidently intended him for the law, and gave to him a legal mind and judicial temperament. He seems to have appreciated the fact that he was best fitted for that profession, all his tastes being in that direction. Before he was nineteen years of age he had commenced the study of law at Palmyra, in the State of New York, reading in the office of Theron K. Strong, who afterward became one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Empire State. Judge Strong was a very thorough and systematic man and the young student was quick to perceive the fact, and the study of his methods was of great service to him in many ways. Reading in law offices he had no help whatever from others, but was enabled to see how important questions arose and were disposed of. While he pursued systematic reading of the law, he was observable also, of what was going on about him, and endeavored to master such questions as the office business presented. He himself has said, that he has no doubt he worked all the harder for having no assistance from those around him. In 1843 he removed to what was then the newly admitted State of Michigan, and took up his abode in the village of Adrian. He settled in Michigan because he lacked the means to carry him to Chicago, which was |