John Inglis (New York Times)

DEATH OF JUDGE JOHN A. INGLIS.

THE AUTHOR OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA ORDINANCE OF SECESSION DIES AT HIS HOME IN BALTIMORE.

Special Dispatch to the New-York Times.

BALTIMORE, Aug. 26. – Judge John A. Inglis, Chief Judge of the Orphans’ Court of Baltimore, died this morning at his residence in this city. He had been in failing health for some time, and a few days ago was attached with diptheria, which was the immediate cause of his death. He was a son of Rev. James Inglis, D. D., Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, and was born in the year 1813. His father, when a young man, was a law student in the office of Alexander Hamilton. The son received his early education at a school in Cecil County, Md., and was subsequently graduated, at the age of 18, at Dickenson College, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he removed to Columbia, S.C., and engaged in the profession of the law. He became Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions and Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of that State. At the breaking out of the civil war he held the position of Chancellor of the State. He was President of the State convention which met at Columbia on Dec. 17, 1860, and adopted the ordinance severing the relations between the State and the Federal Government. He presented the resolution “that it is the opinion of the convention that the State of South Carolina should forthwith secede from the Federal Union, known as the United States of America,” and was the author of the famous “Ordinance of Secession.” When Gen. Sherman’s troops entered Columba, Judge Inglis’ house was ordered to be saved, bit it is related that a Federal officer who entered the house saw the ordinance framed and hanging on the wall, and that the order was given to burn the residence. It was, therefore, totally destroyed, together with a valuable library. In 1870 Judge Inglis removed to Baltimore, and was appointed to a Professorship in the Law School of the University of Maryland. In 1874 Gov. Whyte appointed him to the position of Chief Judge of the Orphans’ Court, and at the general election of 1875 he was re-elected by the people without opposition. He had the reputation of being a learned and impartial Judge. He was for many years a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church.