The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-11-24

Since the name OF Judge Re2Q, OF fenn-
! sylvania, has been added to the list of those
| eminent men from whom the Republican
candidate for the next Presidency will prob
| ably be taken, considerable desire has ex-
! isted 10 learn the details of his career
| The great victory just won by the Opposi-
| tion in Pennsyl ylvania has not lessened this
desire, as it shows that that State is more
| likely than ever to furnish the candidates of
| both parties. Pennsylvania is a State that
| the Democrats will much need, but which
the Republicans must have. 1t is possible
| for the Democrats to carry every slayehold
| ing Staae, which, with California, Oregon,
Indiana, and Illinois, would (should Kansas
be kept out of the Union until after the
| election of l86O) almost suffice to give them
victory, not to insist upon the possibility of
their succeeding in New Jersey, even should
they fail in Pennsylvania.
But the Republicans must have Pennsyl-
/ vania. There are, not counting Kansas, 1873
/ free State electoral votes; and of these,
those of California and Oregon, seven (7)
| in all, cannot, under any circumstances, be
| given for any Republican candidate, thus
leaving l76 to be sought for by the RePub-
| licans. If those of Pennsylvania shall not
| be obtained, the Republicans will have just
| lac votes, at the most or three less than
the number that will be necessary to elect
| President in 1860. The whole number of
electoral votes will be 3O3, assuming that
Kansas will not be admitted, and 152 will
be necessary to choice. So tho electoral
vote of Pennsylvania cannot be spared by
the Republicans.
They must have it. even if they should
succeed in Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey and
Minnesota; and though Minnesota may be
set down as Republican, and New Jersey be
/ al cid &c hv
clear that Indiana AID Illinois are to be re-
lied upon. No wonder, then, that people
feel some interest in Judge Reads antece-
dents, present position and political opinions.
To such facts as we have on these points the
reader is welcome. John Meredith Read,
now one of the Justices of the Supreme
Court of the State of Pennsylvania, was
born at Philadelphia, in 1898, and came of
good revolutionary stock. His paternal
grandfather was George Read, a signer of
the Declaration of Independence, and who
occupied several high judicial offices, and,
after being a member of the convention that
formed the Constitution of the United States,
was elected national Senator from Della
ware. Two of George Reads brothers were
revolutionary officers of distinction, and
brother-in-law also served with eminent
usefulness. His maternal grandfather, Sam
uel Meredith, was revolutionary patriot,
and the first Treasurer of the United States.
John Read father of Judge Read, was
well-known lawyer, who lived to very
great age, dying in 1854, sixty-four years
after he had been admitted to the bar. He
had high rank at the Philadelphia bar, then
and since renowned for the talents of its
members. John NJ. Read, now Judge Read,
became lawyer when he had only just
reached the age of legal manhood, forty
Af mid
that of some less able men has been; but
what he gained he kept, and steadily grew
in fame. In 1923 and 1924 lie was elected
to the Pennsylvania House of Representa-
tives, declining further elections after the
expiration of his second representative year.
He was made city solicitor of Philadelphia,
and became a member OF the Select City
Council When the constitution of Penn
sylvania was amended, he furnished the
basis of the scheme of reform that was
ad pied. President Van Buren appointed
him U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania which Office he held until
the Wings came into power, in ls41.
President Tyler nominated him to fill the
vacancy on the bench of the U. S. Supreme
Court caused by the death of Judge Bald
win. His nomination would have met with
no opposition in the Senate, had it not been
=
slavery question" Mr.. Buchanan is said to
have been guilty of the meanness of bring
ing up this objection to a brother Demo-
crat; and as there was work to be done sSat
a man like Mr.. Read would not do, his nom
ination was not acted upon by the Senate.
President Polk conferred the place upon q
small lawyer, who had not the talent to fill |
the place, but was richly gifted with the
baSepess that made him a reliable instru-
ment for the slaveholding faction. Mr.
Buchanan was Folks Secretary of State
and exercised controlling influence over
the aniaappointments.
In 1876, Mr.. Read was made Attorney
General of Pennsylvania, but voluntarily |
retired from the office, after holding it six |
months. He was counsel for the defence |
in the great treason case of United States |
Uersus Hanway, in 1851, when, for the bene- |
fit of slavery, our government sought to es-s
tablish the doctrine of constructive treason,
a course that would have put Us on level I
with the England of Charles II. and James |
H., and our courts on level with those of |
Jeff'ries and Shower. His speech was most I
mastery performance, and conclusive on |
the question at issue; and his labors through
out the trial take professional, political, and
moral rank with those of Erksine on the /
trials of Horne, Tooke Hardy and others. /
In l949, as a member of the Democratic /
State Convention, he supported resolution /
declaring that slavery is local institution,
and closing with these words:
" Esteeming it a violation of State rights
to carry it beyond Stale limits, we deny the
power of any citizen to extend the area of
bondage beyond its present dominion, nor
do We consider it part of the constitution
that slavery should for ever travel with the
advancing column of our territorial pro-
gress" When dispute about the admission
OF California into the Union was at its
height in 1850, Mr.. Read, at a great meet
ing in Philadelphia. made an elaborate ar
gunlent in behalf of her admission as free
State. His views in that speech are identi-
cal with those laid down in the Republican
platform of 1855, by the Philadelphia Con-
Vention. 1
When the Missouri Compromise was re-
pealed, Mr.. Read declined longer TO act
withsthe Democratic party, and, like half
million other Democrats he ioined the Re-