Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-04-11
DEATH OF JUDGE MCLEAN

Judge John Mclean, LII. D., died on Thurs.
day morning, April 4th, at Cincinnati, Ohio. al
the age of IS years. He was born in Morris
County, n. j., March IL, 1855. Four years al
terward, his father, poor man with large
family, removed to the West, settling first al
Morganstown, Va, afterward near Nicholasyile
KY, and finally in 1893 in what is now Warren
County, Ohio. Here he cleared farm, upon
which he resided till his death 40 years later
His son, at the age of Is, desiring TO study law.
went 10 Cincinnati, where be maintained him.
self by writing in the office of the Clerk of the
County, while he pursued his studies under the
direction of Arthur St. Clair an eminent CONN.,
selor, the son of the revolutionary general of
that name. In the Spring of 1907 he was mar
ried 10 Miss Rebecca Edwards, and in the Au.
tumn OF the same year be was admitted 10 the
bar, and commenced practice at Lebanon, War
rem county, Ohio. In October, 1872 he was
elected to represent in Congress his district,
which then included Cincinnati, receiving a
large majority, as Democrat in favor of the
war with England and a supporter of President
Aadisons administration. In 1914 he was
unanimously re elected, receiving the vote of
every eector that went to the polls In 1915,
he declined to be a candidate for the United
States Senate, though his election was certain ;
and in 1916, the Legislature of Ohio having
unanimously elected him a Judge of the Su.
preme Court of the State, he resigned his seat
N.
remained upon the Supreme Bench of Ohio till
1922, when he was appointed by President Mon
roe Commissioner of the General Land Office
In July, 1928, he was appointed Postmaster
General the Post Office Department being in a
very disordered and inefficient condition I'm
der his administration this branch of the rubic
service restored to order, and managed with
a vgor. method, and economy that soon secur-
ed an almost unexampled degree of applause
and public confidence. BY nearly unanimous
vote of the Senate and House, the Postmaster
Generals salary was raised from 81 900 TO O.
600 year. John Randolph, whoivoted against
the increase, said he would vote for it if the
salary could be reduced to its original amount
whenever Judge Mclean went out of Office. In
1929, ihaving declined the War and Navy
Departments, which were offered him by Pres
ident Jackson, Judge Mclean resigned the of
fee of Postmaster General, and accepted a seat
upon the bench of the Supreme Court of the
United States, entering upon his duties as As
sociate Justice at the January term of $780, In
this capacity, his charges TO Grand Juries while
on circuit are distinguished for ability and elo-
quence. One of the most noted of these was
delivered in December 1888, in regard to aiding
OF favoring unlawful military combination by
our citizens against any foreign Government or
people with whom we are al peace, with special
reference TO the Canadian instruction and its
American abeitors. In the bred Scott case, he
dissented from the decision the Court as given
by Chief Justice fancy, and expressed the opin.
ion that Slavery has its origin merely in power,
and is against right, and in this country, is sus
tanned DOLLY by local law. Judge Mclean has
long been identified with the party opposed TO
the extension of Slavery, and his name was be-
fore the Free Soil Convention at Buffalo, in
ls4s, as a candidate for nomination as President
At the Republican National Convention at Phil
adelphia, in 1856. he received 1876 votes for the
p
Republican Convention at Chicago, in 1860, he
also received a number of votes.