Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-05
Deatb of Hon. John nIcLenn,

Died yesterday, at his residence in Clifton,
near this city, Hon. John Mclean, Associate
Judge of the Supreme Court of the United
States, aged seventy six years. Judge Nc
Lean was born in Morris County, New Jer.
sey, about the year l785, of Irish parentage,
from whence, while young, his parents en-
igrated to the West, and after several changes
of residence, settled finally in that part of
the Northwest Territory which is now War
ren County, in this State.
In 1903 Mr.. Mclean, while acting as as.
sistant in the Clerks Office of Hamilton
County, commenced the study of the legal
profession. He married, in the Spring of
1907, Miss Rebecca Edwards, daughter of
Doctor Edwards, formerly of South Carolina,
was admitted to the Bar in the following
Autumn, and entered upon the practice of
his profession at Lebanon, in Warren
County. In 1912 he was elected to repre-
sent his District, then including the city of
Cincinnati, to Congress, and reelected in
1914. In 1916 he was chosen one of the
Judges Of the Supreme Court of Ohio, which
place be held for six years, when, by the ap-
pointment of Mr. Monroe, then President of
the United States, he became Commissioner
of the Land Office, which post he, the next
year, resigned to assume that of Postmaster
General On the accession of General Jack
son to the Presidency in 1929, he was made
one Of the Judges of the Supreme Court,
which place he held at the time OF his de-
cease.
For forty. eight years, either continuously
or with one short intermission, Judge
Mclean was an officer either of the State or
of the National Government. In respect to
the length of time devoted to the public
service, his case can scarcely find a parallel
in the history of the country. In all the
different positions which it was his lot to fill,
whether legislative, administrative or iu-
dicial, he has ever been distinguished for the
qualities of faithfulness and good humor.
Few men were gifted with more patience or
more industry. Able in all the departments
Of official life which it was his duty to
occupy. it is probable that executive service
was that which was best suited to his char
acter. BE was called the best Postmaster
General the country ever had and it is to
be presumed if he had attained the summit
Of his ambitiOn-the Presidency-during the
period Of his vigor, that he would have been
equally distinguished in that high position.
AS Judicial officer Judge Mclean was
most remarkable for the dignifed courtesy
with which be presided in the trial of causes.
Whether his elaborate decisions, either in
mode or manner, will bear the test of rigid
criticism, may be question; but no one who
knew him can deny that his manner upon
the bench was one that was well worthy to
be adopted as a model for imitation, His
patience and courtesy toward the younger
members Of the profession, attached to him
during his long period of services, a large
DOOg Of warm and faithful friends; while
his familiarity with forms and rules of prac-
tice, and his facility in disentsnplinp COM
pie1 masses OF evidence and presenting their
substance to the jury in his charges, were
such as greatly to expedite the progress of
business at his tribunal.
Judge Mclean was, in early life a Demo-
crat and distinguished himself bv the av-
hibitiOn of large share of Independence Of
mere party trammsls and diseiplipa. In
later years he did not incline 10 call bis
opinions by any of the current pcrtv titles
Upon the subject Of slayery-the almost soIs
question of American politics-his views are
contained in his dissenting opinion in the
celebrated case of Dred Scott: an opinion
generally accepted by Republicans AT tbs
'lme AS IN conformity with the creed of their
party. " '''''i
Judge Mclean was a member of tbs
Methodist Ch1reh. In his conduct he was
one or the most conservative and cireum-
spect Of men. Domestic in his habits and
social in his disposition, he retained tho re-
spect Of men Of all classes and sections
among whom perhaps no man in the Union
bad Wider acquaintance.
go -n.l.t,. .t u ~