The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-04-11


The telegraph advises us that the
venerable jurist and statesman, John
Mclean, one of the Judges of the Su.
preme Court Of the United States. died
at his residence, near Cincinnati. YES
serday morning, at the ripe old age of
TO- Judge Mclean was born in Nor
ris county, N. j., March IL, 1885.
-Four years afterward, his father, a poor
man with a large family, removed to
the West, settling first at Merganstown,
Va, afterward near Nicholasyille, KY,
and finally in 1899 in what is now War
rem 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
to Cincinnati, where he maintained
himself by writing in the Office of the
clerk of the county, while he pursued
his studies under the direction of Ar
thur st. Clair, an eminent counsellor.
the son of the revolutionary general of
that name. In the spring Of 1907 he
was married to Miss Rebecca Edwards.
and in the autumn of the same year was
admitted to the bar and commenced
practice at Lebanon, Warren county,
Ohio. III zet
In October, 1912, he was elected to
represent in Congress his district.
which then included Cincinnati, receiv
ing large majority, as Democrat in
favor of the war with England and a
supporter of President Madison's adj
ministration. In 1914 he was unani-
mously reelected, receiving the vote
Of every voter that went to the polls.
In 1915 he declined to be candidate
for the q. S. Senate, though his cleo
ton was certain; and in 1916, the Leg
islatme of Ohio having unanimously
elected him Judge of the Supreme
Court of the State, he resigned his
seat In Congress at the close of the ses-
sion. He remained upon the Supreme
bench Of Ohio till 1922, when he was
appointed by President Monroe Com
missioner of the General Land Office.
In July, 1928, he was appointed Post
master General, the Postoffice dspart-
ment being then in a very disordered
and inefficient condition.
Under his administration this branch
Of the public service was restored to
order, and managed with vigor, meth
cd, and economy, that soon secured an
almost unexampled degree of applause
and public confidence. BY a nearly
unanimous vote of the Senate and
House the Postmaster- Generals salary
was raised from $4,000 to $1,000 a
year. John Randolph, who voted
against the increase, said he would
vote foritif the salary could be reduced
to its original amount whenever Judge
Mclean went out Of office. In 1929,
having declined the War and Navy
Departments, which were offered to
him by President Jackson, Judge
Mclean resigned the office of Post
master-G General and accepted seat
9pon fhe bench of the Supreme Court
8 Of the United States, entering upon his
duties rs Associate Justice at the JAN
uary term of 1880. In this capacity
his charges to grand juries were, while
on the Circuit, marked by much ability,
frequently great eloquence, and always
by candor and sincerity.
One Of the most noted of these was
delivered in December, 1888, in regard
to aiding or favoring unlawful military
combinations by our citizens against
any foreign government or people with
whom we are at peace, with special re-
ference to- the Canadian instruction
and its American abettors. In the
Drcd Scott case he dissented from the
decision of the Court as given by Chief
Justice fancy, and expressed the opin-
~ that slavery has its origin merely
.S;- and is against right, and in
Pouh,-sis sustained only by local
" Judge 1ScLean has long been
entitled with they party opposed to the
,enslon of slavery, and his name was
ore the Free Soil Convention at Buf:
I'm 1s4s as candidate for nomina-
a President. At the Republican
onal Convention at Philadelphia
20, he received l96 votes for the
to $50 for Col...Ef;emont.
~ Cons eloui Chi