Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-03-11


takes ner sometimes great while to get
her boots On and overtake the light-heeled
kbave, falsehood.
An instance il afforded by the stories
sdoat concerning Ohief Jostice DIXON, and
which are finding their way even into
Republican newspapers.
Thus we see it stated that he is an out
and out Democrat-shat be has said the
acts of the Administration have forced
him to become a Democrat-that be is
opposed TO the Presidents emancipation
proclamation-that he authorized the use
Of bis name as Democratic canddat in
the late Convention, and possibly other az
cusations of a similar character which do
not now occur to Us.
The circumstance that Judge DIXON has
never been politician, and that his po-
liticsi views have never been proclaimed
FROM the stump, renders it the more easy
to circulate and gain credence for these
stories, which are now greedily circulated
by the copperheads with the hope OF
prejudicing Republicans. keeping them
from the polls, and thereby securing the
success of CoTHREs.
Under the circumstances, it Is proper to
state briefly the past political history OF
Chief Justice Dixon.
Up tc the year 1856, he was Demo
| crat. With great many others of his
| parry, on account of the subservency of bis
party to slavery, as wickedly manifested
| 10 the attempt to force that Institution on
an unwilling people in Kansas, he became
Republican, and supported the Republi-
can ticket. From that time he has voted
the Republican ticket, and has been con-
| sidered Republican. Two years after,
| when Judge COLLINS, of this Circuit, re-
| signed, Judge Dixon, then living at Por.
| tage, and being one of the leading law.
yers of tbs Circuit, was appointed to
6ll the vacancy, by Governor Randall
As a Circuit Judge, he soon be-
came exceedingly popular and il
| 1869, on the death of Chief Justice VIII
TON was appointed his successor. Up &c
this time 10 one had ever, that we are
aware of, questioned his Republcanism.-
| This, however, was when part of the
| Republicans of the State were very strong
| iy imbued with the so called doctrine OIL
State rights. Judge DIXON was not 8
States rights man. He stood with Judge
/ Houx opr prosopt Sanstor on that su h.
| jeot. He held that the decision of the
supreme Court of the United States upon
case arising under law of the United
states, must be respected while the law
remained unrepealed and the decision uE-
reversed. That would not be thought q
great heresy by any loyal man at the pres
| ent time. But people we're excited then,
they bad not examined the Question, -
they had not taken in the full measure
of its consequences, and many were
opposed to Judge Dixon at the following
| election. Judge DIXON ran as an indie
pendent candidate. Judge SLOAN was
nominated by the Republicans, a very
| large minority of the convention, however,
| opposing the nomination of party oan
diGate. After hisnonination, he publish-
cd letter, placing himself substantially
on the State Rights issue.
The Democrats generally and quite
large number of Republic as who took
umbrage at Judge SLoAN's letter, sustained
Judge Dixon, and he was elected. We
are not aware of any other decision OF
Judge DIxoH's that has any political bear
ing except this on the State Rights Ques
ton, until the recent decision in the
ha6eas corpus case in which he was sus
tanned by Judges COLE and PAINE, whose
Republicanism has never been questioned,
that we are aware OF.
But Diminishing all merely party consid-
eralions we knoD that Judge Dixon is a
thoroughly loyal, patriotic. Union man.
We have all confidence in him as such
His integrity, his impartiality, his upright
ness as citizen and rs q Judge, have new
er been questioned by any man that knew
aim. We do not claim for him pre-. emf
oShSo III iSoi diuS VI 4H6To are
other men in the State who in these re
spects might equal or surpass him. But
in those high and rare qualities of fearless
ness in following the dictates of his con-
scientious judgment, and in holding the
scales of justice with an even hand, un-
swerved by prejudice, fear, or favor we
believe he has no superior. In these re-
specs we believe he comes up to the toll
measure of that noble portrait
ure of Judge given by the
late RUFUS CHoATE In these words :
- He shall not respect persons in judg-
:" ment. He shall know nothing about
"parties, everything about the case. He
= shall do rything for justice; nothing
s. for himself; nothing for his friend :;
g nothing for his patron nothing tor his
" sovereign. If on one side is the legisla
" tive power aud the legislature and the
people-the sources of bis honors, the
'glvers of his daily bread-and on the
"other an individual nameless aud odlous.
g his eye is to see neither great nor small :;
" attending only to the treDidations of the