Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-14

JUSTICE BRADLEY DENIES THE CHARGES or THE
NEW YORK Sun.

! JUSTICE BRADLEY DENIES THE CHARGES OF THE
NEW YORK sun.
Justice Bradley of the United States Su-
preme Court has addressed the following let
ter to the editor of the Newark (N j. Ad-
reriiSer
STOWE, Vt, Sept. ., 1877.
| Editor Of the Advertiser:
| SIR preceiye that the New York Sun
| has reiterated its charge that after preparing
| a written opinion in favor of the Tilden elec-
| tors in the Florida case submitted to the
| Electoral commission, changed my views
during the night preceding the vote in con-
sequence of the pressure brought to bear up
on me by Republican politicians and Pacific
| Railroad men, whose carriages, it is said,
surrounded my house during the evening
| This, | believe. is the important point of the
| charge. Whether | wrote one opinion or
twenty in my private examination of the
| subject is of little consequence. and no con-
cern to anybody if the opinion finally gave
was fair result of my deliberations with
out influence from outside parties. The
above SANDER was published some time
since, but | never saw it until recently. and
deemed it to absurd to need refutatiOn. But
as it is catego:ically repeated, perhaps
ought to notice it. The same story about
the carriages of leading Republicans and
others congregating at my house was eircu-
lated in Washington at one time, and came
to the ears of my family only to raise
smile of contempt. The whole thing is a
falsehOod. Not single visitor called at nv
house that evening, and during the whole
of ha 1 haH
discussion, whatever, on the subjects at
issue, with any person interested on the Re-
publican side, and but very few words with
any person. Indeed, sedulously sought to
avoid all discussions outside Of the commits
sion itself.
The allegation that read an opinion to
Judges Clifford and Field is entirely untrue.
| read no opinion to either of them, and
have no recollection of expressing any If
did it could only have been suggestively.
or in a hypothetical manner, and is not in
tended as a committal of my final Judgment
or action. The question was one of great
importance and to me of much difficulty and
embarrassment. earnestly endeayored to
come to right decision, free from all poll
teal or other extraneous considerations.
In my private examination of the prin-
cipal question (about going behind the re
turns) | wrote and re-wrote the arguments
and considerations on noth sides As they Oc-
occurred to me, sometimes being inclined to
one view of the subject and sometimes to the
other. But finally | threw aside these
lucubrations, and ,as You have rightly stated.
wrote out the short opinion which read in
the Florida case during the sitting of the
commission. This opinion expresses the
honest conclusions to which have arrived,
and which after full consideration of
the whole subject seemed to me only
satisfactory solution of the ques-
ton and may add that the
more | have reflected on it since, the
more satisfied have | become that it was
right. At all events it was the results of
my own reflections and consideration with
out any suggestions from any quarter, ex-
cept the arguments adduced by counsel in
the public discussion and by members Of the
commission in private consultations.
As for the insnuatiOn contained in re
cent article published in prominent peri
odical by noted poIiticiaan, implying that
the case was decided in consequence of
political conspiracy, | can only say. and from
the peculiar position | occupied on the COM
mission am able positively to say, that it is
utterly devoid of truth at least - far as the
action of the commission itself was concern
ed. In that action the writer couples my
name with tine names of those whom he sup
posed obnoxious To public odium. The de
ccncies OF public expression, if nothing more,
might well have deferred 81 able a writer
from making personal imputatiOns which he
did not know To be well-iOundcd
Yours respectfully,
JOsErH H. BR,DIEr.