The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-08-05
JUSTICE NATHAN CLlFFoRD.

JUSTICE NATHAN CLIFFORD.
| PORTLAND, Me, July 25.-Justice
Supreme court died ut Cornish to-day
| Under the above sad intelligence the
New York Sun give the following
brief sketch of the late Justice:
! Judge Clifford was born ut Rumney
! N. H., on Aug. is, 1908. His educa
| tion was began at Haverhill Academy
and the Hampton Literary Institute.
| He studied law, and in 1927 removed
to Portland, Me. For four years, from
1880 to 1884, he represented York
County in the Maine Legislature. For
the last two years of that time he was
Speaker of the House. For four years
he was attorney general of the State.
From 1889 to 1S43 he was a representa-
tive in Congress, elected by the Demo
cratic party. Under President Polk he
was encouragement of the United
States from December, 1916, to March,
1918. At the latter date he was ap-
pointed commissioner to Mexico, with
Ambrose II. Sewer of Arkansas.
After the close of the Mexican war he
continued to hold the Mexican Mission
until September, 1910. Then he re-
turned to his own home in Portland
and practiccd law. On Jan. Is, 1858,
President Buchanan appointed him a
justice of the United States Supreme
Court.
Justice Clifford was associated with
Justices Strong, Miller, and Field in
tho Electoral Commission that put
Gov. Hayes in the Presidential chair
in 1877. The commission was COM
posed of fifteen nembers-fivc Sena-
tors, five Representatives, and five
Justices of the Supreme Court. Only
four Justices, however, We're named.
They were the four above mentioned,
and they were to select Il fifth. The
fifth was Aliunde Joe Bradley.
Justice Clifford was characterized in
the newspapers of the day as an old
fashioned Democrat, and he was be-
lieveu to have imbibed no new politi-
cal opinions since President Buchan-
ans administration. His name was
first mentioned in Washington in con-
uary IS, 1877, and the compromise
measure that made him a commits
sioner was proposed on January Is
and passed on January 26. The JUS
tees hastcned to Washington and spent
days in the national library in reading
the election laws of all the States,
especially those of Louisiana, Florida,
and Oregon.
Justices Field and Clifford We're the
two Democratic Justices on the COM
mission. Justice Clifford, as the oldest
member of the body, sat in the centre
Of a long table, around which the other
commissioners were grouped. The
senion Justice was accustomed to lis
ten with impassive face to tho long
legal arguments made by MIR. Evarts,
Mr.. Field and the other counsel.
Those who were present at the sessions
of the commission will remember the
way with which he waved a
long white ivory paper cutter to indi
cate to the spectators that they were
to retire from the room after the public
was through and the commits
sioncrs were to deliberate with closed
doors.
For two years Justice Clifford's
mind had been impaired, and he had
spent much time in visiting friends
and relatives. Last winter he had an
opening in his foot. 1t was treated by
4 physician and the Justice had appa-
rcntly recovered his health. He was
visiting friends in Cornish, Me-, when
on July 5, DIR. Green of Portland was
hastily summoned TO attend him. DIR.
Greene found that the wound in
Justice Clifford foot had developed
gangrCcn. The diseased member was
amptuatcd, but Justice Clifford did not
survive the shock.
EpyfSU,S IvvENTyAE ER3, STnpIyf,