The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-08-02
JUSTICE NATHAN CLIFFORD.
Review of the Continuous Public
Life of Great Jurist who Links
JacksOn's to Garfield's Adminis-
tratiOn.

PORTLAND, Me-, July Is Justice Ma
than Clifford, Of the United States Su-
preme Court, died at Cornish at nine
o'clock this morning.
Nathan Clifford, Associate Justice Of
the Supreme Court of the United States
and its senior member, whose death is
this morning announced, was born at
N H.. August Is, 1903, and
received his education at Hayerhill
Academy and the Hampton Literary In
sttuse. Having studied law and been
admitted to the bar, he removed to
Maine in 1927, and in 1880 entered pub.
lie life as member of the State Legis,
lature for York County. He served
four years-during the last two SIS Speak
er; then was elected Attorney-G General
of the State, AN Office he held for four
years. In 1898 he represented his
district in Congress as Democrat, and
under President Polk was Attorney
General OF the United States, succeed
ing John Y. Mason October II, 1916,
holding that Office till June 81, 1S4S.-
He was then appointed Commissioner
to Mexico with Mr.. Ambrose H. Sewer,
OF Arkansas, and subsequently Minister
to that Rapublic, holding the latter post
until September. 1849, when he returned
to the practice OF his profession at Port
lan1. January IL. 1858, President Bu-
chanan commissioned him one of the
Justices OF the Supreme Court. The
appointment did not go unquestioned al
the time, but the new Justice wss not
long in showing that with the Judicial
Temperament and conscientious and un-
firing industry he combined wide legal
kno Wedge. He made wise, just and
excellent judge and was far more es-
teemed than others of his associates up
on the bench for whom higher talent
and greater brilliancy have been claim
ed. A stanch Democrat and Constitu-
tionalist, his name was invariably asso-
ciated with sound and scholarly exposl-
tions of law from lofty and conserva-
tive standpoint. In the Milligan case
he was with Mr.. Justice David Davis
and the majority; in the Legal Tender
cases he stood with Chase, Nelson, Field
and Grier, and signed with the first three
the protest against the packing of the
Court to reverse its judgment, and in
the Louisiana Slaughter House and cog.
nate cases he, with Justices Miller, Oa-
Wis, Strong and Hunt, made the major
ity which saved the ancient rights of The
States and declared that under the &c
teenth amendment the right to vote wa'
not an attribute Of national citizenshil
and that the Republican laws to enforce
the amendments in respect to negro 70
ting we're either uninteligible or uncon
stitutional. In 1877 be presided owe
the Electoral Commission aud an inter
esting anecdote is told Of his action
there which admirably illustrates hi
character. He was o firm believer il
the validity of Mr.. Tilden's title. Hi
position made it necessary for him tt
sign the decisions Of the commission. :
The preparation of the papers in tn
Florida case fell to Senator Hoar on &C
count OF Senator Edmunds's illness, ant
their completion was delayed until with
in few minutes Of noon Of the 4th o
March. Judge Clifford, by insisting up
on q careful personal scrutiny OF tn
papers, could have put off their execu
tion until too late and prevented the in
auguration of Mr. Hayes He did not
however, throw the smallest obstacle il
the way of the work, but showed al
most equal anxiety with Senator Hoa
in hurrying it forward, and prompt,
affixed his signature as soon as the doc
uments we're completed. But he neve
visited the White House during th
Hayes Administration, so bitter was hi
feeling in the matter. When three year
ago he celebrated his golden weddini
at his sons residence in Portland Of
the Fourth Of July, Justice Clifford too
his only holiday for the season; thoug
seventy-six years old, he had writte
aud delivered forty important equit,
: opinions, each requiring the exanina
tion of several hundred pages of printe
testimony, ard in that month Of Jul
wrote seventeen opinions in twentY-on
days. This veritsble passion for labor
however, at last broke his bodily healt
and impaired his mental power. On th
9th of October last, while on bis way t
Washington, he was smitten with parts
paralysis, from the effects of which b
never recovered. The defeat of Ger
eral Hancock was severely felt by hin
as it was the darling ambition of the oil
mans life TO he able to tender his resig
, nation to Democratic President and t
be succeeded by a Democrat. A touct
ing incident was reported in Januar
when, to the surprise of the associate
with whom he had not sat tor lon
time, the Supreme Court received fror
him an opinion on one Of the question
pending before it. He yas laboring un
der the impression that the question ha
+, been referred to him for decision. Th
= opinion was written verbatim as he ha
dictated It to his stenographic secretary
Upon examination it was found this
while the opinion was incoberent it EN-
braced many points of sound law, pu
in way which showed that Judge Gilt
ford, Notwithstanding his condition, re
tanned much Of what be had learned b
long study and experience The lat
Justice was the author of set of Uni
ted States Circuit Court Reports, pub
, lished in 1869, that were we'll regarde
by the bench and har.