New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-08
MR.. FULLER A COPPERHEAD
1JGHr on HIS WAR RECORD IN ILLINOIS.
VOTING IN THE "PEACE L. LEGISLATURE" FOR TIE
STRONGEST AvTI-UNIoN MEAsUREs-THE
TELEPHONE CASES AND THE
SUPREME CoUkr
RY TEL rEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]


SUPREME COURT.
RY gGRAPH TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, May THE nomination of Mel
vile W. Fuller, of Illinois. to be Chief Justice of
the United States was considered by the Senate
Judiciary Committee to-day, but no action was
taken upon it,; There was disposition shown on
the mart of Messrs Edmunds and Hoar to look
little further into the record of Mr. Fuller before
formally sending his name to q subcommittee.
This of COURSE is no indication Of any unfavorabe
action on the part Of the committee. 1t tends to
show however, that extraordinary care will be
taken by the committee in advising the Senate to
ratify the nomination of man so little known
to the bar Of the country at large as Mr.. Fuller
was q week ago. The next regular meeting Of
the committee occurs on May IA, and until then
nothing will probably be done by the committee
with the nomination.
Mr Edmunds is certainly the last man in the
world to proceed with undue and undignifed
haste in so important matter as that Of deciding
the fitness of a nominee for the Chief Justceship
1t is known here that Mr. Fuller does not desire
to be confirmed before the adjournment of the
Supreme Court for the present term, which will
be on next Monday. His friends say that he does
not care to go Immediately upon his circuit, pre-
ferring some time in which to settle his private
affairs and close up his law business. II would
therefore be no disappointment probably to him
TO have action on his nomination by the Senate
20 over, say until next December. While it is,
Of course, not certain, and indeed quite unlikely,
that the Judiciary Committee will so long delay
matters, it is unquestionably the sentiment Of q
good many Senator's s-Repubiicans and Democrats
slike-that no harm would befall any one II con-
sideration Of the nomination were to be deferred
until after the reassembling of Congress next
winter good many things have occurred within
the last few days TO point out the wisdom OF such
course.
Mr. FULLER's RECORD AS A CoPPERHEAD.
The fact that Mr.. Fuller has been unknown
. quantity, until nominated week ago, has In
q measure served to make his selection, while not
an eminently happy one, certainly one which
might be pardoned on the ground Of respectability.
But within the last few days Mr.. Fuller's record
rs member of the notorious Peace" Legislature
of Illinois, has been searched and as was ntimated
In these dispatches week ago, the search has
demonstrated the fact that Mr.. Fuller, like most
Democrats in the early days of the war; was
Whether the Senate will consider. this fact
sufficient to warrant its rejection Of Mr.. FuIer's
nomination to be Chief Justice of the United
that majority Of the loyal Northern people will
not look either with confidence or point with
particular pride to the next Chief Justice II they
timents harbored by Mr. Fuller in ls6a. Rebel
like Lamar on the Supreme Court Bench Is bad
but Journal w sscOrs Of Ss
illinois Peace Legislators show that in Jan
uary, 1863, Mr.. Fuller INTRODUCED bill to ratity
the Corwin Amendment to the Constitution OF the
United States This amendment was passed March
O. 1851, Just before the close Of Buchanans Ad;
minstration by Congress as peace offering, ana
prohibited interference with slavery in any State
The Illinois vote was only six days subsequent
TO Iincoln's final Proclamation Of Emancipation
The amendment was finally passed ny Jies Joint Tes0
minority Of the Committee on Federal Relations
In sAsiS report said that after the South had
of the States we believe the passage of this
bill would be degrading to the people of the state
of Illinois, State which has sent l4O,O00 OF her
sons to crush the Rebellion, and would expose
us to the contempt Of the civilized world"
On January s. Jackson Day" Mr Fuller intro
duced resolution of which the following is
portion
Resolved That We profoundly convinced OF the
truth Of the declaration OF General Jackson In his farewell
address the Constitution cannot be maintained nor
the Union preserved in opposition TO public feelings by
the mere exertion of the coerye powers OF the Govern
mept
OPPOSED TO THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
The same day a Mr. OBrien offered a resolution
denouncng the Proclamation of Emancipation as
CONTRARY to the rules and usages OF civilized war
fare and calculated to bring shame disgrace ana
eternal intamy upon the hitherto unsuiIed nag oil
the Republic
Mr. Brentano offered substitute indorsing the
Presidents proclamation, and declaring that we
urge its rigid enforcement and Will use our ulnost
endeavors to sustain it,
On motion TO lay the substitute on tho table,
Mr.. Fuller voted in the affirmative " brleh 5
resolution was referred to the Committee on Fed
eral Relations. On February the committee re-
ported this preamble and resolution:
Whereas The Constitution cannot be rlsintaiaed nor
the Union preserved opposition 70 public feeling by the
coecive powers confded 10 the general
Government and in Of difference and conflicts be-
the States and the Federal Government too power
f for adjustment by the civil departments of the Gov
ernmsn appeal 10 not TO the sword, by the state or
by the general Government but by the people peaceaby
assembled by the representatives in convention;
We believe the further prosecution Of the present war
In the restoration OF the Union, and the
preservation Of the Constitution fathers made 1T
unless the Presidents Emancipation Proclamation DO
Withdrawn.
The committee recommended that National
Convention OF all the States be convened at Louis
vile, Ny: Mr.. Fuller voted for the preamble and
resolutions
ON February l3, Mr.. Fuller, with the majority
Of the Committee on the Judiciary reported and
voted against the bill for an act to extend the
right OF suffrage to the volunteer soldiers OF
Illinois in the service of the United States, and
the bill was defeated.
On June MIR. Fuller voted for resolutions
deDouncing the military authorities for banshing |
Clement L.. vallandi CHAM as an outlaw and exile
from his home into the encmy's country, for the |
only offence of having exercised the right OF free
speech"
On June 10, Richard Yates, the War Governor |
prorogued the I" Peace Legislature" Mr. Fuller |
from tne special committee ON the subject, sub |
mitted a protest denounciDg the action of the |
Governor as arbitrary and illegal, unconstitu- |
tonal and outrageous a monstrous usurpation
OF power and nefarlous attempt to stop the legis-
latlon of the State
This is part only of Mr.. Fuller's record 1t
shows beyond the shadow Of doubt that he
was Copperhead of the most pronounced type
There are "a good many republican Senators, prob
ably, who would vote 10 confirm Southern man
who took an active part in the Rebellion but who
would draw the line when asked TO confirm a
Copperhead such as Mr.. Fuller proves have been.
There Is a minor question connected with the
confirmation of Mr.. Fuller which is attracting
q good deal Of attention Just now, and which
furnishes certain quarters with no end of gossip
The motion for a rebearing of the telephone cases
Is now pending before the Supreme Court IL is
presumed that the court will announce it's decision