The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-04
Highest of all in Leavening power-La,cst u. S. Gov
JUsrlcE rIEs.D,s nusY LIVE.
He win Bc Eighty Years old on the
fifth Of November.
(New York Times.

fifth of November.
tNew York TimesJ
The eishticth birthday Anniversary Of
Justice Stephen Johnson Field, on No
vember 4th. will be be observed nfor-
maly at his home, in Washmston. IL
is expected that all OF his associates ON
the Supreme Court Bench. his relatives
ana few of his intimate friends will
be present The Rev. Henry NJ Field
of this city, the only remaining brother
OF the venerable jnstlce. said yesterday
that the gathering would not he in the
nature Of Il celebration. but would be II
simple reunion of those persons who
have been closest TO him III HIS long and
active career.
Justice Field is i'm good health. and,
Notwithstanding his age. his capacity
/ for labor is uninpaired. He was so fraiI
i'll infancy that his life was dispairrd
or hut tnN temperate habits in which
he was trained and the careful develop
ment of his powers during his youth
! have made him in his old age much
more vigorous than the average man OF
sixty.
since his thirteenth year, when he
sailed Tor Smyrna with his sister. tho
wife of the Rev. Josiah Brewer. his life
has aboundcd in striking incidents
When he entered Williams College. in
lSS". he was already Il thorough Greek
scholar, with knowledge also of Italian.
French and Greek. lie graduated III
ic"i' btt1sSiI lil' StiCN bI law Ill
the Office of his brother. David Dudley
Field, III New York. re was his broth
erS partner seven years. ending in
ISIS. n yea: later Air. Field went to
California. and soon took his first Off
cial position. that OF Alcalde of MaryS-
vile. Upon the organization OF the
State government he entered THE Legis-
laturc. In 1857 he was elected Judge of
the Supreme Court of the state Upon
the death "f Chief Justice Terry he be-
came Chicr Justice and filled that Office
until he lei; California.
President !.iEcolu appointed Mr. Field
the tenth Justice of the United States
Supreme Court IL 1863. when Congress
passed the law creating Il new district
on the Pacific coast. He took the GA TN
of office May cCih. 1853. fancy was then
Chief Justice, whc Associate justices;
We're: Wayne Catron. Nelson Grier.
Clifford. Swayne Miller and Davis. one
of the first cases before the tribunal af-
ter ju"iic" "tei'l took his seat was the
famous Ntlligan case. Justice Field was;
one of the five justices who in this case
declared the ciEii authority of the Gov
eminent to be paramount to the mill
tary.
In the "legal-tender' cases of war
time, which are of special interest by
reason of the present financial cam
paign. Justice Field stood with Chief
Justice Chase against the constitutions
ality of the act of Congress making the
promises of the Government II legal
!tender for the payment of debts. Jus
tice Field believes that il the Supreme
Court had so decided the, financial un-
certainty following the war would not
have existed He opposed the subsc-
,quent reversal Of the decision.
Iustic" Fields rulc of thought in the
Interpretation of constitutional qucs-
tons and the rule that has given rise to
the chief popular discussion of his work
on the iiench. are summed up in the
record" of the family written by the
Rev. Henry NJ. Field. his brother, as
follows:
! First, the preservation from every in
reference or invasion by each other OF
all the powers and functions allotted to
the National Government and the State
Governments; and second, the perfec;
security and protection of private rights
from all crcronchments, either by the
United States or by the Individual
States. These two ideas he has steadily
kept in view, and has made the basis
IF his decisions. He has demonstrated
that n constant ana firm maintenance
of the powers justly belonging To the
Federal Government is not ircompati-
ihc with an equally firm unfolding of
the powers intriistcd to the S,ntcs. with
p, an undertaking adherence Ia the sacred
I d"ctr;lr OF lUcal self government ana
iwith Jealous protection of private rights
/ because all. in fact. rest upon the same
/ foundation"
! He dissentcd from the decision OF the
| Electoral Commission in 1871 which
awarded the Presidency to Rutherford
! i. Hayes, as against Samuel j. Tildeu
/ His opposition TO The Republican policy
of reconstruction after III" war drew
upon him the eyes of the whole country
and made him the candidate Of q strong
faction for the Democratic nomination
for .hc Presidency i'm 1880. i!c ascribcs
his defeat To the divisions in his own
State.
The November rEcRycns.
Thr sun enters SaEittarus on Novern-
! he; -lit. In this month the mornings
decrease ~ minutes and the afternoons