The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-15
Justice Fields Letter.
The following letter was given out this
afternoon:
"Supreme Court of the United States.

afternoon:
Supreme Court of the United States,
Washington. Oct II, 1897.
Dear Mr.. Chief Justice and Brethren
Near the close of last term, feeling that
the duties of my office had become too ar
duous for my strength, / transmitted my
on the first day of December next and this
he has accepted, with kindly expressions of
regard, as will be seen from copy of his
letter, which is follows:
" Executive Mansion, Washington, Oct. 9.
Hon. Stephen j. Field, Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United
States, Washington, ID. c..
!" My Dear Sir--In April last Chief Justice
Fuller, accompanied by Mr. Justice Brewer,
handed me your resignation as associate
justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States, to take effect Dec. l. 1897. In here
press my deep regret that you feel COM
peled by advancing years, to sever your
active connection with the court of which
you have so long been distinguished MEM
ber.
" Entering on your great office in May,
1863 you will, on the 1st of next December,
have served on this bench for a period of
thirty-four years and s8yen months a term
longer than that of any member of the
court since it's creation and throughout a
period of special Importance in the history
OF the country, occupied with as grave pub
lie questions as have ever confronted that
tribunal for decision. / congratulate you,
therefore, most heartily upon a service of
such exceptional duration, fidelity and dis
tinction. Nor can / overlook the fact that
you received your commission from Abra-
ham Lincoln and, graciously spared by
kind providence have survived all the mem
bers of the court of his appointment.
Upon your retirement both the bench
and the country will sustain great loss,
but the high character and great ability of
your work will live and long be remem-
bered, not only by your colleagues, but by
your grateful fellow-countrymen
" With personal esteem and sincere best
wishes for your contentment and happiness
during the period of rest which you have so
well earned, I am. dear sir, very truly
yours, WILLIAM MKINLEY.'
MANY YEARS OF SERVICE
''My judicial career covers many years Of
service. Having been elected member of
the Supreme Court Of California, assumed
that office Oct. IS. 1857, holding it for five
years seven months and five days the lat
ter part of the time being the chief justice.
On the 10th of March 1868, 1 was commits
stoned by President Lincoln a justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States, taking
the oath of office on the twentieth day of
the following May. When my resignation
takes effect my period of service on this
bench will have exceeded that of any Of
my predecessors. while my entire judicial
life will have embraced more than forty
years | may be pardoned for saying that
during all this period, long in comparison
with the brevity of human life, though in
the retrospect 1t has gone with the swift
ness of tale that is told, ] have not
shgnned to declare in every case coming
eAAN
my deliberate convictions compelled me to
arrive at by the conscientious exercise of
sessed.
1T is pleasant thing in my memory that
my appointment came from President Lin
coin, of whose appointees am the last
survivor. Up to that time there had been
no representative here of the Pacific coast.
A new empire had risen in the West whose
laws were those of another country The
land titles were from Spanish and Mexican
grants, both of which were often overlaid
11x~4 -I.t.~- - Aaesfr
order out of this confusion Congress passed
act providing for another seat on this
55,s bench with the intentl;o1n that It should be
fictng titles and with the mining laws of
the coast. and as it so happened that had
framed the principal OF these laws and
was moreover chief justice of California
it was the wish of the senator's and repre-
sentatives of that State, as we'll as of those
from Oregon, that / should succeed to the
new position. Al their request Mr.. Lin
coin sent my name to the Senate and the
This kindly welcome was extended in
March, but | did not at once enter on the
the reason that as chief justice of Cafor-
MIA had heard arguments in many cases,
in the disposition of which, and especially
in the preparation of opinions, 1t was fit
ting that ! should participate before Ieav-
ing that bench, and fixed the goth of May
birthday of my father, who INDUCED just
pride at my accession to this exalted posi-
HIS FIRST ASSOCIATES.
eat the head of the court, when / be-
came one of it's members, was the venerable
Chief Justice Taney who had sat with
Chief Justice Marshall. thus constituting a
link between the past and the future and.
as it We're binding into unity nearly an en-
tire century of the life of this court Dur
ing my incumbency three chief justices and
sixteen associate justices have passed away
leaving me precious remembrances of COM
mon labors and intimate and agreeable
companionship.
when | came here the country was in
the midst of a war. Washington was one
great camp and now and then the boom
OF cannon could be heard from the other
side of the Potomac. But we could not say
inter arma silent leges. This court met in
regular session. never once failing in time
or place and its work went on as though
there were no sound of battle Indeed the
war itself simply added TO the amount Of
litigation here as elsewhere. But the war
ended in a couple of years, and then came
the great period of reconstruction and the
last amendments to the Federal Consti.u-
ton. In the effort 10 re-establish the Ma
oI4 all tn fha che,