The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-15
JUSTICE STEPHEN J. FIELD
Of the Supreme Court of the
United States
TENDERS HIS RESIGNATION
After Forty Years of Judicial Seryice-Last of
LncoIn's AppOintees-ThrOws Lots
of Bouquets at Himself


that Justice Stephen j. Field, of Cali
fornia, had notified President Mckinley
of his intention to retire as member
of the court and had Informed his col
leagues of this fact.
1t is expected that his successor will
be nominated by the president immed-
lately after the converting of congress
in December and that Attorney General
McKenna, also of California, will be
named for the office.
Justice Field, it is learned, notified the
president last April of his intention to
retire, but the president did not acknowl-
-edgeit until October 8. In the letter of
Justice Field to his associates, notifying
them of his retirement, is a copy of the
acceptance of his resignation by the
president in which Mr.. Mckinley speaks
in the highest terms of the services rem
dered by the distinguished jurist. The
letter further says:
My judicial career covers many years
of service. On the 10th of March, 1868,
I was commissioned by President Lin
coin a justice of the supreme court of
the United States taking the oath Of
Office on the goth day of the following
May. With my resignation my period
of service on the bench of this court will
have exceeded that of any of my pre-
decessors, while my entire judicial life
will have embraced more than forty
years. 1t is a pleasant thing In
my memory that my appointment came
from President Lincoln, of whose APP
pointees 1 am the last survivor. Up to
that time there had been no republican
representative of the Pacific coast. The
head of the court when became one of
its members, was the venerable Judge
Tanney, and among the associate JUS
tees was Mr.. Justice Wayne, who had
sat with Chief Justice Marshall thus
constituting link between the past
and the future, and, as it were, binding
into unity nearly an entire century Of
the life of this court. During my in
cumbency three chief justices and six
teen assocfte justices have passed away,
leaving me precious remembrances of
common labors and intimate and agreea-
BILE companonship.
when I came here tbs country was in
the midst of 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
ing in time or place and it's work went
on as though there was no sound of bat
tie. Indeed the war itself simply added
to the amount of litigation elsewhere.
and then came the great period of re-
construction and the last amendments
to the fedsral constitution. In the effort
to re-establsh the nation, to adjust the
things to the changed political, social
and economic affairs, but questions were
developed of far greater Importance,
those of constitutional rights which, for
time agitating the country and halls
of congress, came to us for decision. I
do not exaggerate when I say that no
more difficult or MON =ntous questions
were ever presented to this or any oth:r
court. look back with pride and joy
to the fact that I was allowed to take
part in the consideration Of all those
important questions and not infrequently
1 was called upon to express the judy
ment of this court thereon. And now
that the angry dep feelings over judi
cial decisions have passed It is pleasant
to recognize that the judgment of this
necessity because of the provision of the
constitution, but also as wise in them
selves. AS we all know, the war was
followed by an era of marvellous devel-
was never dreamed of in this country.
Gigantic enterprises were undertaken
and carried through. Inventions have
multiplied the conveniences of life as
well as the possibilities of achievement.
Indsed, the conditions Of life have es-
sentially changed from those that pre-
vailed prior to the war. Out of this
changed social and economic condition
have not only sprung an immense null
titude of cases, but litigation vitality af
fecting the future prosperity and safe
ty of this country. To this court have
come for final solution and decision
many public cases 1 bless God that 1
have been preserved and I have been
enabled to take part In the considera-
ton of all these cases. Few appreciate
the magnitude of our labors. The bur-
den resting upon us for the last fifteen
years has been enormous. The volumss
of our reports show that ! alone have