Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-14
Justice Field Announces His Inten.
tions to His Associates.
RENDERED RESIGNATION In APRIL
Letter of Appreciation From the
President.
LONG CAREER REVIEWED

| today that Justice Stephen j. Field OF
California had notified President Mckinley
| of his intention 10 retire as a member Of
the court and had Informed his colleagues
| OF this fact. The members of the court.
after adjournment at o'clock today. will
cal in body on the retiring justice to
pay him their respects. 1t is expected
that his successor will be nominated by
the President Immediately after the con-
| vening of Congress in December and that
| Attorney General McKenna, also of Cali
fornia, 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-
edge it until October ..
Justice Fields Announcement.
With the exception OF Justice Fields let
| ter to the President notifying the Pr.si-
dent of his intention. to retire from the
bench of the United States Supreme Court.
| following is the correspondence bearing
upon the subject:
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
Washington. October L.. 1897.
Dear Mr.. Chief Justice and Brethren:
Near the close of last term. feeling that
the duties of my office had become too
arduous for my strength. I transmitted my
| resignation to the President. to take effect
on TIE 1st day of December next. and this
he has accepted. with kindly expressions of
| regard as will be seen from a copy of his
| letter, which is as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
Washington. October 9. 1897.
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 resisna ton as associate
justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States. to take effect December I. 1897.
In hereby accepting your resignation. I
wish to express my deep regret that you
feel compelled by advancing years to sever
your active connection with the court of
which you have SO long been distinguish
cd member.
Entering upon your great office I'm May,
1868. you will. on the 1st of next Decem-
her, have served upon this bench for
period Of thirty-four years and seven
mcnths-a term longer than that of any
member of the court since its creation and
TIN oughout period Of special importance
in the history of the country, occupied with
as grave public questions as have ever
Confronted that tribunal for decision.
1 congra tulate you. therefore. most heart
lily upon service of such exceptional dura-
tion fidelity ard distinction. Nor can I
overlook the fact that you received your
commission from Abraham Lincoln and
graciously spared by a kind Providence
have survived all the members of .he court
of mis- 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 collea CUES, but by
your grateful fellow countrymen.
With personal esteem and sincere best
WISHES Tor your contentment and happi-
ness during the period of rest which ycu
nave so well earned L am, dear sir,
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Justice Field then says in part:
q. ~
service. Va
Having been elected a member of the SUI
preme court of California 1 assumed that
office October Is. 1857 holding IL for tivr
years. seven months and five lays. the lat
ter part of the time being chief justice
On the 10th OF March, 1863, 1 was com
missloned by President Lincoln justice OF
the Supreme Court of the United States.
taking the oath of office on the 10Th day
OF the following May.
When my resignation takes effect nv
period of service on the bench will have
exceeded that of any of my predecessors
while my entire judicial life will have en-
braced more than forty years. l may be
pardoned for saying that during all this
period, long in comparison with the brevity
Of human life, though in the RETROSPECT IL
has gone with the swiftness of a tale that
is told, have not Stunned to declare in
every case coming before me for decision
the conclusions which my deliberate con-
victions compelled me to arrive at by the
conscientious exercise of such abilities as 4
possessed.
Appointed by Lincoln.
Mr.. Field said that it was a pleasant
thing in his memory that his appointment
came from President Lincoln, of whose ap-
pointees he is the last survivor
AT the head of the COURT he says,
when 1 became one of its members was
the venerable Chief Justice Taney AMI
among the associate justices was Mr. Jus
Marshall, thus constituting link between
the past and the future. and, ii We're,
binding into unity nearly an entire ceE-
tury of the life of this court
During my incumbency three Grief us
tices and sixteen associate justices have
passed away. leaving me precious remern-
brances of common labors and intimate and
agreeable companionship.
The War Period.
"When I came here the country was in
the midst of war. Washington was one
great camp. and now and then the boom Of
cannon CO lid be heard from the other side
of the Potomac. But We could not say in
ter 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
The Courts Reply.
Following is the courts reply:
Supreme Court OF the United States
WASHINGTON, October IL, 1857.
Dear Brother Field:
We are profoundly moved by the letter
in which you announce to us your retire
ment from the bench. The termination Of
a judicial career of such length and cis-
tii,ction canEot fail to inspire among all
your countrymen. and. indeed, wherever
the realm of jurisprudence extends. keen
serse of loss, which to your colleagues as
srmes the aspect Of a personal bereave-
ment Fer the intimacy necessarily incl
dent to the conduct of work so constant,
SO cxacting and of such vital importance
as ours inevitably draws us together by
ties of the closest character which cannot
be dissolved without emotions of deep sad
ness and regree.
We feel that our parting involves not
simply the deprivation of the assistance af-
forded by your learning. your vast expert
ence and your earnestness In advocacy of
your convictions. but the severance OF those
relations which have contributed SO much
to tighten tine hardest labors of the road
This is not the time or place to dwell ON
the reputation you have achieved - q FUR