Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-11

times the maj jority are wrong, and II
requires heroes to take the negative,
but to do that logically and In good
humor requires some elements Of make Up
not often found in judicial dissenters or,
indeed, In any class Of men, There are $50
many people in the world opposed to every
thing and who display their opposition in
rancorous and obnoxious ways that a Judge
Field was needed to make the negative re.
spected and genial and right. Minorities
under God save the world and save the
church. An unthinking and .precipftate
"yes" may be stopped by righteous and
he roic mo" The majorities are not al
ways right. The old gospel hymn de
clares 1t:
Numbers are no mark that men will right
be found;
A few were saved In Noah's ark to many
millions drowned.
The Declaration OF American Independ-
ence was q dissenting opinion. The Free
Church OF Scotland, under Chalmers and
his compeers, was dissenting movement.
The Bible itself, Old Testament and New
is nava against yes the
world and is dissenting as well
as a divinely inspired book. The deca-
logue on Sinai repeated ten times Thou
shalt not" For ages to come will be quoted
from lawbooks in court rooms Justice
Fields magnificent dissenting opinions.
a character as assault and peril alone can
develop. He had not come to the soft
cushions Of the Supreme Court bench step
ping on cloth Of gold and saluted all along
the line by handclapplng Of applause.
Country parsonages do not rock their
send them out into the world with enough
in their hands to purchase place and
power. Pastors salaries In the early part
OF this century hardly ever reached 800 a
year, Economies that sometimes cut into
the bone characterized many Of the homes
Of the New England clergymen. The young
lawyer ofwhom we speak to-day arrived
In San Francisco In 1849 with only $40
In his pocket. Williamstown College was
only Introductory to postgraduate
course which our illustrlous friend took
while administering justice and halting
ruff1Rnism amid the mining camps Of Cali
fornia. Oh, those "forty-niners," as they
we're called, through what privations,
through what narrow escapes, amid what
exposures they moved! Administering
and executing law among outlaws never
has been an easy undertaking. Among
mountaineers, many OF whom had no re.
gard for human life and where the snap OF
pistol and bang OF gun were not unusual
responses, required courage OF the highest
metal.
Behind dry goods box surmounted by
tallow candles Judge Field began his judi
cial career. What exciting scenes he
passed through! An Internal machine was
handed to him, and inside the lid of the
box was pasted his decision in the Pueblo
case, the decision that had baked unprin-
cipled spectators. Ten years ago his life
would have passed out had not an officer
of the law shot down his assailant. 1t took
long training of hardship and abuse and
misinterpretation and threat Of violence
and flash OF assassin's knife to fit him for the
high place where he could defy legislatures
and congresses and presidents and the
world when he knew he was right. Hard
ship Is the grindstone that sharpens INTEL
lectual faculties, and the swords with
ones country.
Notice also how much our friend did for
the honor of the judiciary. What momen-
tous scenes have been witnessed In our
United States Supreme Court, on the
bench and before the bench, whether, far
back, 1t held its sessions In the upper room
of the Exchange at New York. or after
ward for ten years In the City Hall at
Philadelphia, or later In the cellar OF
yonder capitol, the place where for many
years the Congressional Library was kept,
sepulcher where books were buried alive,
the hole called by ] John Randolph "the cave
OF Trophonius!"
How suggestive the invitation which
William Writ, the great Virginian, wrote
his friend inviting him to yonder Supreme
Courtroom: Tomorrow week will come
on the great steamboat question from New
York. Emmett and Oakley on one side,
Webster and myself on the other. Come
down and hear it. Emmetts whole soul
IL in the case, and he will stretch all his
powers. Oakley Is said to be one Of the
finest logicians of the age, as much
Phocion as Emmett Is a Themist ocles, and
Webster is as ambitious as Cesar. He will
not be outdone by any man II 1t is within
n avoid Coma
to Washington. 1t will be a combat worth
witnessing" The Supreme Court has stood
80 high in England and the United States
that the vices Of few who have occupied
that important place have not been able to-
disgrace 1t, neither the corruption of
Francis Bacon, nor the cruelty Of Sir
George Mackenzie, nor the Sabbath desecra-
ton Of Lord Castlereagh.
To that highest of all tribunals Abraham
Lincoln called our friend, but he lived long
enough to honor the Supreme Court more
than 1t had ever honored him. For more
than thirtyfour years he sat in the pres
ence OF this nation and Of all nations
model judge. Fearlessness, integrity, de-
votion to principle, characterized him. No
bribe ever touched his hand. No profane
word ever scalded his tongue. No blemish
Of wrong ever marred his character. Fully
ted In the history Of this country with the
greatest OF the judiciary.
To have done we'll, all that such pro-
fession could ask Of him, and to have made
that profession still more honorable by his
brilliant and sublime life, is enough for ma
tional and international, terrestrial and
celestial congratulation. And then to ex-
pire beautifully, while the prayers Of his
church were being offered at his bedside,
the door OF heaven opening for his en-
trance as the door of earth opened for his
departure, the sob Of the earthly farewell
caught up into raptures that never die.
Yes, he lived and died in the faith OF the
old fashioned Christian religion.
Young man, I want to tell you that JUS
tfce Field believed in the Bible from lid to
lid, book all true either as doctrine or
history, much of 1t the history Of events
that neither God nor man approves. Our
friend drank the wine Of the holy saora-
ment and ate the bread Of which "if man
eat he shall never hunger" He was the up
and down, out and out friend OF the church
Of Christ. II there had been anything il
logical In our religion, he would have
secuted it, for he was logician II there
had been in it anything unreasonable, he
would have rejected 1t, because he was
great reasoner. II there had been in 1t any
thing that would not stand research, he
would have exploded the fallacy, for his
e.