The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-30

broad. common-seuse basis Withal he
was most companiouable and given to wit
ucisms, and would provoke hearty laugh
ter at times by a remark that seemed as
unexpected 90 him as il was mirth- produc-
ing to his hearers.
shortly after Justice Field came on the
bench, the case of sea captain charged
with killing a Frenchman in the harbor
Of san Francisco, was brought before the
court. and IN an informal talk in the cou-
sulung room Justice Greer took a decid-
ed stand i'm favor of the accused captain.
while Justice Field was strongly against
him. Justice Greer was assisted 60 an
adjoining room and Field followed him,
thinking to present a new view of the law
applicable to the case. Justice Greer,
with a peculiar whistllng sound which al
ways preceded his sentences when arOus-
ed, said:
Don't tell me, sir; don't tell mel I've
forgotten more law than you ever knew
Then by a great effort he raised himself
by the arms of his chair, ana standing at
his fun hight repeated. looking straight
at Justice Field. who was somewhat Of
Tended by The brusqueness of his manner:
Don't tell me- sir! Here's man that
has had every act of an active business
life of forty years examined into with a
microscope to find something against his
character, his home as well as his public
life analysed to find flaw that would re-
fleet upon his veracity, and nothiug-no
nothing. not one single thing-could be
found against him but l0illing-one little
Frenchman, with contempuous drop OF
his cracked voice.
ION one occasion when an unknown at
torney was deluging the bench with words,
Justice Greer called his attendant and
while leaning ON him as he was helped
from the room, gave his peculiar whistle
and said: "A regular b.adder-blaze, regu-
lar bladder-blaze. l can't unders and a
thing he is talking about, and can't get
a decent nap. Now, il 1t were James y
Carlisle or Mcpherson, l could take a nap
and wake up and know all that they had
been saying, but this bladder-blaze win
neither enlghten nor soothe you.
The great Judge Nelson was notable
figure upon the Supreme Court bench for
many years His brain was legal store
house from which he could draw anything
he wanted to use. II was remarked of him
that in preparing his opinions he would
not call for a dozen law books during an
entire session of the court, yet his refer
ences and citations were fun and accurate
and no one ever thought of questioning
| their entire correctness.
Justice Clifford on the contrary, one
| of the most profound jurists that ever
! adorned the bench, who, in the estimation
| VI many regal tAptIlSf WAS tIe Guudl Oh
| any member Of the court during his long
term of service, would have law books
sent to his house by the wagon load, and
! he seemed to use them all. His opinions
were prepared in the library Of his home.
"At the time that Chief Justice Roger
| b. Taney delivered his celebrated opinion
in the bred Scott case Q85O, Jonah d.
! Hoover was the United States district
| marshal and his house the meeting place
| of "a 10 gta 81
! that day Secretary John b. Floyd How
| ell Cobb and Jacob Thompson of Buchan-
ans cabinet, Senator Broderick of Cali
| fornia. DR. Thomas Miller Of Washing
| ton and Sam Ward, but recently crowned
! as the king Of the lobby and the greatest
| lobbyist ever known in Washington, dined
| with Hoover on the evening the decision
was rendered. and their expressions Of
| their private opinions of Judge Taney's
! laundering decision could scarcely be re-
! strained until the door closed upon them,
Floyd and Broderick were both given to
| a very free use of profane language, and
| Judge Taneys ears must have burned
! painfully that evening. They denounced
! him as a darned, laundering old fool who
had, for lack of tact in wording his de-
| cision destroyed all chances of the Dem
| ocratic partys succeeding Itself In the
national administration, and they predict
ed a wild uprising against the power of
the slave states. All accorded to the chief
justice the possession of great legal wis
dom, but they credited him with being a
blind partisan without one particle OF
| diplomacy. The decision had it been
adroitly framed. they said would have
given no loophoe for an outbreak Of pop
ular Indignation, while all the legal ad-
vantaaes deemed essential to the slave
holding interests could have been main
tanned"
,,o . r,,.-.ruK,