The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-11
HARLAN IS RULoGlzFD
Banquetted by Bar of the Supreme Court
Praised by Roosevelt.
(By the Associated Press.)

washington. Dec 9-The dinner by the
har of the Supreme Court of the United
States. at the New Willard tonight, to
Justice John Marshall Harlan, in recog-
milton of the completion of twenty-five
wears of service on the bench of the Su-
preme court, was a brilliant function.
Wayne MacVeagh presided. Grace was
said by Rev Richard d. Harlan, of Lake
Falls ILL.,. eldest son of the Justice.
Interest in the banquet outside of JUS
tice Harlan centered in President Roose-
Welt. His arrival shortly after $3.50 was
the signal for a great outbcrst OF ap-
plause. The President warmly congratu-
lated Justice Harlan, grasping him by
both hands before taking his seat.
When the time for speech making ar
rived, Wayne MacVeagh, in a few ap-
propriate remarks, introduced the Presi-
dent. who said:
"Mr Justice Harlan has served for
quarter of a century on that court. Dur
ing that time he has exercised an IN
fluence over the judicial craftsmanship
of the country of kind such as is pos
sible only under our own form of govern
ment (Applause). For the judges of
the Supreme court of the land must be
not only great jurists, but they must be
great constructive statesmen (Applause).
MIR. Justice Harlan came from
Kentucky, a State in which the patriot
ism of the people was put to so peculiar
a test in the Civil War l remember,
Mr.. Justice, being told by an American,
who was a staunch friend of yours. and
one of the greatest lawyers, and most
patriotic citizens, whom this country
had-John Mason Brown-that he had
come back from a trip in the West as
man of 81 just at the time of the out
break of the war, Just after Sumter had
been fired upon, and his mother brought
down to him the sword his father had
carried in the Mexican War. and said
to him: My son, this is the sword your
father carried. l hope you will draw 1t
on the side that defends the flag for
which your father fought, but on one
side or the other, draw it you must
(Applause). In any audience in any
State of the Union, take it as far north
as you wish, l can appeal with conf
dence to the people l address when l say
that next to the homage we pay to the
men who proved the truth Of their en-
deavor as they battled in the blue uni
form is the homage we pay to the men
who, with equal sincerity with equal
devotion, to the right as 1t was given
them to see the right, wore the grey.
cloud and continuous applause).
"And having said that 1 am sure that
none of my friends who fought in the
Confederate service will misunderstood
me, or will Crude what l am aboue to
say, when l say that the greatest debt
owed by this country to any set Of men is
owed by it to those men of the so-called
border States, the men who in states
manship followed Clay and the Critten-
dens and the Blairs: the men who as
soldiers fought on the same side with
Thomas and Farragutt, the men who
were for the Union, without regard to
whether their immediate associates were
for it or not. cloud applause). In New
York, in Massachusetts, in Illinois, in
Iowa, the men who stood for the Union
went with the stream. In parts of Ken
lucky, of Missouri, they stemmed the tor
rent. (Applause). And, gentlemen,
am half a Southerner myself. Two of
my uncles fought in the Confederate
navy. One of them served under the
father in-law of Vice Governor Luke
Wright, of the Philippine Islands. So
| ing the Southern people as do, would
| heartily advocate fighting twice as hard
as you fought from 81 to '65 for the
| privilege of staying in the same Union
with them" daughter and applause).
AS the President took his seat, Mr..
MacVeagh introduced Justice Harlan
The cheering was SO prolonged that it
was some time before the Justice could
speak.
| After expressing his pleasure at the
signal honor given him, Justice Harlan
said that if his countrymen thought that
| he had discharged the duties of his office
with conscientious regard for what he
deemed to be the law, and with an eye
single to the ends of justice and right
and truth his descendants would have in
| this estimate of his judicial life a legacy