Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-03
A BIT OF HISTORY.
Chicago Journal.

Chicago Journal.
The New York Evening Post since
the celebration of its centennial an
niyersary has indulged in the pleasing
custom of reprinting extracts from its
files of a corresponding date hundred
years ago, and they are frequently
highly interesting and suggestive
Sometimes they mark the contrast be-
tween the manners and habits of the
people at the beginning of the Nine
teenth and at the beginning of the
Twentieth Century, and sometimes
they describe noted event in our
history. 1t is species of reminiscence
not unagreeable in centenarians
On the 10th of March last the follow
ing was the reprint for the day taken
from the Evening Post of March 18th,
1902:
What particular speech of Mr.. Bayard' Is
il was that the Evening Post of a century
ago set itself to the task of printing in in
stalments today il would print the entire
speech, if il printed it at all, in single
issue and think nothing of the accomplish
ment-we do not know. But we feel surn
that We are not running contrary to the
truth of history in saying that it was un-
doa ubtedlysgood speech.
The Wilmington, Del, Every Even
ing copies this extract, and after saying
that the Mr.. Bayard referred to was
the grandfather of the late Thomas i.
Bayard-he was one of the most emf
nent of the Federalist party leaders of
his day adds:
We this evening present our readers with
six columns of Mr.. Bayard's celebrated
speech; nine more have come TO hand this
morning, which VA shall give tomorrow. 1t
was our intention to have waited for the
whole in a single paper, even to the exclu-
sion of every advertisement, so as TO have
presented it to the admiring reader entire
but as all We have now received only con
cludes tho iifst days speaking, it is not
probable that the paper could have con-
tainot the WHOLE, which we must judge
would extend to more than thirty columns.
The speech was Mr.. Bayard's S great
one against the repeal of the Federal
judiciary law, delivered in the House
of Representatives at Washington in
the last days of February, 1902.
This was one of the most exciting
questions that had yet arisen in the
politics of the time.
After the defeat of John Adams for
a second term, and in view of the
coming ascendency of the Jeffersonian
Republicans, Congress, still under the
control of the Federalists, passed a
law recognizing the Federal judiciary,
establishing six new Circuit Courts,
and providing for the appointment of
16 circuit judges.
This was in February, 1901, about
three weeks before the Inauguration of
Jefferson, and President Adams kept
himself busy appointing these judges
from the Federal party up to the mid
night of March Sd, when he went out
of Office. Hence the name given to
them of midnight judges. y
The howl that went up from Repub-
licans at this bold grab upon the
national judiciary they have retired
into the judiciary as into fortress, :"
wrote Jefferson-can be better imagined
than described. 1t caused immense ex-
citement throughout the country, and
when the new Congress convened in
the following December, among the
earliest bills introduced was one for
the repeal of that Judiciary act. AS
the. Republicans had majority in
both houses, the repeating act was
passed, and the Federalist newspapers
went into mourning for the ''death of
the Constitution, the New York
Evening Post among them probably.
The 16 judges were legislated out of
office, and that was the end of the
matter. The debate on the question,
in which Mr.. Bayard bore "a CON
spicuous and brilliant part, is one of
the most interesting that can be found
in the old annals of Congress.