Nathan Clifford

Nathan Clifford was an American statesman, diplomat, and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1858 until his death in 1881. A prominent Democratic politician from Maine, his career included service in the United States House of Representatives, as the United States Attorney General under President James K. Polk, and as a diplomat to Mexico. On the Supreme Court, he was a consistent advocate for states' rights and authored notable opinions in areas including admiralty law and the legal status of the Confederacy.

Early life and education

Nathan Clifford was born in Rumney, New Hampshire, to a family of modest means. After receiving a basic education in local schools, he moved to New York and later to Maine, where he began studying law in the office of Josiah Quincy in Newburyport. He was admitted to the Maine bar in 1827 and established a successful legal practice in Newfield and later in Portland, quickly gaining a reputation for his skill in trial advocacy.

Legal and political career

Clifford's political career began with his election as a Democrat to the Maine House of Representatives in 1830. He served as the state's Attorney General from 1834 until 1838. In 1838, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served two terms, aligning with the policies of President Andrew Jackson and becoming a vocal supporter of the Polk administration. Following his congressional service, President Polk appointed him as the United States Attorney General in 1846. In this role, he provided legal opinions on the conduct of the Mexican–American War. After leaving the Cabinet, he served as the U.S. Minister to Mexico from 1848 to 1849, helping to implement the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Supreme Court service

In 1857, President James Buchanan nominated Clifford to the Supreme Court of the United States to fill the seat vacated by Benjamin Robbins Curtis. His nomination faced significant opposition from Republican senators due to his pro-southern leanings and his role in the Polk administration, but he was eventually confirmed in 1858. During his tenure, which spanned the Civil War and Reconstruction, he often dissented from the Court's majority, frequently siding with the minority view that favored a narrow interpretation of federal power. He served on the Electoral Commission of 1877, which decided the disputed presidential election in favor of Rutherford B. Hayes.

Major opinions and jurisprudence

Justice Clifford is best remembered for his opinion in the Prize Cases, where he dissented, arguing that President Abraham Lincoln's blockade of Southern ports was unconstitutional without a formal declaration of war from Congress. He authored the majority opinion in United States v. Padelford (1870), which dealt with the restoration of property rights under presidential pardons after the Civil War. In the field of admiralty law, his opinion in The Steamboat New York v. Rea (1859) was influential. He also wrote a significant dissent in the Legal Tender Cases, opposing the constitutionality of the Legal Tender Act of 1862.

Later life and death

In his later years on the bench, Clifford's health declined, but he refused to retire, hoping a Democratic president would appoint his successor. His mental acuity was questioned during the Electoral Commission proceedings. He suffered a stroke in 1880 and died on July 25, 1881, at his summer home in Cornish, Maine. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland. His death created a vacancy on the Court that was filled by Horace Gray, appointed by President Chester A. Arthur.

Category:1803 births Category:1881 deaths Category:Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States Category:United States Attorneys General Category:American diplomats