Gale Encyclopedia of American Law Volume 2 P7 fully illuminates today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, important documents and more. Legal issues are fully discussed in easy-to-understand language, including such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, physician-assisted suicide and thousands more. | 48 BLACK JEREMIAH SULLIVAN Jeremiah Sullivan Black. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. secession urging the president to maintain a strong Unionist stance. In a shuffle of cabinet offices in December 1860 Black served for a short time as secretary of state. During his brief tenure South carolina became the first state to secede from the Union and Black was a key adviser to Buchanan in handling the crisis. In January 1861 with only a few weeks left in his own term as president Buchanan named Black to a seat on the . supreme court that had been vacant for eight months. Republican senators anxious to give the incoming president abraham Lincoln his first appointment to the court opposed Black. Furthermore although Black was a strong supporter of the Union he was not an abolitionist. As a result his nomination was harshly criticized by the Northern antislavery press and by Democrat stephen a. douglas who had just lost the election to Lincoln. Also southern senators who might have supported Black were resigning from the Senate to join the Confederacy. Had Buchanan acted earlier to fill the seat Black could have been easily confirmed. Instead he was rejected 26-25. Deeply disappointed at his narrow defeat Black returned to his home in York pennsylvania. He then suffered a number of personal setbacks including the loss of his life savings which he had entrusted to a relative for investment and a rapid decline in health. In late 1861 Black s health gradually started to improve and he resumed practicing law. In December of that year he was appointed reporter of decisions for the . supreme court a position created by congress in 1816. As reporter Black was primarily responsible for editing publishing and distributing the court s opinions. The reporter was paid a modest yearly salary and usually earned additional income selling copies of the bound volume in which an important case appeared or printing and selling a significant opinion separately in a pamphlet. In those days the .
