Stanley Matthews

Stanley Matthews served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from May 1881 until his death in March 1889. Appointed by President James A. Garfield, he was known for authoring two landmark opinions—Yick Wo v. Hopkins and Ex parte Crow Dog—that reflected a progressive approach to civil rights within the legal framework of the late nineteenth century.

Early life and legal career

Stanley Matthews was born on July 21, 1824, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the eldest child of Thomas J. Matthews and Isabella Brown Matthews. He entered Kenyon College in 1839 and graduated in 1840, where he formed friendships with future president Rutherford B. Hayes and John Celivergos Zachos. After college, Matthews studied law under Salmon P. Chase in Cincinnati before relocating to Columbia, Tennessee, in 1842. While there, he practiced law and edited a local newspaper until 1844, after which he returned to Cincinnati. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1845.

In Cincinnati, Matthews became involved with antislavery journalism, editing the Cincinnati Morning Herald while continuing his legal practice from 1853 through 1858. In 1849, together with Zachos, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, and nine others, he founded the Literary Club of Cincinnati; a year later, Rutherford B. Hayes joined the club. The organization attracted prominent figures such as William Howard Taft, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Booker T. Washington, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, and Robert Frost.

Matthews’ early public service began in 1848 when he served as clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives. He subsequently held judicial office as a county judge in Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1856 he was elected to the Ohio State Senate representing the first district, serving until 1858. The following year, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, a position he held until 1861.

When the American Civil War erupted, Matthews resigned from his federal post and accepted a commission as lieutenant colonel with the 23rd Ohio Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. He served in early campaigns in West Virginia, including the Battle of Carnifex Ferry on September 10, 1861. After a year, he resigned from that regiment and was appointed colonel of the 51st Ohio Infantry Regiment in 1862, where he commanded a brigade within the Army of the Ohio, later known as the Army of the Cumberland.

Following his military service, Matthews returned to civilian life in 1863. He was elected judge of the Superior Court of Cincinnati, serving until 1865, after which he resumed private practice. During the Reconstruction era, he represented railroad interests and clients such as Jay Gould. In 1876 he ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives. The following year, in early 1877, he represented Rutherford B. Hayes before a congressional electoral commission that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election. That same year Matthews won a special election to the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy left by John Sherman’s resignation; he did not seek reelection.

Supreme Court tenure

Matthews’ path to the federal bench began with an initial nomination by President Rutherford B. Hayes on January 26, 1881, in the final weeks of Hayes’ administration. The nomination faced opposition in the Senate due to concerns over Matthews’s close ties to railroad interests and his longstanding friendship with Hayes. As a result, the Judiciary Committee did not act on the nomination during the remainder of the 46th Congress.

On March 14, 1881—ten days after President James A. Garfield assumed office—Garfield re‑submitted Matthews’ name for consideration. Despite lingering concerns and a recommendation from the Judiciary Committee to reject the nomination, the Senate confirmed Matthews on May 12, 1881, by a vote of 24–23, the narrowest margin recorded for any successful Supreme Court nominee in U.S. history.

Matthews took the judicial oath on May 17, 1881, and began his service as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He served continuously until his death on March 22, 1889. During his tenure, he was regarded as one of the more progressive members of the Court, contributing to significant decisions that expanded civil rights protections.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Stanley Matthews authored opinions in two cases that have become cornerstones of American constitutional law. In Yick Wo v. Hopkins, he addressed the application of a municipal ordinance that effectively discriminated against Chinese laundry operators by denying them permits while granting them to non‑Chinese applicants. His opinion emphasized that laws must be applied equally and without arbitrary discrimination.

In Ex parte Crow Dog, Matthews tackled issues related to tribal sovereignty and federal jurisdiction over crimes committed on reservation land. The decision clarified the limits of federal authority in such contexts, reinforcing principles of self‑governance for Native American tribes.

Matthews’ contributions to the Court reflected a commitment to ensuring that statutory and constitutional protections were applied fairly across diverse populations. His death in 1889 concluded an eight‑year tenure marked by a willingness to confront complex questions about equality and jurisdiction within the evolving legal landscape of post‑Civil War America.