Robert M. Douglas
Encyclopedia
Robert Martin Douglas was a North Carolina Supreme Court
justice and political figure. At the beginning of his career, the young attorney served the Republican governor of the state and President Ulysses S. Grant
's Reconstruction administrations.
, North Carolina
, he was the first of two sons of Senator Stephen A. Douglas
(Democrat of Illinois
) and Martha Martin, originally of North Carolina
. Martha died after the birth of her third child, a daughter, in 1853, and the unnamed infant died a few weeks later. Robert was only four. He and his brother Stephen spent considerable time when young with their maternal grandmother and the Martin family in their mother's home state. After his father married Adele Cutts, from a Maryland Catholic
family, with his permission she had the boys baptized and reared them as Catholic.
The family split their time between homes in Washington, DC and Chicago, Illinois during his father's Senate service. Douglas graduated from Georgetown College
in Washington, DC in 1867. He later earned a Master's
degree and a doctoral degree in law from the same institution.
, Douglas turned away from the Democratic Party to which his father had belonged. He believed that the party had died during the war. he became a leading Republican and active in Reconstruction era governments.
During 1868, Douglas served as private secretary to the Governor of North Carolina
. From 1869 to 1873, he was appointed private secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant
..
For the next decade, he served as United States Marshal for North Carolina
. In 1888 he was appointed to serve as Master in Chancery to the United States Circuit Court
. He continued until 1896, when he was elected as a Republican to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
In 1901, Justice Douglas and Chief Justice David M. Furches
(also a Republican) were impeached by the Democratic Party-controlled North Carolina House of Representatives
"for issuing an allegedly unconstitutional mandamus ordering the State Treasurer
to pay out money." Neither was removed from office by the necessary two-thirds vote of the North Carolina Senate
, although a simple majority of senators favored removal. Douglas served his eight-year term and then retired from the court.
Douglas died at his home in Greensboro, North Carolina
on February 8, 1917.
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
justice and political figure. At the beginning of his career, the young attorney served the Republican governor of the state and President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Reconstruction administrations.
Early life and education
Born on January 28, 1849 at his maternal grandmother's home in Rockingham CountyRockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, he was the first of two sons of Senator Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
(Democrat of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) and Martha Martin, originally of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Martha died after the birth of her third child, a daughter, in 1853, and the unnamed infant died a few weeks later. Robert was only four. He and his brother Stephen spent considerable time when young with their maternal grandmother and the Martin family in their mother's home state. After his father married Adele Cutts, from a Maryland Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family, with his permission she had the boys baptized and reared them as Catholic.
The family split their time between homes in Washington, DC and Chicago, Illinois during his father's Senate service. Douglas graduated from Georgetown College
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, DC in 1867. He later earned a Master's
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree and a doctoral degree in law from the same institution.
Career
In the aftermath of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Douglas turned away from the Democratic Party to which his father had belonged. He believed that the party had died during the war. he became a leading Republican and active in Reconstruction era governments.
During 1868, Douglas served as private secretary to the Governor of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. From 1869 to 1873, he was appointed private secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
..
For the next decade, he served as United States Marshal for North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. In 1888 he was appointed to serve as Master in Chancery to the United States Circuit Court
United States circuit court
The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate...
. He continued until 1896, when he was elected as a Republican to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
In 1901, Justice Douglas and Chief Justice David M. Furches
David M. Furches
David Moffatt Furches was a North Carolina politician and jurist who served as an associate justice and chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Furches read law under Chief Justice Richmond M...
(also a Republican) were impeached by the Democratic Party-controlled North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
"for issuing an allegedly unconstitutional mandamus ordering the State Treasurer
North Carolina State Treasurer
The North Carolina State Treasurer is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina responsible for overseeing the financial operations of state government. The current state treasurer is Janet Cowell....
to pay out money." Neither was removed from office by the necessary two-thirds vote of the North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
, although a simple majority of senators favored removal. Douglas served his eight-year term and then retired from the court.
Douglas died at his home in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
on February 8, 1917.
Marriage and family
On June 23, 1874, Douglas married Jessie Madeline Dick, daughter of the Honorable Robert Paine Dick, a Supreme Court justice of North Carolina. They had four children together:- Madeleine Douglas (who later married Col. Edward Warren Myers),
- Robert Dick DouglasRobert Dick DouglasRobert Dick Douglas was a North Carolina attorney who served as North Carolina Attorney General briefly in 1900-1901. He was believed to be the youngest attorney general in the state's history.-Early life and education:...
(1875-1960), - Stephen Arnold Douglas (b. 1879), and
- Martin F. Douglas (b. 1886).