The Honorable Mortimer M. Jackson | |
|---|---|
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| Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office September 1848 – June 1, 1853 | |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judgefor the 5th Circuit | |
| In office September 1848 – June 1, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | Montgomery M. Cothren |
| 3rd and 5th Attorney General of theWisconsin Territory | |
| In office 1845 – January 22, 1846 | |
| Governor | Henry Dodge |
| Preceded by | William Pitt Lynde |
| Succeeded by | A. Hyatt Smith |
| In office June 26, 1842 – 1844 | |
| Governor | James Duane Doty |
| Preceded by | Horatio Wells |
| Succeeded by | William Pitt Lynde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mortimer Melville Jackson (1809-03-05)March 5, 1809 |
| Died | October 13, 1889(1889-10-13) (aged 80) |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin |
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| Spouses |
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| Occupation | Lawyer, judge |
| Signature | .png) |
Mortimer Melville Jackson (March 5, 1809 – October 13, 1889) was an American lawyer, judge, and diplomat. He was a justice of the originalWisconsin Supreme Court from 1848 through 1853 and was later aUnited Statesconsul general inCanada for twenty years. Prior toWisconsin statehood, he wasAttorney General of theWisconsin Territory.
Jackson was born inRensselaerville, New York.[1] He received his education in New York City, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1838, Jackson moved toMilwaukee,[1] and then in 1839, toMineral Point,Wisconsin Territory,[1] where he practiced law, involving the lead-mining industry.[2]
In 1842, Wisconsin Territorial GovernorJames Duane Doty appointed Jackson Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory, where he served until 1846.[1] When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Jackson was elected one of the first fiveWisconsin Circuit Court judges. At the time, theWisconsin Supreme Court was constituted of the five circuit court judges; thus, Jackson was also a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court until a separate Supreme Court was formed in 1853.[1]
Politically, Judge Jackson was involved with theWhig Party from as early as 1834, and joined theRepublican Party when it was formed in the 1850s.[1] After Republicans won a legislative majority in the10th Wisconsin Legislature—and therefore the ability to elect aUnited States senator at the start of that term—Republican leaders of western Wisconsin pushed for Jackson to be the party's selection for U.S. Senate.[3][4] The debate was intense among the Republican caucus as they tried to come to consensus on their nominee; other candidates includedTimothy O. Howe,Edward D. Holton,Alexander Randall,Wyman Spooner, andJames Rood Doolittle. After several days of voting and debate, the Republican caucus coalesced around Doolittle as their nominee on January 21, formally electing him in a joint session of the Legislature two days later.[5][6]
Later in 1857, Jackson was chosen by the Republican state convention as their candidate forAttorney General of Wisconsin; his opponent at the general election was Oshkosh lawyerGabriel Bouck. The Wisconsin electorate was nearly evenly split along partisan lines at the 1857 election, Jackson lost by about 400 votes while Republican gubernatorial candidate Alexander Randall won his race by a mere 118 votes.[7]
In 1861, PresidentAbraham Lincoln appointed Jackson United States consul general inHalifax,Canada.[2] As consul general, he was instrumental in the seizure of about $3,000,000 worth ofConfederate property during theAmerican Civil War (about $49,000,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars).[1] He would remain in this role for 21 years until his retirement in 1882. He then returned toMadison, Wisconsin, where he died seven years later at the Park Hotel.[8][1]
Jackson's will donated $20,000 to the Law School at theUniversity of Wisconsin to create the Mortimer M. Jackson Professorship of Law.[9][10][11][2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 1857 | |||||
| Democratic | Gabriel Bouck | 44,764 | 50.23% | −1.00% | |
| Republican | Mortimer M. Jackson | 44,362 | 49.77% | ||
| Plurality | 402 | 0.45% | -1.99% | ||
| Total votes | 89,126 | 100.0% | +22.35% | ||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Wisconsin 1857 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of theWisconsin Territory 1842 – 1844 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Attorney General of theWisconsin Territory 1845 – 1846 | Succeeded by |
| New court | Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the5th Circuit 1848 – 1853 | Succeeded by |
| New court | Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court 1848 – 1853 | Court abolished |
