Not less exemplary was his recognition of the supremacy of the law when the sheriff of San Joaquin appeared before him with a warrant of arrest on the grave charge of murder.  The warrant was an outrage, but it was the duty of the officer to serve it, even on a justice of the United States Supreme Court.  When the sheriff hesitated and began to apologize before discharging his painful duty, Justice Field promptly spoke out:  “Officer, proceed with your duty.  I am ready, and an officer should always do his duty.”  These are traits of judicial heroism worthy the admiration of the world.

The Albany Evening Union, in one of its issues at this time, has the following: 

    JUSTICE FIELD RELIES UPON THE LAW FOR HIS DEFENSE.

The courage of Justice Stephen J. Field in declining to carry weapons and declaring that it is time to close the courts when judges have to arm themselves, and at the same time proceeding to do his duty on the bench when his life was threatened by a desperate man, is without parallel in the history of our judiciary.  We do not mean by this that he is the only judge on the bench that would be as brave as he was under the circumstances, but every phase of the affair points to the heroism of the man.  He upheld the majesty of the law in a fearless manner and at the peril of his life.  He would not permit the judiciary to be lowered by any fear of the personal harm that might follow a straightforward performance of his duty.  His arrest for complicity in a murder was borne by the same tranquil bravery—­a supreme reliance upon a due process of law.  He did not want the officer to apologize to him for doing his duty.  He had imprisoned Judge Terry and his wife Sarah Althea for contempt of court. * * * The threats by Judge Terry did not even frighten him to carry weapons of self-defense.  This illustration of upholding the majesty of the law is without precedent, and is worth more to the cause of justice than the entire United States army could be if called out to suppress a riotous band of law-breakers.  Justice Field did what any justice should do under the circumstances, but how many judges would have displayed a like courage had they been in his place?

The New York World, in its issue of Monday evening, August 26th, has the following article: 

    A NEW LEAF TURNED.

When Judge Field, knowing that his life was threatened, went back unarmed into the State of California and about his business there, he gave wholesome rebuke to the cowardice that prompts men to carry a pistol—­a cowardice that has been too long popular on the coast.  He did a priceless service to the cause of progress in his State, and added grace to his ermine when he disdained to take arms in answer to the threats of assassins.

The men who have conspired to take Judge Field’s life ought to need only one warning that a new day has dawned in California, and to find that warning in the doom of the bully Terry.  The law will protect the ermine of its judges.

The New York World of August 18th treats of the arrest of Justice Field as an outrage, and speaks of it as follows: