ARCHIVE THREAD: Well you know I love to dig in Archives, so having the chance to review the papers of Justice Brandeis and Justice John Marshall Harlan, both housed at the @uofllawlib was planned as a feature of my visit to @LouisvilleLaw. Archivist Scott Campbell was my sherpa.
There were wonderful documents Mr. Campbell found from the Brandeis papers that I had hoped to find for my book. But I want to share an excerpt of one document from Harlan’s papers that had me in tears. A letter that Frederick Douglass wrote to Justice Harlan, to thank Harlan,
for his dissent in the Civil Rights Cases in which the majority held that the 13th & 14th amends do not outlaw private discrimination -a key and devastating decision that helped usher in the end of Reconstruction. His words praising Justice Harlan ring for today.
“I am glad sir, that in this day of compromise & concession when it is much easier to drift w/the current to sacrifice conviction for the sake of peace, that you have been able to adhere to your convictions & thus save your soul.” -Frederick Douglass’ letter to Justice Harlan. 
His familiar, beautiful handwriting. #FrederickDouglass
Thank you Scott Campbell and @uofllawlib.
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