Libraries are magnificent places. They are full of dreams and living history jumping out of books. The Bridgewater Library in particular – jewel of the Somerset County Library system – exemplifies what an effective public library should be.
After leaving with the book, Plainfield, New Jersey’s History & Architecture, by John Grady & Dorothe Pollard, I discovered a notation about one of Plainfield’s famous native sons, Archibald Cox II. The book is easy reading. It’s loaded with photos of Plainfield’s past and short explanations near each picture.
On page 49, I discovered a 1997 photo of Archibald Cox II, one of seven siblings who all lived in a big estate home on Rahway Road. Cox attended the Wardlaw Country Day School in New Jersey, followed by St. Paul’s college prep in New Hampshire, before progressing to Harvard and establishing his law career in the Boston area.
Cox eventually joined the Harvard faculty and established close ties with the Kennedys. He became an advisor and speech-writer for Senator John F. Kennedy. After JFK was elevated to the presidency, Cox became solicitor-general in his administration.
However, the most famous single moment of Cox’s career would come years later when, as Watergate special prosecutor in the Nixon administration, he was fired in what notoriously became known as the “Saturday Night Massacre.”
U.S. District Judge John Sirica had ordered Nixon to comply with Cox’s and the Senate Watergate Committee’s demand to release the Watergate tapes, but Nixon refused. Instead, Nixon counter-offered to have a senator listen to the tapes and to give Cox a synopsis of them which would be prepared with help from the White House.
Cox insisted on having the full tapes. As a result, a chain reaction of political blood-letting began when, on October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered his Attorney General, Elliott Richardson to dismiss Cox. Richardson, a Boston Brahmin, refused and resigned.
Next, Nixon called upon his Deputy Attorney General, William D. Ruckelshaus, who also refused and was promptly fired. Nixon then called upon the next highest ranking Justice Department official, Solicitor General Robert Bork who quickly carried out Nixon’s order and fired Cox. In 1974, the Supreme Court upheld Sirica’s order for release of all tapes and, under threat of impeachment, Nixon resigned.
Those were paradoxical times. Not only was there deception at the highest levels in the White House, but there was also accountability and integrity by other high-level people in Nixon’s administration who would not yield to corrupt practices under pressure from the president who had appointed them.
New Jersey can be exceptionally proud of Plainfield’s Archibald Cox II. Where, in New Jersey and in Washington today, are the people in high public office with his and his colleagues’ fortitude and political integrity?
No comments:
Post a Comment