Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-01-08
The Judges Of the United States Supreme
Cont


from washington correspondent ~ Y. Herald.
The Chief Justice merits the first no.
tee. He is a Roman Catholic in relig-
ion, Jesuit in morals and politics, and
was appointed by Gen. jackson by way
of reward for the removal of the depos-
Its. Whatever strength of intellect he
|may at any time have possessed has
been greatly impaired by old age and i'll
health; but although unfit for the duties
of the station, he holds on to the Office
for the sake of the salary.
Judge Mclean was also appointed by
General jackson in reward for services
against John Quincy Adams, while act
ing as his Postmaster General, or, as
some say, in order to get rid of him
Mr.. Justice Wayne was also appointed
by Gen. Jackson. He had been repres-
entative from Georgia, and was distin-
guished as Chairman of the COMMITTEE,
lot Ways and Means. He is good law
yer, scholar and gentleman-the on
| ly gentleman, in the true sense of that
word, on the bench. He has always
been regarded safe constitutional
Judge, conservative, but enlightened
1t has been much the practice among
some of his judicial brethren to dispar-
age and underate him, but the Supreme
Court reports contain 40 opinions more
distinguished than Judge Wayne's for
learning, ability and sound principle.
Judge Catron, of Tennessee, is another
Of General Jackson's appointments, but
no one can imagine for what reason, un-
less to show the contempt which the
General is said sometimes to have ex-
pressed for that tribunal. He is certain
y as free from any qualifications of a
a Supreme Court Judge as the horse he
is said once to have groomed.
Daniels Of Virginia, is the next in or
der of seniority. He was appointed BY
Van Buren,, and was one of the worst of
the many bad appointments of that adj
|ministration. His appointment was ear
nestly resisted by Mr. Clay and other
distinguished LAWYERS in the Senate, as a
disgrace to the station; but the influence
of the Richmond Junta prevailed. He
is narrow minded, ignorant, and bigoted
beyond the EXTREMIST measure of Virgin
ia politicians. Judge Nelson, of York,
is another instance of good luck supply
ing the place of merit. His ability is a.
bout the average ofthe best of the Coun-
ty Court Judges in the Southern and
Southwestern States. Grier, of Penn
sylvania, was appointed by Polk, against
his own Judgment, yielding to outside in
fiuences. His violent denunciations of
abolitionists in the Presbyterian Gencr-
al Assembly, of which he happened to
be a member, elevated him from some
petty judgment in Western Pennsylvania
to seat on the Supreme Bench. He is
vacillating in his opinions, rough in his
language, and vulgar in his manners,
without a single quality becoming the
high judicial station he unfortunately
holds, but he has more intellect than
some of his brethrersau the bench.
Curtis, of Massachusetts, was appoin-
ted by Fillmore, and owes his place to
his supple sycophancy and the subservi-
ency Of his family to Daniel w ebster.-
lie is very much Of a wooden nutmeg,
and turns an honest penny by making
books which lawyers practising in the
Supreme Court have to buy.
Campbell was appointed by Pierce,
and is the worst looking man on the
bench. He is from Mobile, was the all
thor fthe Nashville disunionresolution
a few years ago, and would now be a
secessionist if the life office was not a
good thing. He adds neither dignity
nor learning to the tribunal.