Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-03-17
Biography Of Gov. Chase.

We extract from advance sheets (says
The Ohio Nate JournaD of the forthcoming
volume of Appleton's. Cyclopedia. the fol-
lowing notices of the lie of Gov. Chase
The third volume of The Cyciopedia is to be
published early in April:
= CHASE, SALMON PORTLAND, an Ameri-
can statesman, born in Cornish, New Hamp-
shire, January l3, 1908. When he was
seven wears old his father removed to
Keene. where Salmon pursued his studies
as a schoolboy. Two years later his father
died, and when twelve years old he wen, to
Worthington, Ohio, where his tuition was
superintended by his uncle, Philander Chase,
then Bishop Of Ohio. He then entered Gin
clnnat; College, of which his uncle had
meantime accepted the presidency, gaining
shortly after his admission promotion TO
the sophomore class. AFTER about years
residence in Cincinnati. be returned to his
mothers home in New Hampshire, and in
1924 entered the junior class of Dartmouth
College, where he was graduated in 1926.
a classical school for boys in Washington.
having among his pupils the sons of Henry
Clay, William Writ, Samuel l.. Southland,
and other distinguished msn of that day
Soon alter closing his school in 1929, he
was admitted to the bar of the District of
Co umbia, for which he had qualified him.
self under the direction of Mr.. Writ, during
the time he was dischargng The duties of a
tea rher. In the spring of 1880 he return
ed to Cincinnati, where he hes ever since
resided, except when interrupted by official
duties, and pursued the profession Of the
law. While struggling through the early
embarrassmeRts OF professional life, Mr.
Chase prepared an edition of the statutes
of Ohio, with copious annotations, and a
preliminary sketch of the history of the
State, in 3 large vols. Svo. This edition
soon superseded all prsyieus publications
Of the statutes, and 10 now received as au-
thority in the courts. Aided by the repuia-
tion thus acquired, he soon gained valu-
able practice, and early in 1884 became so
l:citor OF the Bank of the United States in
Cincinnati, and not long q ter one of the
city banks. In 1897 Mr.. Chase acted as
counsel FOR a colored woman claimed as
fugitive slave, and in an elaborate argument
afterwards published, controverted the au,
thority OF Congress to impose any duties OF
confer any powers in fugitive slave cases
OF State magistrates, position in which
he has since been sus. aimed by the United
States Supreme Court and ma niained that
the Law If 1893 relative 10 fugitives from
service was void, because unwarranted by
the Constitution OF the United States. The
same year, in an argument before the Su-
preme Co Irt of Ohio, in defense of James
G. Birney, prosecuted under State law for
hgrboring negro slave, Dir. Chase assert
ed the doctrine that slavery is local and de.
pendent on State law for existence anc
continuance, and insisted that the person
alleged to have been harbered, hav ing been
brought within the territorial limits of Ohie
by the Individual claiming her as master
was thenceforth in fact and by right free.
IN 1898, in { newspaper review of report
of the judiciary committee of the Senate oil
Ohio against the granting OF trial by jury tc
alleged slaves, Mr.. Chase took the same
gro ind as in his legal arguments. In lS4t
he was associated with the Hon. w. H
Seward ss defendants counselin the csst
of Van Zandt before the Supreme Court o
the United States. The case excited mucf
interest, and in a speech which attracted
marked attention. Mr.. Chase argued more
deliberately the principles which he had ad
| vanced in former Gases, maintaining thai
under the Ordinance of 1897 no fugitive
I from service could be reclaimed from Ohit
unless there tEsit ae.e-r1ps from ont
of the original States; that ft>was the cleal
understanding of The trainers Of the Consti
tuition, and of the people who adopted i
| that slavery was to be left exclusively tC
the disposal of the several States, without
sanction or support from .he national gov
ernment; and that the clause Of the const
tuition relative to persons held to service
was one of compact between Tie States
and conferred no poger of Legislation oil
| Congress, having been transferred from tb,
Ordinance Of 1887, in which it con:erre,
| no power on the confederation, and wa
never understood TO confer any. He wa
subsequently, engaged for the defense il
the case of Drskell Us Parish, before tn
United States Circuit Court at Columbus
and reargued the same positions. Mr.
Chase's sentiments of hostility 10 the ma
ionaliza:ion Of slavery were expressed b.
his position in the political movements o
the country, as wei as in his efforts at tn,
bar. Prior to lS4Lkshad taken little par
4 in politics. He h Voted sometimes wit
the Democrats, but more commonly wit
the Wings, who, in the North, seemed t
him more favorable TO anti. slavery view
than their opponents. He supported Ger
Harrison in 1910, but the tone oc his in
4 augural address, and still more the cours,
of the Tyler administration, convinced hin
thut no effective resistance to the encroach
ments OF slavery WAS 10 be expected from
any party with slaveholding and pro
slavery wing modifying if not controlin
its action; and in 1871 he united in ca
for convention of the opponents of SLAYER
and slavery extension, which assembled j
Columbus in December Of thatyear Thi
convention organized the Liberty Party {
, Ohio, nominated a candidate for Governo
and issued an address to the people de6niu
its principles and purposes. The address
written and reported BY Mr.. Chase, an
unanimously adopted by the convention
deserves attention as ope of the earliest ey
positions of the political movements agaips
slavery. In lSi3 national liberty conveI