Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-12-29

Soon after, the land was clothed in mourn
ing for bis death. To day the Chamber il
clothed in mourning for bis successor
death.
At an early hour an unwonted throng be
gan to disturb the placid calm of the solemn
room. Outside the bar gathered intimate
and earnest friends Of the man who was
about to sit in TANEY's place-Senators
Representatives, business men-vho having
long looked upon Mr.. CHASE as the great
successful embodiment Of freedom in Amer.
lean politics, had come to see him make
this Freedom s Court; men Of the old
regime, sullenly looking in to see the new
monarch crowned unknown friends and
admirers; and . throng Of mere curious
sight-seers.
Inside the bar was grouping that an ar.
tist woul Id have seized upon for his canvass.
Almost in the center sat the two daughters
Of the new Chief Justice; near them one
observed the siig ht figure vf his son-in-law,
Senator Sprague. and the silver head of
Representative Hooper, Of Boston to the
left Of Mrs. Sprague, and in earnest con.
versation with her, was one Of the foremost
lawyers of the country, EK- Attorney Gene
raj Reverdy Johnston; to the right, and
sitting little apart, regarded by bar and
spectators with the affectionate reverence
that BELTS his years and massive abilities,
the noblest Roman Of them all, Ex-Secretary
and Ex-senator THOMAS EWING. Around
these, oa either hand, were grouped the
working members Of the bar of the Su-
premc Court, and brilliant collection Of
eminent lawyers frem East aud West; in
termingled with ladies foremost for wit or
beauty or position in the Capital.
As the hands Of the clock pointed to XI
the gentle murmur of many whisper. hush
ed, and all eyes turned toward the door by
which the members Of the court were to en-
ter. A step was heard the strained eyes
fell, not upsn the Chief Justice, nor an As
sociate; but upon the man whose life has
been, perhaps, more intimately connected
than that of any other American Statesman
with the struggles Of which this day marks
the greatest triumph, CHARLES SUMNER.
de moved up to the very feet Of the Bench,
and stood leaning against column, rncon.
sciously, but with perfect fitness that no
master Of ceremonies could have arranged,
marsh slling the highest judicial officers of
the Nation to the place bis own labors had
SO largely helped to regenerate and conse-
crate evermore to Freedom and Impartial
Justice. Over quarter OF century ago.
i Salmon p. Chase, then a young and almost
uuAuOhu w SAtGIu iGNJtEs Hdu TlSeU upon
the Eastern horizon By shocking all settled
opinions aud ancient ways, in mastery ar
| gumeDt against the constitutional claims of
Slavery before this same Court; and Charles
Sumner, then a studious ysung Boston
scholar and writer for the Law Reporter,
who had never heard Of Mr.. Chase before,
had published in that journal an apprecia-
tive and sdmiring criticism of the incendiary
Abolition effort. The times since then have
brayely changed.
at last the door opens aud the Crier an
pounces, "The Hon. Justices of the Su-
preme Court. Thoy file slowly in-portly,
gray. headed, habited in their flowing black
silk robes, the stateliest, most dignifed and
intellectual looking body of men in the Ma
tion. A portly, venerable man, with schol-
arly stoop, leads the way. moves up to the
vacant chair of the dead Chief Justice, and
gracefully bows the successor to the place.
Fine old, rugged featured, large, Drained
land, alas pro-s'ayeryl Nelson follows;
then our own massive and accomplished
Swayne, with Field, Davis, Miller and the
rest, range themselves on either side in the
order of the dates of their commissions.
"0yez Oyez! Oyez This Court is
now in session. God save the United States
and this Honorable Court" The voice of
the crier sounds like one in prayer as he
calls over the quaint old formula, and the
gray headed row of men on the Bench, rev.
erently bOwing, add impressive solemnity to
the petition. Amid silence equally sol
emn, the late acting Chief Justice Judge
Wayne) hands to Mr.. Chase the oath Of
Office.
When the great Emperor was crowned,
the Pope was permitted TO perform the GER
| al I,,t h;s lo.Jn ,,loaal . L.
| dem upon his brows. 1t WAS no Pope that
made him Emperor. 1t was no Judge Of
| the old school that was to give Chief Jus
tice in the interest Of Freedom to the Ma
| ton.
Reading the oath himself, in a deep,
tremulous voice, Mr.. Chase raised his right
hand as he closed, and with a simple, sol
emn, 6 50 help me, God, " the ceremonies
were closed.
The Justices took their seats and the
Clerk read the commission of the Chief
Justice, concluding with the signature of
Abraham Lincoln and the unanimous appro-
val of the Senate. One catches, as the hum
of busy whispers begins, the comments of
! the spectators and the bar SHow superbly
he looks the Chief Justice r" "Well. we'll.
who, five years ago, would have thought of
ever seeing this?" Fdcile princeps I"
softly says an eminent lawyer to himself
And so SALMON p. CHASE takes his
place in that high Court where JOHN JAY
and JOHN MARSHALL sat; and where God
grant that he may sit till Peace, married 10
Liberty, green again upon the Land, "
shall for many bright years have covered US
with its dover of blessings; and some new
Erskine, speaking to the children of later
generation, shall say Of him, as was said of
Lord Mansfield, This great and venerable
magistrate has so long presided in this great
and high tribunal that the Oldest of us do
not remember him with any ether impres..
sion than as the awful form and figure OF
/ Justice. - AGATE.
TIE Richmond Examiner says: even
if Savannah falls it will be as nothing com
pared with the advantage of Hoods posi-
ton in Tennessee" Well, We are not dis
nesed TO dispute that, as the defeat of Hood