The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-11-30

weekly pcr year. IN
pArAss nvAHlAsIs N AsvAxcs.
~The dispatches yesterday gave .
almost certain the appointments Of Judg
Davis Of Illinois TO the Chief Justiceshiy
We apprehend that the appointments Z
newspaper correspondents are gratuitou
and premsture. When Mr.. Lincoln send
his nomination to the Senate, then y
will know his man. Until that tim
guessing is legitimate of course, for It fns
nishes the usual sensational joarualisti
pabulum upon which the public feeds
and barred Of which "Othello'a occupa
tion's gone" and tour special cor
respondent" must reduce his communi
cations SO largely as to give his atten sior
to some other calling-but till then, th,
"report in well informed circles at Wash
ington, is about Is satisfactorily defiuit,
and well advised ~ if it emanated from
similar circles in Oregon.
Heaven grant that there be fitness ID
Mr.. Lincoln's selection. The successor o1
Jay and Marshall, aye, even of Taney
should be no ordinary man. It is not e
be assumed that the man who 10 most no.
ted IS the best fitted for position. especi
ally Judicial position. Quiet aud gravity
cool judgement and dispassiouate reason,
reign in the Temple Of Justice-not noise
and tumult, and passion and the fierce
rolling waves of popular feeling hence.
the profound judge. the ponderoos think
ing jurist; he who bes. wears and mos,
fttingly the judicial ermine is frequently
not nearly so well, or so widely known
as the shallow demagogue who shouts his
lilly digested defamation on the hustiDgs.
The man is frequentIy made but not
proved, and so is not known, and the sig
nifeant figure stands for cipher. How
many of our present army leaders did
you instlnctively turn 70 when the rebel
lion broke out. as the men for their pres
ent positions? In March, 1861, did you
think of Grant for Lieutenant General
a1d commander-in-chief? Or Sherman
who rivals his chief in all the att, ibutes
Of the great warrior? Or going back to
Mr.. Lincoln himself, who did you think
in 81 and So would be the 6rst Repub.
hcan President if one we're elected?
: AR. Lincoln may appoint, then, for
Chief Justice, one for whose appoint
ment the people are as little prepared and
expectant as certainly would be that OF
Judge Davis, and thereby get the right
man in the right place, and do the very
best thing for the Court and the country,
and please his party and the people i'm.
mensely. Mr.. Lincoln, during his admins
tration. has done many things that, at the
time, We all condemned, and yet the wis
dom of which We have subsequently, bee U
forced to concede. But he has also mis-
calculated his man and conferred his
Offices upon those that were improperly
the recipients Of them. Il were unneees
sary to instance illustrations, for every
one has examples in mind.
In seeking Chief Justice, some,hire
more is demanded than fine abilities anu
large legal learning. Judge Taney ha.
these. Ii the people would not be sAtis
fed with second Taney, it is because
they demand that the next incumbent be
the friend of human freedom. But who
ever may be the choice of the President
we are not concerned on this score. N,
lingering love for chattelism and bondag,
will lurk in the heart. or pervert.th
augment, or render odious the decisionl
of the prospective Chief Justice. He vii
be thoroughly an snti-slavery man.
But Of anti-slavery men, who shall j
be2 Aud here again We ail stop. Abra
ham keeps we'll his own couasel, and b
alone knows. Will il be SsanteR? No
for able as he is IS a lawyer, his boorisl
rudeness and bearish roughness preclud
him from the seat that Jay and Marshal
and Taney have cousecrated to calm dig
nityand unobtsusive modesty-to the pro
foundest and most varied learning, unite,
with feminine gentleness and delicsc,
and regard for the feelings Of others
This consideration would keep Stanto
out. were there none other. But he
needed elsewhere. He viii siill aid th
Administration and the country by hi
abilities. but il will not be a. Chief Jus
tice. Win it be Judge Davis w
don't know. The people don't expec
it. II he is appointed, however, and Gil
well the position, then viii they max
another concession to Abraham 3 spperio
sagacity. Win it be Mr.. Chase Z Wei
here We are guessing, like Especial 40, cor
respondent of Yankee extraction: bu
the people do expect chat Mr.. Chase II