Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-07-16
S. p. Chase--w. r. Fessenfen.
By HORACE GREELEY.

The Loyal Millions of our conutrymen
have seldom endured more utter or pain-
ful surprise than when they heard, late last
week, that SALMON p CHASE had ceased to
be Secretary of the Treasury. The resig-
nation Of no other member of the Cabinet
would have excited regret so general or
so profound.
Mr.. Chase is not, and probably never
will be, esteemed popular. He practices
none of the cheap arts whereby politicians
of another order achieve huzzas and votes
Bu, though never mob oracle, never the
idol of the debased and dissolute, there
lives no man who is regarded with deep.
er confidence, a wider and truer esteem.
Hence the fact that be had asked to be re
ieved from the burden of his official re.
sponsibilites was received by the country
with an amazement akin to CONSERVATION
1t is not my purpose here to enter into
the causes OF this resignation, so as to de-
termine whether it might or might not
have wisely been withheld Suffice it that,
having been suggested by bis friends as
candidate for next President, though he at
an early day peremptorIly end conclasively
declined to be SO considered, Mr.. Chase
has since felt that his relations with Presi-
dent LiucOln were less cordial and trustful
than were absolutely required by the ardu
GUS nature OF his duties and the d fficulties
of his position, SO that the public interest
would be promoted by transfer of his
department TO some one who enjoyed more
implicitly and uureservedy the confidence
of the head Of the State. This view, if
not coucurred in, has been deferred to, by
the President, who first nominated David
Tod, late Governor of Ohio, and then Mr..
Fesseuden, the distinguished Senator Fl ON
Maine, as his successors and the latter,
with unfegned reluctance, has at length
accepted the trust. Mr. Chase is there
fore a private citizen once more, and his
lpublic career may be discussed as though
10 were accomplished and complete.
Some twepty-tbree years have passed
since he, in the early prime Of manhood,
publicly consecrated himself to hostility to
The Slave Power by assisting in the forma-
tion OF the Liberty party OF Ohio. He
had, in the preceding year. contributed his
mite toward the first and only complete
triumph of the Wing party, aud had seen
that triumph speedily turned TO ashes by
the death of Gen. Harrison. John Tyler
was now Chief Magistrate; and there was
never any room TO doubt his entire, ab-
sorbing deyotion to the extension and ag-
grandizement of Slavery. Mr.. Clay was
the recognized and somuipoient leader OF
The sorely disappo.ated aud b;oken, but
still powerfn. and resolute, Whig party f;
Van Buren,, Benton, Silas Wright, aud
buchanan, were the Chiefs Of the Demo
cre:.ic opposition, into whose hands Mr..
Tyler was anxious to betray the Govern
ment, on the sole condition that they would
make him their candidate. for re election
Mr.. Calhoun led the small but, able baud
OF Democrats already fully committed To
Mr.. Tyler's schemes, .Messrs. III, A. Wise
Caleb Cushing, etc, bad brought to theiI
aid slender but unbesitating body guard
from the Wings. Impartial Liberty hac
no recognized voice in either Of the con
tending hosts. John p Hale. just enter
ing Congress, was still a Pro.Slasery ID sm
oeral 8 William III. Seward, serving his sec
Dad term as Governor of New York, val
an ardent Wing, Joshua r. lGiddiogs wa
D. Wing Memperiof Coogressj Owen boEe
joys voice had not been heard ia our q .
tional coupcils;. neither, Horace Mane, no
james G Pslfrey, nor Jobn A, Andrew
had caught the ear of the masses an,
John Qdincy Adams, eccentric, sipLract
able, and growing old, was, beside Mi
tGiddi1gs, tbeconly promipent eXpositpeo
y Anti Slavery ideas who held o seat 10 Cot
| gress. A desperate struggle for ascepdeI
ICY between the two great, parties wss,y
hlv ~ hand. TIM Annaxatinn ~ Tex A