Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-14
The New Appointment to the ChAeA
Jusefeesh1p--.EOW Received.


Justteesh1P--.HOW ReeetYed'
We COPY the following article upon the
reception Of the appointment Of Salmon
P. Chase to the Chief Justiceship, frOmthe
New York Tsnes. It is one of the most
sensible and truthful that has been written
On that subject: -rts-aL
The appointment of Salmon P. Chase to
the Chief Justiceship of the Supreme Court
gives general satisfaction. Even his point
ical opponents of course excepted
whose Judgment Is palsied by old prejudice
-cheerfufy eoncede that the Presldent
could have made no better selection. We
can recall no instance Of one transferred
from the political arena TO the Supreme
Bench with 50 little animadversion. 1t Is
a remarkable contrast to the storm OF wrath
raised by Gen. Jackson's appointment OF
his immediate predecessor.
We consider this fact very significant.
It is one of the most notable tokens we
have had that the Republic has indeed en-
tered upon a new era. There is no public
man in the country whose anti-slsVery
| record has been longer, or more consistent,
or more decided, than that of Salmon L.
Chase. Twenty eight years ago he was
seen in the Ohio courts pleading with great
power in behalf of fugitive slaves. de
took the most determined ground IN op-
| position 10 the entire system of fugitive
Slave surrenders. The same intense anti
| slavery spirit which always controlled hlm
professionally attended his political life
| from the very first. One of the founders
/ of the +" Liberty Party" in Ohio in ls4l
an active member of the Buffalo Liberty
Convention in 1943; again an active mem
Der of the Second Liberty National Con,
vention in la47; elected to the United
States Senate by the Democratic Leglsla'
ture of Ohio in Is49, on distinctly avowec
| anti-alavarU GEniinds: a raast "a nff2ef OF
ponent of Mr.. Clays compromise measures
of 1850; repudiating the Democratic par
ty because it indorsed these measures In 1T
Presidential platfofm of 1852; one Of the
foremost advocates of the Kansas N ebrssk,
bill of 1854; sdhering to his anti-slsverJ
principles with the same tenacity wher
Governor of Ohio in the slavery period o
|, Buchsnan's Administration; still uncom
promising and unhirchiDg as member o
the Peace Convention which assembled u
Washington on the eve Of the great rebel
lion; known as the head of the radlcs
| wing of President Lincoln's Cabinet AM
the Special favorite of the so-called rsdica
portion of the Union party for the mex
Presidency, he Yet is now made Chief Jus
tice of the Supreme Court Of the Unite'
States, with the almost universal Rpprova
of both Of the great parties. There ar
but one or two living public men in tn
7 country upon whom, in time past, tn
: Democratic party has poured out COL
Z | tumelY so bitter and so incessant, and ye
now all this Is either hushed into sol
silence, or else positively converted int
4 soft-honeyed commendation.
This new leaning toward Mr.. Chase o.
the part of his old political opponents, car
| not be imputed 10 satisfaction that he hs
D Quilted the political arena forever. Every
2 body knows that in his Judicial capacity h
will be required to pronounce upon man
momentous questions affecting the intel
: ests of slsVenolders, and intimately col
nected with old psrty issues. There
no danger that he will step out of his pr
: per Judicial province to do this, in imiti
6 tion of the conduct of his predecessor
: the Dred Scott case; but he cannot ayoi
these questions if he would. In coDiun
i tion with his brethren on the bench, /
s will have to settle most important poin
: of constitutional law, growing out of tt
Emancipation Proclamation, the conisci
tion acts of Congress, and other enac
ments that have been passed, and are y
h to be passed, for the suppression of tho T
bellion, and the Te-establishment OF col
= stitutionsl rule. Yet, for sll that, slmo!
j everybody trusts him.
The simple truth is that the terrible dl
4 cipline Of this war has wrought COZ
! plete change in the temper and sentimAi
. af svsn the Democratic party, IN respe
t to the South. This change has gone {
# in spite of even the fierce excitement
h the late Presidential canvass. It sssertI
itself in the cheerful acquiescenee, We ms
almost say positive satisfaction, with whit
the reelection of President Lincoln was I
ceived by the great body Of the party.
: again asserts itself in this easy concurren
&c in the eminent fitness of the appointme
Z Of Salmon P. Chase to be Chief Justit
|: The Democratic partyi in spite of all of
IA old habits, cannot help recognizing tn
at the old order of things is at al, end, al
/ tnat the nation is passing into new sta
! of being. 1t is more and more realLzl
h the necessity of conforming to this tran
is ton; and submits, with a grace never fl
ia before, not only TO the transition itsen, :
D to those public agents who guide it, no
Y ever obnoxious these may have been
Is other davs. This happy adaptation
A. speaks an end of faction and is very pl
u pitious augury.
Is -s-GD-o----