The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-07
What chser Justice Chase Thinks.

What Chief Justice Chase Thinks.
"A Washington correspondent of
tip Cincinnati Commercial gives what
he styles an ttinside view" of affairs
at the Capital, and thus writes of the
views of Chief Justice Chase:
The Chief Justice is frank and out
spoken in his opinions. He believes
that the President is honest and pa.
trletic, bat that he started wrong in
his work of restoration or reconstruc-
ton; that, having builded upon an
untenable foundation, his super
structure, his policy, must fail and
fall. Mr.. Chase feels O warm per-
sonal friendship for the President.
and feels a deep sympathy for him in
the trials and 1abors that are upon
him. He would be glad to consult
with the President, and aid him in
the solutions of these difficult aues-
tions; but the President does not
seek his advice, and probably dis
trusts him, and he therefore cannot
volunteer his opinions or aid.
When this question of reconstruc-
ton fiSst came up, Mr.. Chase had
long interview and consultation with
the President upon the subject, or
rather several long interviews; and
he then earnestly and persistently
urged the President to issue a pro-
clamation recognizing all persons in
the rebel States, black and white, as
citizens, having equal rights to the
work of reconstruction; that this
proclamation would immortalize him
as the proclamation of emancipation
will immoTtalize Mr.. Lincoln; and
that it would be a fitting accompaui-
ment to that great paper. This plan,
at first, seemed to strike Mr.. johnson
with great force; he did not dissent
from it. Soon after, Mr.. Chase left
on his visit to the Southern States,
and Mr.. johnson asked him to advise
him, from time to time, of what he
saw and learned, which he did. It is
believed that after this advice and
counsel of Mr.. Chase, and after his
departure for the South, bad and de-
signing men got the ear and conf
dence of the President, and poisoned
him against Mr.. Chase, and led him
to distrust his counsel, charging that
the Chief Justice had given him this,
advice for his own personal ends;
that he was an aspirant for the Pre-
sidency, and that to follow this ad-
vice would be to weaken him the
President) rather than to give him
strength
Mr.. Chase does not think that
Congress and the President will ever
harmonic. He thinks that the Pre-
sident has not the power to destroy
the Union party; that one man, as he
expressed it, however elevated his po-
sition, fills but small space in
nation or In a great party; and that
the Union party, at this time, embo-
dies the intelligence and conscience
of the country, and, turning to the
person with whom he was in CONVEX
sation, inquired: ''Do you see any
of the intelligent, honest young men
of our country attaching themselves
to this old, corrupt and disloyal De
mocratic party?"
MIR. Chase does not endorse Mr..
Sumner; he thinks him impractical,
and that his course is accomplishing
no good to the race he seeks to serve;
that he rouses against them q united
antagonism and ill-feeling; that he is
domineering, intolerant man; that
Mr.. Stevens is better and more
practical man than Mr.. Sumner; that
Sumner would lead to destruction
any party that followed him; that if
we cannot secure Mt once all that we
wish for this oppressed race we
should take each good as it comes
within our reach, and work for the
eventful attainment of full Justice to
them. Why do you not act rs me-
diator III this contest, and try to save
our great party % was said to him.
" l would be glad to act rs mediator,
If l could, but no man has the power
to accomplish it. Mr.. johnson has
his policy and theories. from which
he will never swerve; Congress is an
nnwieldy, nnyielding body, following
too much the leadership of imprac-
ticable men" Mr. Chase is full of
faith and hope that all things will
come out well. He does not believe
that this war has been fought, the
country saved, and these millions
made free, for the nation now to be
destroyed, or that God will permit
any Of that great work to be undone.
The DoRR EXPERIMENT To DE RE-
TRIED. A State Government was in
existence in Rhode Island 1t was
objectionable to the people, because
poor white men We're not allowed to
vote Tho ,,an,>1o Df {l,n t,kn