The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-28
shall chief J..,ice Chase be Impsacheds


laws or obstructs their execution, that undoubt-
edly Is good ground for impeachment Should
the President be found derelict In this respect
Congress certainly will not fail TO impeach him.
That, In fact is the sword now hanging over
his head, and Congress Is waiting to see
whether be will do his duty in carrying out the
laws which are known to be obnoxious to him.
From the light we have upon the matter we
believe Mr.. johnson intends to do his duty,
and will thus escape impeachment.
But, strange to say, one Of the most promi-
nent men Of the radical faction that clam0r for
the impeachment Of tho President, the very
man who is their candidate for the Presidency,
has committed the Improbable offence OF
refusing to execute the laws and obstructing
their execution. We refer to Chief Justice
Chase. 1t b well known that, under the
merest pretext, he has refused to hold
court for the trial Of JEFF Davis, who is
charged with the highest crimes. 1t was Mr..
Chase's duty to have tho accused tried. Davis
has been q prisoner nearly two years there
was no necessity to wait for evidence; for all
the evidence that could be obtained was
obtainabie, and Mr.. Chase was oficially aoH-
fed long ago that the prisoner would b. sur
rendered any moment to the jurisdiction Of his
court Yet the Chief Justice would not carry
out the law and have justice done.
There Is, however, stronger case for
impeaching Mr.. Chase than this. By the Bank
rupt law, passed last Congress, in the third
section the duty Of nominating the registers in
bankruptcy Is imposed upon the Chief Justice.
Mr.. Chase has not nominated them, and it is
understood he declines to nominate them. The
law was to take effect as to the appointment of
officers Immediately after its approval on the
the I'd of March, and on the 1st day Of June
next proceedings under the act should be COM
menced. Efforts have been made by the
friends of Mr.. Chase to relieve him from the
duty imposed by Congress. As late as Tuesday
last Mr.. Sprague, his son-in-law, made motion
in The Senate to amend the Bankrupt bill, by
striking ont the 1st of June and inserting
the LIST Of January. This would extend
the time for the law to 60 into effect
six months. There can be no doubt Is to
the object Of this motion. Mr.. Sprague EVIL
IDENTITY wanted to relieve his fsther-in-law from
dilemma. There conld be no other reason
for wishing to defer the execution Of the law
The Senator thought, perhaps, that by post
poning the operation Of the law till after Con-
gress should meet in December there would
be chance Of amending 1t SO as to relieve
the Chief Justice from performing duty he
has ap to this time declined to perform. The
action Of Mr.. Sfragus goes far to eoalrm the
statement chat Mr.. Chase fsfasss TO nominate
the registers in Bankruptcy.
The question arises here, why should the
Chief Justice wish to defeat or obstruct the
execution Of this lawf To most people such
conduct must appear inexplicable. We have
heard reasons given, and on examining the
Bankrupt act closely we believe we discover
what they are. The law places partnerships
and business corporations or associations on
the same footing as individuals. Those pet
institutions Of Mr.. Chase and his friends, the
national banks, can be put into involuntary
bankruptcy and closed up just as readily, If
they be not sound, as individuals. Section
thirty seven Of the act says 1.-THE provisions
Of this act shall apply to all moneyed business
or commercial corporations and joint stock
companies" and that "upon the petition of
any creditor or creditors Of such corporation
or company, made and presented in The man
ner hereinafter provided in respect to debtors,
the like proceedings shall be had and taken -
are hereinafter provided In the case ofdebtors."
1t will be within the power of individual credi-
tors to bring the national bank corporations
to the test Of soundness or bankruptcy, just Is
we'll a. other corporations and companies or
persons can be brought TO that test This il
where the shoe pinches doubtless in this may
be found the secret Of Mr.. Chase's hostility to
the Bankrupt law. Looking at the rotten con-
dition which some Of these banks have exhibit
ed, and the probable unsoundness of many
more, the operation OF the bill may well be
feared. Mr.. Chase, as the father Of tho
national banks, has naturally paternal regard
for them. But he Is more solicitow about
them for other reasons. They are mighty
power in the country and apart from the
wealth he and his friends may have made
and are making through them, he expects to
be carried into the White House by their in
fluence. No man knows better than he, pro-
badly, the unsound condition Of many of these
associations, and he may be afraid that the
new Bankrupt law will make such an exposure
Of their affairs as to cause demapd for the
ab olshment of the whole system. He does
not want this, because the eyes Of the people
would be opened to all the enormities and
dangers Of . monstrous and inscriptions mo-
nopoly, and because he might lose the lever
by which he expects to be raised to the
Presidency. Should the people be led to de-
mand the repeal Of the National Bank act, as
1t is to be hoped they WILL he would both lose
his reputation as a statesman and fail IN his
ambition.
Here, then, we may see sufficient motive
for Mr.. Chase being hostile to the Bankrupt law