Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-06-25
CHIEF JUSTICE cHAsE's PLATFORM.

CHIEF JUSTICE CHAsE's PLATFORM.
A Washington correspondent of the Brooklyn
Eagle, furnishes the following account Of an inter
view with Chief Justice Chase: -.
t'Seon after the Chicago Convention 1 had 'occa-
sion to call again upon the Chief Justice. lmme-
diateiy upon entering the room l was struck with
his strange manner, and the unusual aspect Of
coantenance with which he had been accustomed
togreetme. That digni6ed composure, that bland.
ness and serenity which ever rested 30 gracefully
upon his manly presence, was gone .: Nervous, ex-
cited, almost pettish, Ihesitated making the occa-
sion of my visit known, and I should more hest:
tate now had not his subsequent course given full
warrant to the expression of private interviews.
When great man fails us-when the nation 9 rep
resentatiVe separates himself from hisfriends they
have right to know fully and exactly why. That
is just to him and fair to them.
During the interview allusionwas very naturally
made to the Chicago nomination, in the result OF
which be expressed himself as having no interest:
"He had been q Republican once but they had
gone away from their principles, and had read him
out of the party. 1t had got new leaders, men
who opposed it while he himself was struggling
for its organization. He had done more for the
party than regiment Of the men who had read
him ont Of the party. They had taken the reins
into their own hands and now it mattered not to
him what they did. y" .'.,.' - -.', .'
Seeing the direction in which his remarks were
drifting, and wishing to avert the plunge down
that precipice, interrupted abruptly: But Chief
Justice Chase can never be anything buta Kepub-
hear" -. f,,t.. -. :, - g..
I'm not a Republican" " he said, coldly, and
then aualify fying, added, 81 am not partisan at
all [ was Democrat in my younger days. l
was elected to the United States Senate as Dem
ocrat, With antislayery, abolition principles.
Still wishing to draw him back, Il remarked: ::
"You had many friends who would have support
ed you had you received the nomination at Chica-
go.1r To which he replied "Yes, / know had,
but they have read me out Of the party, and have
chosen another leader. =. -
Again interruptipg, being determined to force
him to adhesion to the great party OF progress and
freedom, said earnestly But you will not go to
the Democrats; you can never act with that party
as now organized; never certainly with its present
animns--its hatred of the negro; its denunciation
of reconstruction; its opposition to all great and
good moral measures You, honored sir, could
never find home feeling and sympathy there; You
could never become co-worker with your Lifelong
political eDemies-men who hold nothing in COM
mon with YOU Most assuredly you could never
consent to become the Democratic candidate for
the Presidency" ...'',.s 49,.
Without manifsting any unwillingness to con-
tinue the conversation, he seemed throughout ner-
vous and fdgety. His countenance had not that
cheerful genial smile upon it that used to play so
gracefully over the face of the model American
statesman. He turned over file after file, and
seemed disconnected, as though he had poor case
and had failed to make his point Taking up a
paper from one side of his table, and laying it
down upon the other, he said, straightly: -
''If they would accept of my principles as their
platform, I would. shall not give up my doc
trine of equal rights. They must take that. /
shall hold to the Reconstruction measures; they
are right and constitutional I drew up the bill.
the second one-though did not have in the mil
itary. would have managed the affairs with civ
ilian officers, and called in the military as they
were needed. If I could get them to endorse
these principles, that would settle them forever.