The New York herald., 1868-03-22
Chief Justice Chase and the Democracy-
The Radicals and Their sc,ndnlous Re-


ports.
The latest advices from Washington in refe-
renee to Chief Justice Chase are to the effect
that he has no idea Of looking after the demo-
cratic nomination for the Presidency, and that
the democrats have no idea Of nominating him.
The Washington democratic politicians, who
hit upon the brilliant thought of soaring the
radicals by assuming that the Chief Justice
was good enough democrat for the crisis,
spoiled the sport in running the conceit little
too fast Had they handled it little more
adroitly and with little more caution they
might have made something out of it. SO
far as the radicals are concerned, however,
Wendell Phillips has evidently poisoned them
with his inuendoes and accusations against Mr..
Chase as disappointed Presidency seeking
politician, whose main object now is revenge.
Thus it has been discovered that, as Chief JUS
tice of the United States, Mr.. Chase had no
business to be laying pipe or pulling wires for
the Presidency that his ambition had placed
him in bad light before his late admirers, and
that his complaints of bad treatment are puerie
and perfectly absurd; that, in short, he turns
out to be, after all, not the exalted statesman,
patriot and philosopher, as painted only few
weeks ago by Greeley, but selfish, narrow
minded and small potato demagogue.
Against these newly fedged opinions of the
radicals we have no demurrer to put in, for we
have never considered the Chief Justice as
President johnson considers General Han
cock, a statesman and patriot Of the type of
George Washington. But we feel bound to
protest against the scandalous course Of some
of the ultra radical journals in reference to the
example, we are told that his accomplished
daughter, now the wife of Senator Spragne,
Of Rhode Island, is, and for some time has
been, not only foolishly ambitious to be recog-
nized officially as the first lady in the land, but
that to gain this end she has been and is play
ing the game of a remorseless politician. One of
her radical accusers (we do not care to quote
the paper) says that during President Lincoln's
administration she claimed officially to rank
the lady of the White House, and standing
upon her dignity, fatty refused to be patron
lied or conciliated by Mrs. Lincoln. Next, it
is charged that finding this would not do, Mrs.
Sprague resolved to become herself the mis-
tress of the Executive Mansion, and that, being
lady Of spirit and decision of character, who
will not take no for an answer, she has led her
father, the Chief Justice, into this unseemly
pursuit of the Presidential succession; and
finally, that in view of the defeat of her aspi
rations in this direction, there is no telling the
consequences in the Senate upon this impeach-
ment business.
Such is the spirit Of radicalism. 1t is cor
rupt, unscrupulous, suspicious and vicious to
the last degree; and yet it is claimed that the
radical party is composed of all that is good,
just, liberal, honest and pure in all the length
and breadth of the land. Surely, after these
late developments of radical intolerance,
cruelty and recklessness against the Chief JUS
tice, he has ceased to be under any obligations
to speak word or lift a finger to save this
debased and demoralized party from destruc
ton