The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-05
G II "A r ES TON
MONDAY MORNING, APRIL s, 1859
Justice Solomon l.. ,Hoxe.

Justico Solomon L.. ,Hoge. ,
/. To be misunderstood is one of the sad
penalties Of greatness; and it is not sur
prising that an obstinate public should have
doubted the patriotic purity of the motives
which led Solomon L. Hoge, Associate JUS
tioe of the Supreme Court Of the State, to
oonteet.the election to Congress Of the Hon
up. Reed There is noIdoubt that the
election was.fairly conducted, and that Mr..
Reed was legally elected. But lofty minds
heed little the simplioities of actual fact;
the intellectual giant being willing, when
the end Is important, to choose. the readiest
means, without regard to the minor tones
which harmonize the lives of smaller and
| less conspicuous men. eaai -
Justice Hoge could not have been guided
by personal ambition, or party prejudice.
or even the remembrance Of the dreadful
day when, filed with terror, he fed across
the country and slipped off to Washington
| to pray for protection against rebel insub-
ordination. With him considerations so
| puny would have no weight. There was
no hate in his heart. Samuel johnson
would not have loved him. And if he de-
sires to leave the Supreme bench, and take
his seat In Congress by the side of the i'm
maoulate Bowen and oooing Whittemore, it
is because Of his belief that the change
viii be of benefit to the State. No feeline
that he, could not remain on the bench with
mo Einop RoH
diculous directed his actions. Had he not
proved himself Democrat at heart by sug-
gesting the powder and ball treatment as a
quietus for turbulent negroesS Should he
not make his orthodoxy unimpeaohable by
leaving position that paid we'll, for q po-
sition whose emoluments need only be linn
tied by. the modesty aud ingenuity Of the
ancumpentlfe4 Snai.t, t.4.a s-r
The. circumstances under which he was
elected to the Supreme bench were listres-
singly peculiar. One Chief Justice and
two Associate Justices were to. be chosen.
Mr.. Corbin, Of Rhode Island, Senator from
Charleston and United States District At
torney, was ready and eager for the first;
and when he was defeated by Judge Moses
would accept no lower: place. Colonel A.
J. Willard, of New York, was elected as
one Associate Justice; but the whole Radi-
Gal establishment black, white and mixed,
were in quandary to know who to take
for the other. John Morrissey was sug-
sgestsd. Daddy CainEvas proposed. But
solomon L. tHoge Mss the favorite. he was
born in Ohio, which was one thing in his
favor. He had actually graduated as q q
lawyer and had practiced his profession for
nearly two years, which was more than
other candidates could say. He was only
thirty-two years old, 80 that If he had any
crotehets on the subject Of white man's
government he might be turned from his
evil ways. He was Captain and Brevet-
Major in the United States army; which,
allowed it toAhe presumed that he would
worthily WELD the judicial sword. He,was,
Acting Inspector General Of the Freedmen,s
Bureau which would cause him to look
after the interests Of the unsoph histicated
African. And-if any other argument
were wanting77-7Hoge must have som .. hing;
and surely he was as well qualified for q
judgeship as his electors were qualified to
make laws for the State. This settled il.
and Solomon L. HOge was elected, notwith-
standing his own earnest conviction that he
could as easily ride on the tale Of a comet
without falling off as sit on the Supreme
bench without making it evident. that he was
solomon only in name.
And il Solomon. L. Hoge did not feel like
Q Judge, neither did he look like one.
About him there were MI
''No eyes severe and beard Of formal cut"
All that he was he seemed to be: An easy
tempered. snlooth-faoed young man, Just
twice sixteen yeara old. Ef,
On the bench, since his election in Juiy
last, Justice Hoge has played dummy with
0 patience which should entitls him to draw
q foreign mission in the "Grant American
"Gift Enterprise" at Washington. The
feelings, however, Of tho new Aedged JUS.
tioe were not pleasant. The day might
come when he would be obliged to open his
judicial mouth. And--what then Ge h.s
pinsd for Bowen, sighed for Whittemore.
and, iike Rachel mouraing for her children,
would not be cornforted. Justice Hoee se-
0ufod' as the first opportunity, tho Radical
nomination for Congress In the Third Dis
trict, and was defeaaed Handsomely NV M
Reed, who .oarrisd the district by 8t,os ,o..
jority. This WAS net to bs sndarsd. Jn..
N0a HonA Ahns,~h M su1~. s, n,