The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-05
CHI AR EST TON.
MONDAY MORNING, APRIL s, 1869.
Justice Solomon l.. Hoge.

Il
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
tice of the Supreme Court Of the State, to
contest the election to Congress Of the Hon.
J. P. Reed. There is no doubt 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 giaut being willing, when
the end is important to choose the resdiest
means, without regard to the minor tones
which harmonic the lives Of smaller and
less conspicuous men.
Justice Hoge could not have been guided
by personal ambition, or party prejudice,
or even the remembrance Of the dreadful
day when, filled with terror. he fed across
the country and slipped off to Washington
to pray for protection against rebel insub-
ordination. With him considerations 80
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
maculate Bowen and cooling Whittemore, it
is because Of his belief that the change
will be of benefit to the State. No feeling
that he could not remain on the bench with
out making Radicalism more than evsrri--
diculous directed his actions. Had he not
proved himselfa Democrat at heart by sug-
gesting the powder and ball treatment as
quistus for turbulent negroes? Should he
not make his orthodoxy unimpeachable by
leaving position that paid we'll, for a po-
sition whose emoluments need only be linn
tied by the modesty and ingenuity Of the
incumbent?
The circumstances under which, he was
elected to the Supreme bench were distress
singly peculiar. One Chief Justice and
two Associate Justices were to be chosen.
Mr.. Corhin, OF Rhode leland, Senator from
Charleston and United States District At
torney, Was ready and eager for the first;
and when he wss defeated by Judge Moses
would accept NO lower place. Colonel A
J. Willard, of New York, was elected as
one Assooiate.J Justice; but the whole Radi-
cal establishments, black, white and mixed,
were in quandary to know who to take
for the other. John Morrissey was sug
gested. Daddy Cain was proposed. But
Solomon L. Hoge was the favorite. He was
born in Ohio, which was one thing in his
favor. He had actually. graduated as q
lawyer and had practioed his profession for
nearly two years, which was more than
other candidates could say. he was only
thirty-two years old, so that if he had any
crotchets on the subject Of a white mans
government he might be turned from his
evil ways. He was Captain and Brevet.
Major in the United States army, which
allowed it to be 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 unsophisticated
African. And-if any other argument
were wanting-Hoge must have soms. hing;
and surely he was as well qualified for q
judgeship as his electors we're qualified to
make laws for the State. This settled it,
and Solomon L Hoge was elected, notwith-
| standing his own earnest conviction that he
could as easily ride on the tale of comet
without falling off as sit on the Supreme
bench without making it evident that he vas
Solomon only in name.
And if Solomon Hoge did not feel like
judge, neither did he look like one
About him there we're
''No eyes severe and beard of formal cut"
All that he was he seemed to be: An easy
tempered, smooth faced young man, just
twice sixteen years old.
On the bench, since his election in July
last, Justice Hogs has played dummy with
patience which should entitle him to draw
foreign mission in the "Grant American
''Gift Enterprise" at Washington. The
feelings, however, of the new Hedged ju.
tice were not pleasant. The day might
come when he would be obliged to open his
judicial mouth. And-what then? So be
pined for Bowen, sighed for Whittemore,
and, like Rachel mourning for her children,
would not be oomforted. Justice Hoge Be-
cured, at the first opportunity, the Radical
nomination for Congress in the Third Dis
triot, and was defeated handsomely by Mr..
Reed, who carried the district by 30O8 ma
jority. This was net to be endured. JUS
tice Hoge, though no judge Of law, was q