Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-04-16
THE LEGAL TENDER DECISION.
Will it be Reversed-Are Strong and
Bradley 10 be Relied Upon by the
Radical Party2
Is it Possible thaEra;h hey are in League With
the President~O Disgrace the
Supreme cOurt2
Has the Court been Packed7---WIII Chase
Resign?-An Extraordinary Scene
Under the Ermine.

FROM the LOUISVILLE OOurler-JOurnal.
WASHINGTON, April 11.-Will the
Supreme Court reverse its own decis-
ion lately rendered in the legal-tender
case This is question of impor-
tance, and more important in the view
of the manner in which it shall be
done, if done at all, than in the in
trinsic merits of the cause. If gold
commanded a premium of 40 or 90,
instead OF II, per cent, as now, the
interests involved would be enOr-
nous; but the present reduced rate,
with a probability of further decline,
greatly diminiShes the monetary
value of the case. Its significance
then, 1 repeat, is In the manner in
which this decision is to be brought
about. The Court stood 4 to in
the late decision, Judge Grier,
who cOncurred with the ma
iOrity, having retired before the
decision was made public. Now
there are two new judges, Strong and
Bradley, on the bench. 1t has been
broadly charged that the President
made the point that the new judges
could be relied on to reverse this de-
cision, and that this chiefly influenced
| said appointments. StrOng's position
was, however, pretty well understood,
as he had, in a decision in Pennsylva-
mia, sustained the coGstitutiOnslity OF
/ the legal-tender act. Nevertheless, it
| is said the President, or his bondhold-
| ing friends, were otherwise well salts
/ ne. tnat Mr.. Strong, As well as Brad
! ley, would do the work required. The
charge seems to have some foundation,
as within a week after their confrma-
| tiOn the worthy pair vote to have the
! case reOpened, and their votes over
ride the former majority, headed by
! Chief Justice Chase. -.
Are these stories true? Is is possi-
\ Bile that the Chief Executive has lent
! himself to a purpose so unworthy
/ ana is the United States Supreme
| Court, once SO venerSted, to be a play
| thing with the President as well as
with GOngFess2 The action of the
Judges named will determine that
question hereafter. They ara 10 an
/ embarrassing position, and their ao-
tiOus will be closely scrutiniZed. And,
| if the worst suspicious about these
men are realized, the Supreme Court
/ will not only have ended its career OF
usefulness, but be held hereafter as an
] object of suspicion, If not Of scorn and
contempt.
It has been said by some persons
/ that, if the decision of the Court shall
be reversed, the Chief Justice, and
perhaps those who concurred with
! him, will resign. IT would certainly
be a terrible rebuke to the President,
but it is not probable that anything oi
the kind will occur. These judges
are very dignified and respectable gen
/ tlemen, bgt they are like other office,
| holders" few die ala none resign
The Washington correspondent g
the Louisville C0alBlerciGt gives the
particulars of a scene in the supreme
/ court Monday, which shows how rap.
idly the highest judicial tribunal IN
\ the country is Gegenerating undel
! Radical manipulation. he says;
" A CURIOUS scene took place in the
! Supreme Court to-day, During the
talk about postponing the legal fen
der cases, the Chief Justice remarked
that the court understood that the
points involved in these two cases RaC
! slreat,y been decided. Justice Millel
| IntaypOsed and said that the court did
not 30 understand. The Attorney
| General put In and said that he did
not understand such 10 be the decis
ion. Judge Chase responded, will
evident heat, that when he made al
announeerEeat he expected to be be
lieved. Mr.. HoaF apolOgized. Judge
Davis said that it was agreed by hi
cad of the bench that this bandyips
of words was improper, and that the
cases should be postponed until Mon
day next and no longer, which order
was then entered.
"The colloqUy, of which bIt a few
points are here given, lasted a con
siderable time, and was probably the
most extraordinary ever witnessed il
the Supreme Court. Much of it wa
conducted in so low tone as to b
inaudibie, except to two or three law
yers within the bar, though the eX
citement which ragged under tn,
ermine could not be concealed
Chase, Nelson ara Clifford all mad
remarks which could not be heard o.
the outside. 1t appears evident tina
the court is divided as to what
meant by permitting reargument
the cases, one party holding that
reopens the whole question, and tn
other that 1t only relates to the cor
stitutiOnallty of the law after its en-
, actment.