National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-15

There 10 hardly anything In current news
paper discussion more amusing than the
vein Of high-toned morality and dislnter-
ested patriotism that runs through all the
Democratic and semi-D Democratic Journals
upon the question Of the Chief Justiceship.
North, South, East and West, they are all
tuned to one key. In the first place we are
treated to dissertations upon the high md ex-
allied nature Of the position; we are told Of
the eminent and able men who have hlled the
chair Of the Chief Justice; the name and
fame Of Marshall, aud the virtues Of tho de-
ceased Chase are emphasized and painted In
the richest Of colors; and then, to reverse
the medal, those patriotic prints shudder lest
the President In disposing Of tho present va
cancy should appoint "a mere politician."
All this talk Is cant and humbug, and the
gentlemen who utter know that II Is. No
appointment that the President could posi-
bly, make would please them, unless-whlch
we do not think there Is the most remote
probability OF his doing-he should go into
the ranks Of the opposition and select one Of
the illustrious patriots themselves, and then
we should have howl from the disappointed
ones. The report which has Just been put
In circulation that Senator Conkling has
been rendered the place has been made the
text for fourth or fifth edition Of the dis
sertations that we have alluded TO, Of which
the following, from the columns Of the Chi
cago Tribune, Is fair specimen; "If there
Is any real foundation for the present rumor
that Mr.. Conkling has been rendered the
Chief Justiccship, II would look rs though
he had permanent lien on all the vacancies
in the Supreme bench as long as President
Grant shall be President. As Senator
Conkling's claims consist chiefly In
political services, this view Of the
matter will scarcely commend Itself to the
people at large" There Is much more In the
same spirit In the article from which we have
quoted, but II Is not worth reproduction.
The point Of the whole lies In what we have
given. The Tribune has small and select
list from which 1t would have the appoint
ment made, namely: Thomas Drummond,
United States judge Of the Illinois, Indiana
and Wisconsin circuit; Mr. VIM. NJ. Evarts,
Of New York, and Mr.. Hoar, Of Massachu-
sets. The Democratic organs have Q little
band Of their own-Charles O'Conor, Of New
York; Mr.. Black, of Pennsylvania, and others
Of the same stripe.
There Is one point In this discussion Of
which the opposition seems to lose sight,
viz: That the vacancy has always been filed
by the appointment Of what they are pleased to
call "a politician" What was Mr.. Chase
when he was appointed The objection
which Is now urged against Mr.. Conkling was
urged against the late Chief Justice. The
Democratic organs from one end Of the
country to the other raised howl Of denun-
citation against Mr.. Lincoln and the "radi-
cal Republicans" They told us that Mr..
Chase was no lawyer; that he had beon
twenty years in politics; had had no expc-
rience as jurist, and was utterly untitled
for the position. To go back to Democratic
days, and the hey-day of Democratic rule,
why did Andrew jackson appoint Mr..
Chase's predecessor Is 1t not notorious that
1t was on account Of his subserviency
In o5eying the command Of President Jack
son in removing the United States deposits,
the very thing for which he was made Secre-
tary Of the Treasury Here are two Chief
Justices entirely satisfactory to the Democ-
racy-each one of whom was appointed
purely on account of political considerations.
In this whole discussion Of the Chief Jus
ticeshlp we have taken no part whatever,
nor do we intend to do so. The President In
his own good time will make his own selec-
ton, and we arc confident, whoever he may
be, that pssterity, II not the present genera
lon, will approve the choice, as the choice
Of jackson and Of Lincoln has been ap-
proved.