Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-07

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-NOW that the
long suspense in regard to the Chief JUS
ticeShip is endedby the formal tender of the
place to Attorney-GeneralW Williams, word
may be in order in regard to the prelimina-
ny steps taken by the President in this mat
ter. The treatment which he has given to
this, the most important appointment which
has fallen into his hands since his election.
indicates his real measure accurately and
definitely. OF course it was not to be ex-
pected that any President would appoint
anyone to such place outside of his own
party. 1t can hardly be said that he would
be justified in such action. But on the
other hand few Presidents have ever con-
sidered this place as a part Of their personal
patronage to be used for their own benefit.
But the motives which Gen. Grant freely
avows as having controlled his treatment of
this matter are such as may fairly be called
unprecedented in the political history of
the country.
When the late Chief:Justice died the
President made haste to state that he would
not Immediately name his successor. He
made up his mind deliberately to delay the
decision of the question until after the
Autumn elections had given him a clearer
view Of the political situation. Hewanted
to see whether the New York Legislature
was Republican or not before throwing into
its hands the choice of new Senator. He
never had the least doubt as to his choice
for the position. If it could be done with
out losing seat in the Senate he always
intended to give the appointment to Mr..
Roscoe Conkling. He has repeatedly said to
intimate friend: "This is the most impor-
tant place in my gift, and ought to be given
to the man to whom l owe most. This
man is Conkling. In the campaign of last
year, when the Liberal movement was lust
developing, he went to New York and
made the speech which was the keynote of
the campaign. Every speech made after
that to the day of election was repetition
of the words and ideas which COnkling
had set as copy. am therefore
bound to offer him this place." He never
cared to discuss the merits of those great
lawyers whose names were SO freely men
toned in connection with the office. There
was a time, it is true, when the Hon. E.
lockwood HOar was his second choice, but
the opposition which this lncoTuptible law
yer maaie to Buffers nomination rendered
him an impossible person for Gen. Grant.
EvartS, Howe, PielTepont were never once
thought of. The representations of the bar
were regarded as an impertinence. The
President considered the appointment his
own affair, and looked upon any advice as
olficious intermeddling. The office was to
be filled for his own best interests, and he
considered himself better qualified to Judge
of them than any one else. The highest
fight Of magnanimity of which he was Ca
pable was that of recognizing apersonalo OBJ
legation. And he doubtless felt he was do
ing anoble and generous thing when he
rendered this magnificent reward to the
Hon. Roscoe Conkling.
No ordinary man could have withstood
such glittering temptation. No man, fit
to be Chief Justice, could ever refuse it.
To true lawyer this is the summit Of all
earthly ambition. No one who knows the
law, and loves it, could ever decline the OPP
porlunity to link his name with its history,
and to devote his life TO an authoritative
exposition of its principles. But Mr.. Conk-
ling is not lawyer in that higher sense.
He has no such exclusive devotion to the
law as the Marshalls, the Taneys, the
Evarts and Storys. at the same time he
was too much of a man to be tempted by
the mere glitter and cOnSpicuouSnesS of the
place. He is a politician, eager for the
cOmbats and victories of politics, and he
has no intention to leave that more exciting
arena for another more honored and more
dignifed. He expects to be President some
day, and he has too much sagacity to imag-
inc the bench is a stepping-stOne to that
eminence. He therefore declined the APP
pointment without any great delay, and the
President, having paid great debt, had his
capital of patronage still intact for another
investment.
His next idea was the territorial one,
which formed the greatest fault of Lincoln's
system of appointments. We all remem-
Der how he was hampered during the first
years of his administration by the claims of
locality. He even kept a little book in
which he arranged the names of Brigadier-
Generals by States, and was much dis
tressed when one State would get more
than its share. He outgrew this after
awhile, and made no scruple, in twoinStan-
ces, of having two members of his Cabinet
from the same State. Gen. Grant has still
a great respect for the claims of LOCI lity.
when they do not interfere with those Of
his family and friends. He therefore de-
termned to give the place of Cnief-Justice
ITO the South" and was casting about
among the Southern Office holders and claim
agents of his Acquaintance for "the right
kind Of man," when It was suggested to
him by one OF the few persons whose adj
vice he takes, that it would suit 'the
South" just as well to have place on the
Bench, and that his best course, therefore,
was to make promotion from the present
Court, and fill the vacancy thus created
with BriStow, or some such person. He al
once adopted this suggestion, and really in
tended last week to do this. But the mat
ter being bruited abroad, he was subjected
to such annoying solicitations from the
friends Of different Justices that he sudden
ly changed his mind, and resolved to APP
point Attorney General Williams and give
his place to Bristow.
This is, from the Presidents point OF
view, the most satisfactory arrangement
that could have been made. "The South
which in the Executive sense means the
clamorOus and greedy politicians of both
coiors who have SO long plundered the
country, would greatly prefer a representa-
tive in the Cabinet to place on the Bench.
The Caseys and Durells, and their con-
geners in other States, will be highly graft
fed to reflect that some one in sympathy
with them is in charge of the Presidents
conscience in the acknowledgements office.
And in the present case they really have
the advantage of both places, for now they
have the Chief Justice always with them.
Judge Williams has never failed during his
term of Office as Attolney-General to salts
fly any requisition which the President has
made upon him fer opinions to sustain that
shameful regime of fraud and usurpation
under which SO many Southern communi-
ties are suffering. Harmony is
now secured between the legal
departments of the Government, at the two
ends of the Avenue, and ''the South
ought to- be happy. All this is secured at
but trifling expense little further lower
ing Of the tone of the public service. Judge
Bristow is not much below the average OF
the Cabinet, and is one of those trustworthy
and unquestioning servants which the Pres
ident likes to have about him. Judge
Williams is a lawyer of good character and
respectable talents, who owes his POSITION
exclusively to political tact and sagaclty'
| He would never have attained prominence
anywhere but in a new country; but he stlll
is not so Objectionable choice as Gen.
Grant might easily have made. Most PEG
Die are inclined to be glad it is no worse.
This is adeplorable state OF feeling, SHOW
ing an indolent acquiescence which IS mol
far from fatalism. But it is not illogical
If people are satisfied with Gen. Grant foI
President, they ought not to complain OF
| Williams as Chief Justice.