The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-05-16
The Supreme Court.

Before the body Of the late lamentet
Chief Justice is cold in the tomb thl
friends OF the aspirants eager for th'
place thus suddenly made vacant By
death are urging their claims for III,
situation. As our country has growr
older the lust for Office and officia
emoluments seems 10 have increased
and with it a disregard of those decen.
cies which should obtain in civilized
community. Surely these gentlemen
who are so anxious 10 wear the ermine
might have waited until the tolling ol
the bells had ceased before thrusting
their documents in the face OF the ex-
ecutive. There is no great judicial
crisis pending that necessitates an i'm
mediate filing OF the position; the in
terests of the country, are in no danger.
And yet, reasoning from surface appear.
ances, one would think the exact
opposite. The same greed for place
found exposition in the sudden rush
consequent upon the death OF our late
Minister to Russia As soon as the
report Of his serious illness was tele-
graphed, at least half dozsn were
wrsngling over the prospective vacancy,
and it is to be seriously hoped that not
one of them will get it.
The fret Chief Justice OF the United
States was John Jay, OF New York. one
of the ablest jursts that this country
has ever produced. He was appointed
in 1889, and held the office until 1874,
resigniDg to accept the position OF
Minister to England His successor
was John Rutledge, of South Carolina,
who was appointed during recess OF
the Senate. He served for only one
term OF Court, his nomination, for some
reason, being rejected the next session
OF Congress. VIM. Gushing, OF Massa-
chusetts, one of the Associate Justices,
was then nominated and confirmed, but
declined the office. Oliver Ellsworth,
OF Connecticut, was then nominated and
having eignifsd his willingness to &C.
cept the position Was confirmed by the
Senate March 4, 1856 He held the
office until 1899, when he was appoint
ed Minister to France. The position
WAS offered 10 John Jay, but declined
President Adams then fixed upon John
Marshall, of Virginia, then member
of his Cabinet, and wiser choice Ger
tainly could not have been made. lie
WAS unanimously confirmed January
81, 1901, and discharged the duties Of
his office for thirty-'our years, with dis
tinction and ability. After an inter-
regnum OF several months. his success
or, Roger B. fancy, of Maryland, was
appointed, holding the position from
March Is, 1886, until his death, which
occurred October II, 1864 Nearly two
months afterwards, December 6, 1864,
President Lincoln named as his sue
cessor Mr. Chase; who died, as did his
predecessors, IN official harness Thus
it will be seen that the office was held
for seventy three years out OF the eighty
four which have elapsed since the court
was first constituted. by three men,
each OF them of urquestioued ability
and purity, and esteemed as highly for
their private as their public qualities.
The present Associate Justices OF the
Supreme Court are Nathan Clifford, OF
Maine, appointed in 1858; Noah II.
Swayne, o: Ohio, appointed in 1862;
Samuel II. Miller, OF Iowa, appointed
in 1862 David Davis, of Illinois, ap~
pointed in 1862; Stephen J. Field, Of
Iowa. appointed in 1868 ; William NJ.
Strong, OF Pennsylvania, appoioted in
1870; Joseph P. Bradley, OF New Jer-
sey, appointed in lS70,and Ward Hunt,
OF New York, appointed in 1872. One
Of these justices Was appolnttd by Pres
ident Buchanan, tour by President
Lincoln, and three by President Grant
At the time OF the inauguration OF Prss-
ident Lincoln, not one o. the Judges
we're in political sympathy with the
administration. Only one Of these now
remains upon the bench-Judgc Cliff
ford, OF Maine. The remaining seven
were Republicans at the time OF their
appointment Boston Globe.