Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-18
FIRST EDITION.
CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE.

At the sitting of the United States Circuit
Court, on Tuesday the 17th, Anthony Higgins,
Esq, United States District Attorney, presented
to the Court the resolutions OF respect adopted
at the meeting of the members of the Bar of the
District Of Delaware, on Saturday last. In NOV
ing the resolutions, MIR. Higgins spoke as fol-
lows
May il please your honor Since the last sii
ting of this Court, the country has been panied
by the sad intelligence that Salmon p. Chase
| late the Chief Justice OF the United States, is no
more. While life 30 great and 30 good cannot
pass away from earth without producing shock
| to all men, of whatever condition, both the high
and the lowly. yet it comes with peculiar sad
ness to the Bar, who 80 prize the lustre which
| the character and learning OF Chief Justice
Chase shed on their profession, who so appre-
ciate the dignity and Importance OF the exalted
station which he filed and who would reverent-
ly bear their tribute Of respect and sorrow for
one who filed IL 80 worthily-ina manner worthy
OF the place itself, and OF the good and great
men who sat there before him
The members of the Bar OF this District met
to take proper action concerning this sa' event,
on Saturday last, and unanimously adopted res
outions of respect which hold in my hand, and
am charged by my brethren to present to this
Court
II can be said upon the death of but few men,
| as was said by all men upon the sudden and un-
expected announcement OF the death OF Mr.
| Chase, that great man i5 gone But as we re-
| call inc 6Vb0Ilul 3tOTy VI lho phst 'pttJ yoatbs
and the wsighty and controlling part he took in
| shaping both their course and results; when We
look around us to-day, and see great facts in our
national existence, which he, more than any
other man created when we reflect that IN
time when degeueracy and corruption seem to be
creeping among our public men, he walked un-
suspected of either ana wore the ermine or his
high Office without spot or stain, we unite with
mankind in saying, truly great man is gone.
| As has been the case with nearly all the emi-
nent men this nation has produced MIR. Chase
arose by the mere force of his own abilities and
character, unaided by wealth or the influence OF
family connection But he possessed mind
snguarly comprehensive and heart OF un-
tqualled kindness and courage Looking back
| now upon his career. we see how eminent he
WAS above his fellows and his times now raised
| above other men, he "looked into the future
| far as human eye could zee, and with unre-
strcted vision, discerned the goal to which
| the people were almost blindly and unconscious
iy struggling. He intuitivey comprehended and
grasped the principles which were controlling
| events around him. saDd on these principles he
firmly stood like "a great rock In weary land
As the Head OF the Treasury, during the war
| Mr. Chase displayed the same commandin4
| uowers of mind. shall always remember the
| admiration of the National Banking System OF
which Mr.. Chase was the originator, expressed
| to me at the time by veteran and able oppo-
nent OF that Administration.
As he expressed it, the establishment oil th7
| National Banks had more brains i'll it than any
, | other step taken by the Government in the CON
test" At a time when the Treasury was sorely
| in need of money, by this means MIR. Chase bof-
| rowed immense sums. made this debt the basis
| of the banking currency, and commercial credit
| of the country, and made every individual holu-
ing bank not0 or deposit directly ana person
| ally interested in maintaining the credit ana llle
of the nation.
And whether this system shall he found the
best for times of peace and for perpetual ''a
tenAnce, or not, whether 1t Will yleld 10 adVe:
| criticism or from it's convenience and simplicity
| maintain it's hold on the popular confidence
none will deny it to have been most singulary
) and happily equal to the trying exigency FOR
: which 1t was adopted
its court of highest resort, from which there Is
no appeal that we look with greatest interest
upon the departed jurist and statesman.
The time during which he presided there has
been indeed memorable period IN the judicial
and constitutional history of the country. Ques-
tions of commanding and far reaching import
i; ance, and never contemplated by the FOUNDERS
| of our institutions demanded Judicial and n
| nal settlement That by the decisions OF the
Supreme Court they have been settled, ana so
settled as to meet with almost IL not ehtlIeiy the
acquiescence and approval OF both the Proiier : :
sion and the people wins for the departed ohiei
| Justice
-" A truer crown
Than any wreath that man can weave him"
Called to the highest Judicial position at time
when men had almost forgotten that ne eyer was
| LAWYER it was feared that Mr.. Ohase woulu oe
| uneoual in learning and experience to the dis
! charge of the duties OF q place once nueu ny
Marshall and Taney: but his decisions nave Deen
: rendered his course has been run, and the pro-
feeeion who to pass upon MS WORK. htahu
to-day reverently around his grave, and say with
one accord that he was worthy successor Vi
. | those great men. .,. Al,
1t is pleasant, sir, for us to remember that the
, late Chief Justice was for time the presiding
Justice of this Circuit and this Court, and espec'
ially to recall the delightful recollectlons OF MS
| visit here in the October Term OF 1866, IL gave
| to some of us an opportunity never 70 p9 ioss9.
| ten of seeing the kindly and genial side OF Mr..
| Ghase's character OF his almost boylsh now oi
spirits, and to mark in him the combination Wheel
k greatness 30 often makes with gentleness Aho
= grace. - .-.,a ,,.asan,
these resolutions to the Court, and ask that they
ii be spread at large upon its record. A..
I, VIM g. McCaulley Esq rose to second the
| motion of the District Attorney, and seld may
n nlease your honor Although suddenly ant
UNEXPECTEDLY calle l. l rise to second these reh
olutions impressed with profound respect Io m
the memory of the illustrious dead ana an e@A @
alted regard for his great public services. %
fully so ably and 80 truthfully has the portral-
ture Of Mr.. Chases life been drawn by the NOV.
ar of the resolutions that feel that any enort
of mine would probably result IN tan'oiosy'
cordially endorse all that he has SAID.
cannot refrain however from expressing IN.
appreciation of the talent and exertlon OF th'
man. who unaided by the hand Of fortune or o
/ mower rose to the most important positions OF
tbe land. Upon them all he has left for ou
benefit and the benefit of all future genera
tions, the permanent impress of his command
ing ability Let the youth OF our country imi
tate his example and be stirred to ambitious Of
forts. by the contemplation Of his success
His honor Judge bradford, in response to tn
remarks of Measrs. Higgins and McCaulley, said
Gentlemen OF the Bar This ls the nrst regu
lar term OF the Circuit Court, since the d.ceas
Of Salmon Portland Chase, the late ChleI Jus
tice Of the Supreme Court OF the Unite
states. 1t is eminently proper thai IN
sad event should receive the notlc
Of this Court and this Bar ueat
as an appointment of chief Justice OF Tn
supreme Court, has (excepting the short term
,si of office Of jay, Rutedge, and Ellsworth PEE
,at of rare occurrence Since the August term OF i9u
on Of that court, there have been but three One
AT Justices. John Marshall Roger b. Taney and u
All late Chief Justice extending their laoors over
in period of seventy-two years, the coming mont mon
-as | Of August John Marshall presided from ioOl
rs. | 1886; Roger b. Taney from 1887 to loO4, al
IN salmon r Chase from 1864 to the last term
he Supreme Court. ,..;..
at Mr. Chase when he entered on the duties
as bis office was attached to this circuit, as It's re
so ,oe siding Judge and SO continued until. under
Ia. new allotment of the Supreme Court Judges
Of the various circuits, Judge Strong OF that eon
.Is succeeded him. He once, certainly, attended
,ds term Of this court although believe he trit