The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-09
LOCAL MATTERS.
SAL MON P. CHASE.
THE RICHMOND BAR PAYS A
Tribute OF RESPECT TO
HIS MEMORY.
INTERESTING RESOLUTIONS AND
SPEECHES.

a argclr-attcnucd meeting ol INC ln'NlDtIs
| of the Richmond bar was held in the United
States courtroom yesterday lnornn" ut 10
O'Clock.
On motion Of Mr.. James SccSon. Mr..
James LYONS was called to the chair, and
Mr.. NJ. +. Pleasans appointed secretary.
On motion Of Mr.. Maury, a committee of
lively" was appointed TO prepare suitable
resolutions.
The Chair appointed The following gentle
men: Mcssr>. William Green W. 4. Maurv.
3. +. johnson, James Nceson, +. II. fitz-
hugh. b. X. Wexford, +. Bark>daie, Jr.. W.
W. Henry, Charles Dabncy. James &. ray-
Ior, j. o. Stcyer, and John Howard.
The committee retired. and after an ab-
sencc of half an hour returned and presented
the following
PREAMBLE A:;D RESOLUTIONS,
which were unanimously adopted:
seldom i 1t tha. the hand of Death
snat"hc> from the place of honor il Iiau more
inspired bv greatness and moral Wortl, than
Salmon Portland Chase. 10 whose memory
we are now COME together in these precincts
ut Justice. which will know him no more
forever. 10 lay tribute.
His sudden death, after bcin. 50 recently
| amongst Us in apparently improved health.
and deepening the impressions he had already
| made upon our minds and hearts, has caused
Il shock from which we shall moi soon rcco-
| yer, and is another solemn lesson that the
paths OF glory lead but to The grave. From
| one end 10 the other of this broad and va
| ricd Land Will his death produce @ricf, and
Il SENSE that this time, in very truth. has
| Death pulled down Il great pillar ui state.
and that there are few III the land to supply
| his place.
Called TO the position of Chicl-Ju>ticc of
! the Supreme Court OF The United States from
the station of Secretary of the Treasury, a.
| was his distinguished predecessor, like him
| he rose superior TO the passions and prclu-
| dce> of the hour. His greatness could not
! have been subjected to Il more crucial test
| than hy his succession 10 the position
made vacant hy the death of that mirror
OF Justice and judicial propricty the Ven
| cradle and cycr-tu-bcicycrcd Roger
Brooke fancy. II had been many years
| sine" Mr.. Chase had any experience al
| the bar when he was made Chici-,Iu>licc !:
| and had he moi been Il man Of extraordinary
| cudowmcnts his appointment would larr
| been Il serious mistake, but it turned out that
| in his case the particular in which he WAS
| thought tu be wanting--i sufficient practical
acquaintance with uri.prudcncc-wa> one
| of his best qualifications, for he went OF the
bench at Il time when he was soon Ia encoul'-
| ter those new aud important questions which
arose in the southern states after the close of
the Nal--,ItcS:ions which were uny Y 10 b.'
satisfactorily resolved by Il mind of vigorous
and comprehensive grasp, accustomed I" Il
frequent recurrence 10 great principles. hlll
| 1T the same time accustomed to lali@e I'M
| tranmcllrd Ivy rreccdcmt>. Thai the mind
of ChicI-Jllstlcc Chase WAS of that stamp 10
person of dl.ccrnmcnt will question. 1t
may be safely said that there was 10 man
known 10 Us who Wa> better fitted TO hal'uIc
those novel questions than hc was. Ills
boldneS> and independence, and at the
same time his sobrirty as thinker.
ale too well known TO be more than
referred to. There was Il maSSiyencss
and sclf-rclancc. solidily and equilibrium
about his mind, that were impressive. and
singled him oct ;,s one born To figure III mat
tiers OF great conccrnment. The high traits
Of his intellect were consplcuously shown
while he WAS ut the head of the Treasury.
the duties of which position he administered
with distinguished sa"acity and originality
- much 50 hat he falsIticd nr"dic'lo' - 10
he effect of his measures ccntl,i,utiS madc III
high quarters in Europe. The conscious
ness of his mastery administration III finance
was. It is believed. Il source of great satIsiac-
ton to him.
Endowed with an intellect Of such cha-
rac,eristics-m impatient OF things mar
row or technical-it was exceedingly oppor-
tune that during the brief period he held i
judicial station there was work for him ol Il
kind both suitable and congenial. He 1T
once began 10 deal very m'-tcrly with the
gicat international questions thai rl'ne nc-
fore the Supreme Court sitting H. Il tribunal
of prize; but perhaps IN 10 eases did the
greatness Of his judicial qualifications 80
generally impress themselves on the Whole
country us in those Eases usually called tile
gold cases His judgments i'll those cases
were coucllcd in terms ~ luminous. and
enforced by reasoning 81 Irresistible, that all
nrcyiou, doubts and cOnllicL>--and they were
many-Wcrc at once laid, and men wondered
that il matter now so clear should ever iEIIc
been ob>curcd Ly misgilin.S. 1t is III in
tcrestlng coincidence that the Clic!-Ju>tcc
should have most distinguished himself ~ L
Judge in c.lscs involving questions about the
currency.
The greatness Of Chicf-Ju>ticc Chase was
set OH by striking simplicity and direct
ness, both & manner and diction. What he
said was briefly said. and yet it always ap-
prared by Il c'ui0sa .Jcltcttns TO be fully said.
Ills hrevity WAS never ciainped or strait
cned. but his subject was laid before you i'll
all its length and breadth and thickness.
His character WA, pure and >rotIr>S, and
notwithstanding his lille LctOrc his elevation
10 the bench was passed in times OF great
bitterness and rancor, in which he was II
prominent actor, there never was Suspicion
of his integrity.
Viewed in his social relations, there Is
none of us who viii not treasure the rccoi-
lection of his rcrsonal intercourse with tlit
deceased, or that will ever forget his Sc
niaitv. tempered only, but not diminished,
by perfect and quiet dignity, or that readl-
ness to listen and entire freedom from dog
uatis,n, which lent such il charm to his
society.
ReSotred, That tais meeting Of the bar
and Judges of Virginia is deeply penetrated
by 4 sense of the calamity which they III
common with the rest Of the people OF the
United States have sustained III the death
Of the Hon. Salmon Portland Chase, and
that they will ever cherish his memory.
which Is endcarrd To them no less l'y many
personal attractions and associations than by
his eminent ability and wisdom.
Rcsotccd That We will wear tic usual
ba dye of mourning fer thirty da:>.
Ers"IrCd, That Tie chairman Of this
ncc:il. Dc requested to present Il copy OF
the foregoing preamble aud resolutions 10
The Circuit Court OF the United States and
the Supreme Court of Appeals Of firgiuiu,
at Richmond, with the request that the same
hn spread on the minutes Of the said courts
Rcsoiced, That tie chairman OF this
meeting be requested to tran1lnit a copy ol
the preamble aud resolutions a!oregolng TO
fl,c family OF the deceased.