Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-09
TIE DEATH OF CHEF JUSTICE
CHASE.


little while ago and now Chase has
gone. It il seldom the case in the
history of anati"n's public men that
three as noted citizens rs these were
die within so short = period Of one
another. In several respects there
was a singular similarity shared in
common bv these three. Each took
an eccentric departure from his own
party when that par V was on the
eve Of its most vital struggles each
grasped for the Presidency and failed:
each died Of an overtasked hrain.
Webster died in very mnch snrh
sud,!enne-s of manner a. these noted
men; and the fact leads tn the lnerv:
l. this quick di-int-grati"n of the
brain, this dreadful stripping of the
nervous system, the natural fermi
nation of that mental iufttna'ion
c.lle,l the Presidential mania? M.v
we not ascrihe these sad endings to
the incnral,le effect. OF an over
whelming ~hork Of disappointment
the su,l,len interro-iti"n IF help
les-ness aud hOpele-sn-sS in the
pathway of life long ambition ?
The stronger the ambition the more !
ehncking the check Chase. in one
sense. was greet man. Nature
made him for a puhliri-t. He corn
bin-,l the scholastic with the pras.
teal talents in an almost unpar,l
elled degree. This fitted him for
and male. him self hc;pfnl to pnblir
stations of the highest order. He
was great. then. as a politician. His
John>unism was his first palpal'l-
Observation-Disclosures. primarily. his
lust for the Presidency Was his fatal
weakness fatal b-canse it misIe,l
and demoralized MIN. i,ervertinY his
stronger aims aud l-banching his
He Was very great
man ~ the Secretary IF the Treasury
great in grasp Of mind, great in
great in the massive com
pusnre with which he met the gigan-
tic problems Of that perilons and
office. Then he WAS /"
full AMI acknowledged master of the
.itnatinn. He weak ' abandoned 1t ,
~ intrigue for the Presidential NOM
If 1864. He loSt prestige
md individual mark when he to"k 1
he Office which he held when he .
lied for upon the Supreme Bench {
,e was where he must show for bis :
intrinsic worth. and the cOntrasia
were tho much f>rhim. He vas the {
se.kest member of that di.tin-
,ui>he.l body. His flicker of politi
I'll prominence ~ a Democratic A
andislate for the Presidency in 1R68 =
rss the last struggle Of forl"rn 4
cpe. 1t Was an i%nnmini1u< fail. II
re and then Came the w"rmw''o', :,
MI the gall of lanlk-d ambition
a life long delnsi"n winch owned (,
!. fpundatiOn to lie nothing more II
nh.tantiAl than n Presrntiment-i a,
nj then too came parslvsis and n Il
ififul. premature s-nilitv. These u,
Id truths are less welcome than the m
ords of n more charitable m"ni j,
ut they are better than mere eul"gy Al
AMI the cllara ter of the dead p
,iSe needs no mans charity. ii.
.lmnn P. Chase was possessed "f a c..
ind which was misappli1.i inst q" of
ten a he exertpsl it toward secnr- ST
2 the b.,nble Of the Presidency
"a was dehanched Just 40 often IN
relnpsei into the compromises Of -
defeated candi,latnre. This amhi- Ill
~, Al we have said before. was the Ill
ne Of his public .reer the posi- I'M
r. mistake Of his life was his &C. ch
ptance Of the position Of Chief c.
xtice. That Office made HIM con- att
,cuous bnt he failed to shed lns- tis
upon it and the mere negation tai
Vas Nothing more Sn