New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-03
WASHINGTON.
Continued from First Pase.

Continued from first PaGe.
glitteriug temptation. No man. tit to DO Chief
Justice could ever refuse it. To true lawyer TINS
is the summit Of all earthly ambition. NO one VINO
knows the law and loves it, could ever decline tho
opportunity to link his name with its history, aud to
devote his life to an authoritative exposition OF Is
principles. But Mr. COnkling is not lawyer
in that higher sense. lie has no such
excIusive devotion TO the law "a the
Marshalls. tho Tanoys tho Evarts and Storys'
AT the same time he was too much of man to be
tempted by the nero glitter and conspcuousncss OF
the place. He Is "a politician eager for the combats
and victories of politics. and he has no intention to
leave that moro exciting arena for another more
honored and more dignhed. He expects to be
President some day, and he has too much sagacity
TO imagine the Bench is stepping-stoDe to that
eminence He therefore declined the appointment
without any great delay, and the Presidsnt, having
paid great debt had his capital of patronage sui
intact for another Investment
His next idea was the territorial one, which
formed the greatest fault Of Lncolns system OF ao-
pointments. We all remember how he was nam
pered during the first years Of his administration by
the claims of locality He even kept little book
in which he arranged the names OF Brgadier-
Generals By States, and was much distressed when
one State would get more than its share. he out
grew this after while, and made no scruple, III two
instances, Of having two members of his Cabinet
from the Same State. Con. Grant has stu great
respect for the claims of locality, when
they do not Interfere with those OF his family ana
friends He therefore determined to give the place
of Chief.Jnstice to the SouthD and was casting
about among the Southern ofice-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 advice he takes because 1t gives
no umbrago to his pride, that it would suit
tho South Just as we'll to have a place on the
Bench and that his best course, therefore, was 10
make promotion from the present Court, and MI
the vacancy thus created with Brstow or some such
person. He at once adopted this suggestion, ana
really intended last week to do this. But the mat
ter being bruted abroad, he was subjected to such
annoying solicitations from the friends of different
Justices that he suddenly changed his mind, and
resolved to appoint AttorSsy General Williams, and
give his place To BrisOw.
This is, from the Presidents point of view, the
most satisfactory arrangement that cOuld have been
made 1.-THE South which in the Executive sense
means the clamorous and greedy politicians Of both
colSgS WIG Aaye a. l2og pllg12r2g that country.
would greatly prefer representative IN the CaDmet
to place the Bench. The Caseys and Ddreiis,
and their congeners in other States. viii be highly
RIdtlllCu 10 IchtCl tudt SUNNI 'ho ia %
pathy with tlom is in charge of the
Presidents conscience III the Attorney-GeneraPs
office And in the present 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 Attorney
General TO satisfy any requisition which
tho President has made upon him
for opinions to sustain that shameful
regime of fraud and usuTpation under which so
many Southern communities are suffering. Ilar-
mony is now secured between the legal
departments of the Government at the two
ends of the Avenue, aud the South" ought
TO be happy. All this is secured at but tniling
expense-a little further lowering of the tone Of
tho public service. Judge BristOw IL not much
below the average OF the Cabinet and is one Of those
trustworthy aud unquesioniug servants which
the President likes to have about him.
Judge Williams is lawyer of good
character and respectable talents, VINO
owes his position exclusively to political tact and
saGacity. lie would never have attained prominence
anywhere but in a new country; but he stil is nat
80 Objectionable choice as Gen. Grant might easily
have made. Most people are inclined to DO glad it is
no worse.
This is deplorable state Of feeling, showing an
indoent aequiescnce which is not far from fatal
ism. But it is not illogical. If people are satisfied
with Gen Grant for President they ought not to
complain of Williams rs Chief-Justce.