The Portland daily press., 1873-05-08
nnath Of Chief Justice Chase.


heath Of Chief Justice Chase.
Chief Justice Chase died in New York city,
at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Hoyt, of
apoplexy, at ten o'clock Wednesday morning,
with which he was attacked Tuesday morning.
Salmon Portland Chase was born in Cornish,
N. FL, January 18th, 1903, being in his sixty
sixth year at the time of his death. His father
died when he was at the age Of ten or twelve
wears, leaving him to rely upon his own re-
sources largely. Soon after, his uncle the first
Bishop of Ohio, invited young Chase to live
with him, where he was assistant in school
and prepared for college. In 1924 he entered
the Junior class of Dartmouth and graduated
in 1926, At that time his uncle Dudley Chase
was United States Senator from Vermont, and
by his advice Salmon went to Washington
where he taught select school for some time
and subsequently studied law in the Office of
William Writ then Attorney General under
John Quincy Adams He was admitted to the
bar in Washington and returned to Ohio in
about 1910, and began the practice of his pro-
fession. He first came into notice by arrang
ing and writing the statutes of Ohio, which
were in confused condition. This work was
so well done that it brought him into notice
and he acquired a good practice. In 1887 he
defended James G. Birney before the Supreme
Court of Ohio who was prosec uted under the
State law for harboring slave. MI Chase as
serted the doctrine that slavery is local, and
dependent upon State law for existence and
continuance, and insisted that the person al
legged to have been harbored, having been
brought within the territorial limits of Ohio by
the individual claiming her as master, was
thenceforth, in fact and by right free In
1886 he was associated with the Hon. w. ID.
Seward as defendants counsel in the case or
VIM Zandt before the Supreme Court OF the
United States. The case excited much interest
and in a speech which attracted marked at
tention Mr. Chase argued more elaborately the
principles which he had advanced in former
eases.
1t is evident that man holding such opin-
ions as these was destined to marked political
career in the then state of American parties.
He cast his first Presidential vote for his friend
! William Writ, through personal predictions
alone Prior to 1S41, however he had taken
bit little part in politics He had voted some
| tines with the Democrats, but more commonly
with the Wings, who, in the North, seemed to
him more favorable to anti slavery views than
their opponents.
He supported Gen. Harrison in $780, but the
tone of his inaugural address, and moro The
course of the Tyler administration, convinced
him that no effe ctive resistance to the en-
croachments Of slavery was to be expected
from any party with slayeholding and pro-
slavery wing modifying, if not controlling, its
actions; and in 1S41 he united in call for a
convention Of the opponents of slavery and
slavery extension, which assembled at Colum-
bus in December of that year.
This convention organized the liberty party
of Ohio, nominated candidate for Governor
and issued an address to the people defining it's
principles and purposes
In 1843 a National Liberty Convention as
sembled at Buffalo, in which Mr. Chase was
prominent member, and where he opposed the
resolution to practically nullify the third clause
of the Constitution where it referred to fugi-
tive slave In 1874 he voted for James G.. Bir-
ney, the nominee of the Liberty party, bring
ing down upon himself the great wrath of the
Wings for SO doing. At this time he became a
more active member of the Democratic party
retaining still his deep and immovable antipa-
thy to slavery As Democrat he took sides
with the party in favor of the Sub-Treasury
which, with "hard money" ideas, constituted
the important features of Democratic policy in
those days. He only differed with the party
on the question of extending slavery. He was
opposed to the introduction of the system into
the new Territories He was not urgently ex-
acting for its abolition. In short he was an
abolitionist, but believed that the States were
protected from Congressional abolition. Mr..
4 Chase warmly endorsed the organization of the
Free Soil party in 1913 and supported the nom
ination of Van Buren and Adams At the
Convention in Buffalo he said:
we have come up from the banks of the
| Ohio and the Mississippi, the shores of the
| Lakes and the Atlantic, where is forever sound
| ing the mighty anthem of freedom, And why
| have we come here? To lag the foundation of
a great and enduring Democratic party-a party
| which shall recognize the rights of man. as they
| are recognized by the clear vision of Almighty
| God
February %, 1S49, Mr.. Chase was elected
United States Senator by the Democrats and
free soil members of the Ohio Legislature, the
former party at that time being decidedly op-
posed to slavery He separated from them in
1852, on the nomination of Mr.. Pierce for the
Presidency by the Democratic party, and while
Senator opposed the compromise bill, snd in
1854 wrote strong appeal to the people ag ainst
the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and opposed it by
! every means in his power, and offerad an amend
ment leaving it optional with the people of the
territory whether slavery shopu exist in it or
not This amendment was lefeated, but still
Mr. Chase persisted in his opposition to slavery
Among the other useful measures supported by
him was the bill for tie establishment of the
| Pacific Railroad, ,r1ich he lived to see an ac-
| complished fact He was elected Governor of
Ohio in 1855, aAd two years later supported Fre-
mont, the republican candidate for the Presi-
dency. asainst Buchanan. At the Peace Con-
feren.e of 1861 he proposed the indemnifcation
of planters for escaped slaves. On the forma-
! ton of President Lincoln's first Cabinet in
! March, 1861, he was appointed Secretary of the
Treasury, and in January, 1862, instituted his
financial system of issuing "greenbacks'' and
making United States notes legal tender After
more than three years arduous service he re-
signed his position as Secretary of the Treasu-
ry; and in 1864 succeeded Chief Justice Taney
on the Supreme Bench
He was candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation against Mr.. Lincoln in 1864, and had a
powerful combination in his behalf, but it event.
nally fell through and Mr.. Lincoln was re-nom-
mated. Judge Chase did not appreciate Mr..
Lincoln, and it is said that he greatly embar-
rased him at times. 1t will always be stain
upon the reputation of the great man that he
resigned his position as Secretary of the Treas
ury in the dark days of June, 1864 Thousands
will remember the panic the act created, and its
temporarily disastrous effects upon the nation
al finances and the Encouragement to the coun-
try at large. As the Chief Justice of the Unit
ed States, he virtually declared that the great
financial measure originated by him was uncon-
stitutional except as war measure.
In 1868, he was the candidate of very re-
spectacle portion of the Republican party for
the Presidency, and the usual machinery was
employed to bring him before the people, but
the tide had set for Gen. Grant, so that all
effort was useless.
At this period in the life of this great pion-
eer of free soil and statesman, he seems to have
been entirely consumed as other great men have
been, with an inordinate desire to be President
His former friends and the great party to which
he belonged, were not little surprised when
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