New-York tribune., 1874-06-25
MR. EV1RTYS ORATION.


the fair fame of the late Chief Justice, and
for all who take pride in the glorious history Of
our greatest men, that Mr.. Eyafts was invited
to deliver tho memorial address at Hanover
in honor of Judge Chase, and that, in spite of
"impOrtunate preOccupatiOns of time and
"mnd,p he accepted the honorable task. He
is a man who has too much self respect to do
anything otherwise than well, and he has
acquitted himself of this generous duty in q
manner upon which we congratulate our read
ers in advance. 1t is noble eulogy which
we print this morning, second to none OF those
remarkable funeral OratIOns which have
during the past year cOmmcmOrated the careers
of the great statesmen we have recently lost.
In one respect it is distinguished from them
ALL So much time has elapsed since the death
of the lamented jurist, that there is less of
emotion in the respect and reverence which
the country pays to his memory. And in
accordance with this fact the orator has drawn
with freer and calmer hand the great out
lines of that lofty and symmetrical character.
1t is hard to doubt, in surveying this mas
terly pOrtrature. that Mr.. Evarts has drawn a
picture of the Chief Justice which history may
accept without farther changes; likeness
where friendship has done no more than give
the color of life to traits which cOnsummate
artist has drawn with absolute truthfulness
The work which Mr.. Evarts has accom-
plished with such signal skill is an important
and necessary one, and should not have been
left to hands of less than the first capacity.
1t is not too much to say that no one had the
personal resources required for it to such an
extent as Mr. Evarts. His eminence as a law
yer, which entitled him to speak with author
ity upon the professional standing of the
Chief Justice; his intimate personal acquant-
ance not only with tho deceased statesman
but with all his eminent colleagues in public
life; his knowledge of the inner history Of the
Administration of Mr.. Lincoln; his wide learn
ing and his graceful and fOrcible eloquence,
gave us the right to expect from him master
piece of Characterization and statement.
But while we have oil this, this
eulogy is marked by quality higher
still, by just and generous dis
elimination exceedingly rare among public
men of any time, and almost unknown among
us at this hour. To appreciate this fully we
should consider, and we trust it is not indeli-
cate for us to recall the fact that when Mr..
Chase was made Chief Justice, a large propor-
ton of the bar thought Mr.. Evarts then, as
now, the best possible man for the place. 1t
will also be remembered that Mr.. Evarts was
the first friend and advocate of Mr.. Seward at
Chicago when Mr.. Chase was powerful rival
and Mr.. Lincoln successful one. But so little is
the justice and veracity of his judgment troubled
by these personal relations, that throughout
the whole of this remarkable address we may
seek in vain for any trace OF them. in the
accurate aud comprehensive view which he
gives of the administration during the
war of the rebellion, and of the parts played
by the President and by the Ministers of
Finance and Foreign Affairs.
Fully aware of the differences existing
among these three able and patriotic officers
he gives full justice to each, without dero-
eating in the least from any. He concludes,
with clearness and decision which will 90
far to influence the minds of future students
of our history, that each of them was best in
his own place, and no shifting of parts would
have been of advantage to the country. He
treats with especial contempt that vulgar error
which assumes that Cabinet of notable men
is necessarily inharmOnious and points his
observations with discreet and judicious
reference to George Ill. of England.
"Had Lincoln" he says. "in deal
"ing with the administration of
Government during the late Rebellion,
"insisted. as George LII. did, in his treatment
"Of the American revolution, upon the right
"of employing as responsible advisers those
"only whom he personally liked and who
"were ready to consult and execute his per-
"sonal wishes; had he excluded from his
"counsels great statesmen like Seward and
"Chase, as King George did Fox and Burke,
"who can measure the dishonor. division, and
disaster into which our affairs might have