New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-31
brt hoe not tho grasp AMI dscds yrsst consttu
tonsi QUESTION:" This fairly expressed the Genefsa

brt hoe no. the grasp ana decds rsst constitu
tonsi questions" This fairly expressed the general
opinion which hss Undergone no change. There 10
little doubt that President Grant 70 500 his favorits
theory put In PRACTICE that ono should take care OF
one's friends-raised the bench who not In
way qualified for IT. Ward Hunt d, highly respect
able Judge hut TO say that OF tho hundreds Of abba
lawyers m the country he IL OF the nine best ned
10 ait on the supreme Bench. IsmeDtabs absurdity
Three nominations made by President Grant tho
senate virtually refused 10 oonbrm, while another tho
seventh on the st. has been approved by q unanimous
vote The first Of these that Of 4. lockwood Hoar was
tho only Of the seven except ChiefJusice waitss
tho senate should have confirmed and thoro
fore, which that body. consistently wrong headed
did not confirm The pettiness ~ the motives which In
duced the Senate 10 act did, has already been fully
disclosed your ooIumns trust that the people viii
remember long after those honorable Sen nOrs wish
had been forgotten Tao nomination Of Judge Williams
Is still painfully fresh in the public mind. and
with much discussion. Suffice II TO say that President
Grant nominated him. knowing him 70 be in intellectual
and professional attaInments unequal 10 % great .
station and refused to Withdraw his when he had
discovered or had every reason u think he had dis
covered that no morally unfit for that any other
position The people will do well 10 remember that IS
was not President Grant who saved them from the dis
grace Of having George II William, for CbiefJustice
or the next this strange series OF nominations that
Caleo Cushing for Chief Justice II Is impossible to
speak with any patience. To ul the ohsr OF Marsbaii
and Chase We offered legal norman. baliawyer.
and half.dplomst accomplished attorney Of great
skill aud ehrewdncss but reported 70 be devoid of
conscience a mon OF large fees and oily ol0quence.
WHY, 5hifty, aud adroit knight Grant IN Ia" ana
rsputed secret scryener FOR the State Department.
cOurtier with each Administration, and yet
man whose only political affiliations had been with the
party Of slavery and Of Reaction. IL was singular
anomaly, the nomination OF this ChieiJ USAGE.
approved OF the bred Scott decision, TO senate
which mad up 30 that time refused W allow TaDey's
To be placed in tho supreme Court rooins
because. Cnlef-Ju-tice, he made the bred scott
decision. Happily tho 5enate refused 70 con
frm Mr. Gushing, even the risk OF ADDING
"a seventh unworthy to this ridiculous aud scan
daOds list But to the infinite relief OF the country, tho
nearly such thing possible that the people were
not so ANXIOUS that tho Chief Justice should loo per
sona friend OF the President they were that he should
be yerscd the law and know tue difference between
good and evil In Morrison X Waite we have q Cbief
Justice whose dignity integrity, and learning VIII ~
least not prove soany rs " degrade the Eench Oh
which he sits. ,-
Probably the philosophy OF this series Of blunders
sOme might give them "a worse name may be foun1 IN
tho pregnant remark President Grant ~ rePoreo "
have made "This n the most important place u. ~
gift and ought to be given TO the man To whom 100
most" In That son Is displayed tho VuixAV -.
his conception OF this important duty no -
seems 20 have had adequate notion OF tno sass a."
far.reachng results Of his action. III he hSd cnei
special luminosity against tho Court ne couu s.ve
gratided il efectually Every nom U
Nv o mas been direct blow its digpIty is aDny os
It's purity. To ones frenus rs nemsa -
dono IA ghtfully: to ones frlenos A. sn
ones country is crime. -
WdshIdgt0n, d. g., Jan. 10 1873