New-York tribune., 1874-06-25

rM... va. c.uadno this ststion he found tho bench
nred with men Of mark and credit and his accession
made On exactly equal division of tho Court between
the creations Of ths old and Of the politics. In these
proper maintenance OF tho traditionai
re,aon OF the 20 tho Court was OF much
Importance to is unbroken authority with the public
That 1t was 80 intaned apparent to oooservaton'
and Mr. Justice Clifford speaking for the Court mas
shown II m most amiabie light.
throughout his jndris career hs ways maintained
that dignity OF carriage and that calm, nome, anu uh
presence that uniformly cnaraoterized MS
and depor ment in the social o.. Srse an" were
always couched in friendly terms, anu were never
marred by severity or harshness.
As for the judgment of the bar OF the country while
Il gave its full assent to appointment OF Mr. Chase
as an elevated selection by tho Presdsn upon
the general and public grounds which should always
control there hesitancy on the part Oh sne
lawyers to the completeness OF M Clases m b,
'n5sa The the Ss1y s%y'd o, a1si pvass
nnna and It was readily and gladly resoIvea i've ac r".
the and nDos an s sna winch sIs the
Chief Justice handled the diversified Subjects ana 'no
manifold complexlties which were Drog htno5 n had
overlooked the earlier dstnction OF Mr. Chase at tne
erred iu comparng their estimate Mr. Chase enter
lug upon judicial employ with III, % & moi
at the outset Of their long Judicial service. ieei uo
fear of dissent from the profession III saying s rt
why hGa 10 presiied as wen as the large aud widely
dinsed body of lawyers who give competent ana re- re-
snone study to the reports. recognize the orce Vi h
reason clearness Of his percrptions tue oanp ~
his opinions, and the lucid rhetoric OF hls ns
assuring his RANK with the eniaens JuuSo'"' "''" Wv"
and the mother country.
LAWYER AND A STATESMAN
But In the most imposing part OF the Jurisdiction and
Jurisprudence OF tho Court In Its dominion over all that
belongs to the law OF nations. whether occupied with
re mighty questions OF peace and war, and the multi
/ md, 10 In W
follow tho change from to tho other; or with the
complications Of foreign and eommerce with
all the world which the genius OF our people is con-
santly expanding its control also, OF the lesser pub
lie law political SYSTEM by which We are nation
of republics where the bounds OF State ana Federal au
and crcnmspsct adjustment in its ua arbitrament
all conflicts and encroachments ny which the great CO
ordinate Of The Government are 70 DC cou
fined to their appropriate spheres: In that delcats ana
superb supremacy OF judicial reason waereov tne Co-
suon coniIes the deliberations OF ttis Court the
, neyerte, 10 abstain itself from law making
jim all these transcendent functions OF the tribunal tue
preparation and The adequacy Oh tue "erc
Accordingly we find in the few years OF his service.
before decline health in the crowd OF causes bIeh
by the civil war which the Sonra %
Iabors. that the CaiefJustcs gave Conspicuous eyi-
dence in repeated instances OF that union Of the acu
ties of lawyer and state which alone satisfy
the exartons OF tins CHEST jurisdiction. unequalrd
aud un * ,uplcd in any judlcaturc in the word 10
name these conspicuous merely, without unfold
ing them would carry no impression, ana Time iails or
any demOns rative criticism upon them -
There are two passages IN the judicial service OF Mr
Chase which, attracting great attention and exciting
some difference of opinion at tie time OF the ranSac
tions, invite a brief consideration AT your hahds
HIS INFLUENCE IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL,
The first political impeachment IN our constitutional
history involving, it did, the accusation Of the Pres
dent the United States required the ChieJustce 10
preside at the trial the Senate creating thus tho
Tribunal to which the Constitution had assg cd this
hioh ReyOnd the that SEN
ate when sitting for the trial OF impeachment should
be ION OATH" the Constitution gave no instruction to
fix or ascertain the character OF the procedure the
nature OF the duty assigned to the specially organized
Court, or the distribution OF authority between the
fJu,tice and the senate Tue situation lacked
feature gravity circumstance OF solicitude, ana
attention OF the whoe country anu OF i"tei1n ~
ma lions the transaction at every stage or ts
progress No circumstances could present greater
disparity political popular forces between accucr
and accused and none could be imagined OF more
thorough commitment OF the body Of the Court tne Sea
ate bot interests OF its members IN their polta
feeling and their an tending m 10 maze c .ne
coations Inevitable Tne eli rt Of Constitution to
guard against mere partisan ladgment py fe4mring 4 &
picsion Of tue ssnate showing OF
tn UoS o and ud0 ws demandipg conyetion TO this
party as WELL Che i-Justco belonged as FOUNDER
nroperity and ifs fame The President raised to the
ofce fro that OF ePresden to which alone he had
assassination, was absolutely without a party in the
Senate in the for tho party whose suifrages
force in his impeachment. Aud to bring the matter to
the worst succession all the Executive and
patronage the Government IN OF conviction. was
to fall the administrator OF the President OF the
Senate the creature thus OF the very court invested
Against all these umonse. Influences, confirmed and
the without Abatement through 1.-THE trial.
the President acquitted To what wise or fortunate
protection OF the staollty OF government po
Solely cannot hesitate but think To tho potency OF
iustceloving awrespectDg people, OF the few decisive
of
henso had Impressed upon the transaction the solemn
Character OF conviction under the sanction OF
OF mere power Of which It's will should be Its reason 10
short. the Constitution had made the procedure judicial
and not political 1t this sacred interpositon that
stayed this plague or political resentments which with
less sober aud intelligent populations. nave hwarted
SO many struggles for free government ana equal IN
sttutiOns.
REPUBLICAN GRUDGEs NOT SHARED BY THE PEOPLE.
Over this scene through all its long agtaons.l the
Chief Justice presided with frmness and prudence,
with crcumspect comprehension aud sagacous forecast
OF the vast consequences which hung not upon the re-
suit of the affecting personal fortunes OF the
but upon the maintenance Of Its character
as trial. upon the prevalence OF law, and the suprem-
acy OF justice. in its methods OF procedure. in the
grounds and Of Its conclusion That his author
ity was greatly influential in fixing the true consiitu
tonal relations OF the ChefJustice to the Senate and
esta Dshng precedent OF procedure not easily to he
persuasve force maintenance OF the judicial
Of the Transaction and that It never went step
beyond the ONCE which Veiopkcu W Nun, Va Pieotiiut
over the Seuate trying an impeacnmen isN not " De
doubted. -
The President was acquitted. The disappointment Of
the political calculations which had been made upon
what felt by the partsns OF I'M peacment 10 De an
assured result was unbounded and resenments, rash
and unreasoning were visited upon tue ChefJustice
who had Influenced the Senate TO be judicial aud had
not himself political. No doubt this impeachment
trial affected the disposition OF the leading
managers OF the Republican party towards the Chief
Justice and his attitude thereafter towards that party
in his character Of civilian. But the people or the
country never assumed share Of these resenmens
of party feeling The charge against him, ff IL had any
shane or substance Only this that he brought