The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-16

puDHsners MORO imam month later we hhu
Warren writing birthday letter to Chase,
marked, ITO be opened January Is, 1873, In men,
ory OF January 13, 1905" In which the purpose OF
writing his biography is first revealed to the Chief
Justice. Chase replied thanking Warden for his
platitudes and promising him assistance THIS
letter was Ia itself conclusive proof that warden
was not qualified to fulfil the obligation ne had
undertaken, but Chase declared himseH surprised
and grati1ed by IT. on the twenth page Oh MS
work Warden declares that Chase "must have
been more than once completely sel-deiuded;"
and Warden seems TO have UNDERSTOOD MS
subject, for his birthday letter TO Chase
was the basis OF delusion worse for the
Chief Justices memory than any he had pre-
yionsiy entertained THIS letter, most OF which Is
printed with the matter now before U.S. contained
the elements of battery and fairness In almost
equal proportions. Success, Warden deliberately
proved 10 Chase. was no test OF merit. In doing
this be lett no argument untouched upon down to
two TRANSACTIONS Protestant and Catholic, In three
languages-Engish, German ana French--Of the
eleventh verse Of Ecciesiastics That this elabO-
ration only INDUCED in for the sake OF the
tidote is plain enough, for We nnd Warden saying
to Chase "Yet, you are this day. and have been for
more than eight years, Chief Justicei and you
would have been Chief Magistrate more
than eight years ago had you been less
less proud and vainer." Though Warden was
like the famous Irishman who could not open his
month without putting his foot In 1t. the work OF
natterIng the Chief Justice went on favorably and
we find Chase's biographer saying that the Chief
Justice not long before his death agreed with him
that Buckles "Hstory OF civilization in England"
was most unwholesome work, and that its ten
dency to disparage the force OF individual pre-eml
hence and to exaggerate the force OF the activity
that manifests Itself In masses OF men was far
from philosophical The philosophy OF the agree
ment between the two Judges was thoroughly I'M
oerstood by one OF them, and 1.-The force OF ind-
vidual prominence" proved SO effective that when
Judge Chase died 1t was found that he had given
all his diaries to Judge Warden, auo had commits
stoned Warden as his chosen biographer.
THE SCOPE OF JUDGE wARDEN's BIOGRAPHY
Perhaps the most potent nattery IN Judge War
denis birthday letter was his intimation to the
Chief Justice that he had spent much time In max
ing study Of Judge Chase's life. II success did
not argue merit there were o few men to whom
Buckle did great injustice in preferring the work
OF the masses to their achievements. Judge Chase
was one OF the few men TO whom the masses had
not done justice in rewarding their merit wnh the
full need OF success. In word, Warden was
teaching the dying statesman that his country had
wronged him in not making him President, that
assistance in "my determination to prepare
for possible publication some account OF the
studies l have made OF your past life In
It's relation to your country and your times" As
q matter OF course the scope OF the purposed work
would have to be as artlully presented as the
other encrOachments upon the enieebled In telect
Of this enieebed giant But in this as In all other
respects Warden is to be preferred to Chase, and
we find four OF the subdivisions OF the work-those
which really tell MIR. Chases hlstory-to be as iol-
lows
Part 1.-THE Student the Teacher and the Writer.
Part 3-The Lawyer, the Political Speaker and
the Senator.
Part 4.-The Governor and the Cabinet 0flcer.
Part 6.-The Chief Justice.
The first part oddly enough, was the deduction
to be derived from the other four, but "The Life
Of Solomon Portland Chase. In It's relations to his
country and his times" was to consist OF Judge
Warden's special studies, it was perhaps right in
this instance to give them the first place In the
book 1t Ia or these studies that Warden oIers US
foretasre the effect Of which Is to make US fear
that II the rest OF the work 10 TO be like them
Judge Chase's diaries will undergo sad and ter
ribe mutatio before they appear in the rotundity
of Cincinnati type.
GLANCE AT wARDEN's STUDIES OF CHASE.
In his preliminary chapter, besides extracts
from the birthday letter. Judge Warden prints some
private letters to himself from Judge Chase. They
are published merely as delicate intmation that
the two judges were for years closely allied as
friends, but they have no interest beyond the fact
Of their sincere religious spirit Commenting on
this, Judge Warden says:-"I believe that the re-.
igiousness OF the quoted letters was not merely
real; it was far from superficial That will be ap.
parent as this work proceeds according 20 Its
method, more and more inward and inward"
1t Is impossible to respect either the
man or the method that would express
an encOmium seemingly SO insncere in
language SO terribly disjointed. Alter thus man.
Cling in single sentence the most sacred aspira-
lions of his victim what will any man care what
Judge Wardens ''studies OF Chase have revealed to
him9 Who viii stop to ask whether Judge Warden
thinks 'that the love OF country and the love OF
God in this true worthy were neither bigoted nor
sceptica2" 1t is no longer OF any interest to any
one that in one breath Judge Warden declares that
Judge Chase '.never was a demagOgue" nor ever
"a betrayer OF popular regard" while in the next
breath be thinks be does but JUST to Mr. Cnase's
memory "in intimating that he some
times acted as II he believed that
great success could be commanded by de-
sert in spite of public ignorance, and studi eddy
disseminated prejudlces." Judge Warden's imper-
feet knowledge OF the construction Of the English
language leaves him to be interpreted BY many
readers as meaning that Judge Chase "studiedly
disseminated prejudices," but all that he means TO
say is that the Chief Justice who was no dema-
gogue nor a betrayer OF the popular regard, was
an idiot who could act like a demagogue In think
ing he could succeed by desert without popular
regard. This would be the opinion Of chuckie.
head, but that Judge Warden cannot form any
opinion at all-that he would even be ready to
assert tnat Judge Chase studiedly disseminated
prejudices is apparent from the following ex.
tract:--
Certainly ct that time-during General Jackson's
administration-Mr. Chase did not understand
later period. Certainly there came a time when
he apparently considered that desert alone could
not command success-a period when his asp ira
ton and ambition apparently acknowledged the
propriety OF looking beyond actual merit, with the
object OF acquiring popularity in the direction OF
the Presidency. Never, indeed, in my opinion, did
thia man rnsniua cold londedly To Sacrifice the