The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-01-28
STAUNTON VIRGINIA. THURSDAY. JANUARY 49, 1876
A Lesson for the Times.

! A Lesson for the Times.
+ Mr.. j. W. Schuckcr's life of Chase" JUS
published by the Appletons, contains much O
interest concerning the private life of the Chic
Justice. One of his infiexible habits, as showr
by his life, was never to make his position thu
source Of personal emolument. The follow
ing letter written to Mr.. Jay Cooke, in 1863
while he was Secretary Of the Treasury, is Q
public men: 6 You informed me
two or three weeks ago that you had purchased
300 shares Of Philadelphia and Erie Rail. Dad
| stock for me. At that time was expecting
means of payment from the sale OF a farm in
Ohio and would have been glad to hold the
| stock for income. The sale, however, has
not yet been effected, and 1 have, therefore,
not been able to make payment.
| This morning have yours OF yesterday, no
| tffying me that you have sold the stock at an
advance which gives profit of 81, 200 on the
transaction, and you enclose me check Of
| that amount.
''As had not paid for the stock, and did
| not contemplate purchasing with any view ito
resale, cannot regard the profit as mine, and
| therefore return the check for 1900. 1t is
herewith enclosed.
ness to regard the money paid for the stock as
temporary loan from you to me. But can
not accept the favor.
"When Congress, at the last session, saw fit
to clothe me with very large powers over cur
rency and financial mo, enents, | determined
to avoid every act which could give occasion to
any suspican that would use the powers con-
| ferred on me to affect markets unnecessarily, or
at all, with reference to the private advantage
of anybody. TO carry out this determination
faithfully, must decline to receive any advan-
| tage from purchases or sales made with views
to profits expected from the rise or fall of mar
ket prices.
| s'For these reasons must decline to receive
the check. For, in order to, be able to render
| the most efficient service to our country, it is
essential for me to be right as we'll as to seem
right, and to seem right as well as to be right.
| POSTMORTEM RECOGNITION. = # public
men could only die at the beginning instead Of
the end of their careers, said voice, gravely,
how much abuse they would be spared, how
much more decent the newspapers would be,
and how undisturbed the consciences of edi-
tors The remark was suggested by the sud-
den death OF the Mayor of New York. For
two years he had sat in the chair Of De Witt
Clinton, lifted into it by the desire Of reform,
and how he was belabored and ridiculed and
opposed by the press If Dogberry had been
the municipal chief, Or it the testy old Peter
Stuyversant had stepped out of the history of
Diedrick Knickerboeker and moved visihly be-
fore the eyes of the city, he would not have
seemed very different from the figure which
the press gave lis of the sturdy Mayor. One
cold, windy morning he was coming to town,
and the train was delayed. Eager to be at his
office and to do his duty, the Mayor walked
against the chill blast for three miles, and had
scarcely reached his desk when he sank upon
the floor and was dead Then we heard from
the newspapers that in a time OF suspicion and
official knavcry. when even Mr.. Charles Fran
els Adams felt obliged to say of Mr.. Seward in
his eulogy that lie did not sell himself, we
heard that the Mayor was perfectly pure-han-
tled, that no breath of doubt ever furnished his
integrity, that as a merchant and man he was
absolutely honest, however whimsical and
hayward and that if obstinate and Anticipated,
he was yet strong, stalwart, upright magls-
trait, and citizen.
Certainly when conspicuous man lies sud-
denly dead it is not the moment to rehearsc
his defects, unless he be man whose character
and career are to serve as a warning and not as
an example. Nor ON the other hand, while
this is true, is it necessary to insist de mortuis
nil nisi bonum. Death is not Il sponge to wipe
away the memory OF a bad life. But shall we
tell the truth only of dead men? Tie papers
spoke truly of the Mayor, but it was a strain
he was never permitted tc hear. How it would
have warmed his heart, had he lived, to arise
the next morning and open his papers to read
in them such kindly words He would not
have believed his eyes. He would have sus-
pected some glamour. But as he saw that it
was no trick of his spectacles, but was indeed
true, how happy he would have been, and with
what renewed zeal he would have undertaken
his duties! Not to have felt himself at bay,
to be sure that his sincerity was conceded,
however his acts might be criticised and re-
GREETED, would have so cheered his soul that
those acts might very we'll have been different.
A soft answer, says old wisdom, turneth away
wrath.-Edtor's easy chair, Ha,per's Maga-
zine for February.