, 1875-02-13
CHIEF-JUsTIC1s CHASE.

An important Letter Mover Before
Published.
New ORLEANS. La, Feb. ., 1875.-Ths Hon,
j. III Barrett, Cincinnati. O.: Dear B1R I send
you, according to protnise. tho copy OF \ letter
received by mo from Mr. Chase in iSe4
]. s. WHITAKER.
CIso1NNAT1, O., Nov. 81, 1aG4.-MY DEAR
JUDGE Looking: to-day over the pile OF 1ettcra
which Envo remained unanswered. partly from
other occupations, and partly from shccr pro
crass'natlon, find yourn of tho 18th Of July !;
but. as atn unwilling to bs thnught less than
careful Of yolr good WILL writa to-day, late as
1t is to thank You for }la friendly sentiments.
mover thought mich OF position in ltaoIf rs
an opportunity for useful labor, IN good cause
only, have thought it specially desirable. ro-
algned the esocretaryahir Of the Treasury because
dIa nos think could hold it longer, ubofuIly
not resign beaauso I saw any difficulty Ia tho
financial position which ll1d1clnus administration
and legislation could not easily overcome. On
tho contrary. l wonid have boon willing to give
bond and security to tho amount 1T all l have,
that IL supported according to my Judgment Of
What was oxpodient and IT. woi1tl mako oyory
Ercenback and National Iank noto par with gold
~ year or, IT thought wiser, wi.hil Bix months
But Ind tho misfortune OF incurying Chow
knew not, for | am unconscious Of injuring
Glther) lho hostility Of two lending mcmbors Of
tho Cabinet, and thought could perceive in
d!catons tilat their hostility iuilnenceu the mind
q Dir. Lincoln. While things we're in tbis con-
Claeo, ot Now York, came up. and t.: the
rreBitlont declined to nominate tho per-
son recommended by mo nnloas conId
obtain tho consent Of one OF the Secretaries, and
thoso who thought as he did. There uerc aon,e
peculiar circumstances connected wi t:h tails oc-
cufrenca which made me feel that could not ek-
pect to have the control in thu Department. which
seemed to me essential to successful OK llonora-
bic administration and could not heip feeling
Gir {enr1t Iva ALI
did II he really desired mo to remain al Tho head
OF the Department: do not know how otl,crs
may foet, but could not reconcile 1t to nv senso
Of duty to the country to the PreBid 9nt, or to
myself, 10 romain IN an oflce where / could not
be sure OF bcng useful Or i'll an, Officer held at
tho plenhure Of the Prestdent, when felt that
my remaining in IL WAS not entirely aeteoablo to
him. He Ind nevcr inti.nated a wish for my
resignation but this circumstance was nothing.
whom 5sh that bo did not really wish for nv
services. Hence I resigned, and IhAge alwaya
thought that acted rightly. Ny support Of Mr.
1!ncoln waa hs earncat after n before rcaigna-
tlon.
had, It lis truo, confluence In my knovI-
edgc Of tho situation, and in the ability which.
my experience md that knowledge Rave mo, T.,
Burnount its difticulties which had mol in tLt,
knowledge or ability OF anybody elsa; but wnfl
far from thinking that my placo could not h,
filled without detriment to tho public. On tlso
contrary, felt confident that eomo othe. cor1-
ing into my place. aud not compelled to encou.,-
ter tho adyorne Influences which my very patt
auccess had created for ms, could got along even
better thau could,
THO selection of b1r, Feasendcn as nny succos-
sor WAS peculiarly satisfactory to mo, To groAt
ability ho 1nincd great integrity and perfect
honor, and bis loving personal friendship vas
the guarantee that he would NOT only DO Just nut
generous in his appreciation OF my work. lor
have boon disappointed. rpgret, fer tile
couptrY's sake, TINT le does not propose to to-
main At the hcad Of tho Department after tho
4th OF March. Mr.. Lincoln viii DO fortunatb IL
be secures bis equal al ILLS SUCCESSOR.
It Ia only very recently TINT have bad an OPP
portunlty Of reading your new Constitution. It
is on the whole very satisfactory. I wish the
suffrage provisions bad been more liberal, both
as matter Of justice and ns q matter Of policy,
for have not any grounds to change the opinion
haro often expresaed, that the Union nlan Of
the South will find their surest defonse In tho
votes aud ia the education Of the whole popuIa-
ton, without regard to color, hope thnk the
Legislaturo will avail itself Of ita power Under
the Constitution to widen the pslYilegea Of suf-
frage. also wish the Constitution had been
less liberal as to Nebels retu,nod to their H.
Iegihoce, either apparently or roallv. I would
not be harsl, but would not bs oyer-lenant IN
such matter. Pardon should preorde 1ettoss-
ton. Yours very truly, 8. +. CHASE.
Tho uon. J. =. Whitaker, New Orleans, Ii.