The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-15
The High Courts at Washington.

MIR. Justice Hunt will probably never re-
sumo his seat on the bench Of the supreme
Court. His condition of health n year ago
almost forbade the expectation that he
could long survive the chronic ailmcnt
which had undermined his strength before
the recent attack of paralysis completely
disabled his remaining vigor. IL will fall 10
the luck u the Fraudulent President, there
fore. TO appoint another Judge to ill this
coming vacancy, TO be made 10y voluntary
retirement and a special pension, or by a
stcrncr demand to which all things human
must bow.
OF the present nine members of this tribu-
nal, Mr.. Justice CLIFFORD. appointed 10y Mr..
BUCHANAN in 1858, holds the oldest COM
mission. Although long ago entitled to a pen
sion, he is fully resolved neither 10 die nor TO
resign until a Democratic President can APP
point his successor. Mr. LINCOLN appointed
Mr.. Justice SwAYNE in 1892 and he, by
length OF commission and by age, is also en-
titled to retire, but he Is disnclincd 10 obligc
HAYES with vacancy, rs he was GRANT,
who ovcrslaughcd him rudcly with the pres
ont Chief Justice. Mr.. LINCOLN also APP
pointed Mr.. Justice MILLER, Mr.. Justice
FIELD, Sad the present Senator DAVID
DAVIS, who resigned last year,
Gen. GRANT appointed Mr.. Justice STRONG
and Mr.. Justice BRADLEY in 1870 TO over
throw the decision Of the Supreme Court
declaring grcenbacks a temporary eXpe-
dent OF the civil war as a legal tender, and
in favor OF n sound constitutional currency.
He thus wilfully prevented the resumption
OF specie payments nine years ago, which
that decision, rs pronounced by Chief
Justice CHASE, himself the father Of the
grcenbacks, would have enforced. The i'm
mediate object to be served by the packing
OF the Court at that time was TO relieve the
Pennsylvania Railroad and other corpora
tions from the payment OF their contracts
in gold, when gold was at high premium.
Gen. GRANT also appointed MIR. Justice
HUNT in 1872, and Mr. Chief Justice WAITE
in 1874. Finally, the Fraudulent President
appointed Mr.. Justice HARLAN 20 succeed
Senator DAVIS in 1877.
As the Court is now constituted, four men,
bers were appointed by GRANT, three by
LINCOLN, one by BUCHANAN, and one by
HAYES. With the retirement Of Judge HUNT
three OF GRANTS appointments will remain,
as will two Of HAYEss. The South has no
representative ON the bench, for HAIR
Ian is even more partisan and unscrupu-
| lous than MILLER, and OF an easy virtue that
! is well adapted TO sit side by side with
BRADLEY and STRONG, who rejected all tes-
timony by which fraud could be established
and brought home TO the Returning Boards
| as alhtnole, and tho first OF whom, after
writing an opinion on one side OF the Florida
case, voted ON the other without the least
hesitation, when ordered TO contradict him
solf by his owners in New Jersey and Penn
| sylvania.
or the five Judges who constitute the
| Court of Claims, Gen. GRANT appointed
Chief Justice DRAKE, when he dropped out
of tho Senate, and Justice RICHARDSON
whom he was obliged 10 turn out OF the
Treasury, and therefore turned him on tC
this life estate to soothc his wounded sensl-
billtlcs. Mr.. LINCOLN appointed Justice
MOTT, and the Fraudulent President ap
pointed BANCROFT DAVIS. commonly know
as the bride taker, and Justice HUNT o
Louisiana. GRANT and HAYES therefore
named four out of the five members Of The
Court, which passes upon the great body o
claims not carried before Congress or re
ferrcd 70 special commissions, and opens {
rich field Of practice to Judges like DAVIS.