The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-27
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.
A suggestion from an "IntellIgene0F'
header PARTIALLY Complied with.
WAsnINdroN, March %.

WASHINGTON, March %.
have received letter from one OF your
rsadors asking me to write something "in
regard to the distinguished men at the
National Capital, and also something in
regard TO tho various departments Of the
government" There might be dilier-
epce Of opinion as to who the great men
are, For instance, some members OF Con.
cress, who are quite distinguished at home'
are scarcely heard of here. But Of course
there are some persons about whom every.
body is agreed. For instance, in the
United States Senate, everybody agrees
that Conkling, Thurman, Blaine and Ed
munds are very distinguished. OF these
four, Conkling is The man whom the aver
age visitor cares most to hear. Edmunds
and Thurman are the men whom the law
yers like 10 hear. Blaine is. OF course, a
man who interests everybody. Conkling
ia a terrific man in debate. He destroys
the enemy more completely than any other
Senator. The Democracy dread him. They
fear Blaine but dread Conkling. Blaine
Laws them out with poliCeman's club
knocks them down as fast as they come at
him. and knocks the same man down
again and again. Conkling literally carves
hia enemy up with sword that has an
edge "a keen and remorseless as n Damss'
Gus blade. No more destructive speaker
has ever appeared in the United States
Senate. Thurman is the heaviest hitter
on the Democratic side. In fact he is the
only man capable OF stand up fight
against Blaine, ConkliDg or Edmunds.
Thurman is a very strong man, and to me
he il o highly interesting speaker. l
heard Edmunds the other day before the
Supreme Court in an interesting case.
could not but notice the g4sat ease and
clearness with which he spoke, and
the marked attention paid TO his argument
by the court.
Speaking OF the Supreme Court room,
there is quite field for the discovery oil
great men in that particular part OF the
caoitol building. Sitting near Edmunds
was Judge BLACK, OF Pa, who is also a
great LAWYER, and most interesting old
lQ6llOleu LAlktTs uhNS hNA tHS P'St,
OF meeting him twice since have been
here. He knows great deal OF law, poll
tics and literature, and uses great many
plain and blunt, but very iorclble, express
sions in his conversation. | sald TO him,
Judge, did you keep q diary in tho last
dsys Of Bu hanan's administration, and
in the early days OF the war, upon the re-
cords Of which yon arc now drawing ior
material for your magazine atticlesg u
had particular reference TO his late article
in reference to Secretary Stanton), "Oh,
no" said he; ~ never kept a scratch OF a
pen. draw upon my memory exclusively
for facts in regard to those days" was
surprised 10 hear this, having noticed the
great circumstantiality with which the
Judge set forth his allegations in regard to
Stanton. supposed that he had made q
record OF his observations ut the time.
Judge Black is an immense man physical
" MS well as mentally. He wears sandy
colored wig over his capaCious cranium,
and has a fashion, when he is talking, OF
twisting his silver tobacco box in his hand.
He is firm believer in old time ortho.
doxy. Some one remarked in his pres
ence that the lines that formerly divided
people in regard TO religious matters were
fading out. "Yes, said the Judge, and II
notice that the nice distinctions betwee n
right and wrong are going with them"
Oicourss need not say that the United
States Supreme Court Judges are all dis
tinyuisIied men, but some are more so than
others, After the TayiUf-Strander decision
had been announced | thought would
call on one or TWO members OF the Court
TO get their ideas Of its bearing on the sta.
tus of coloTed persons under our law. So
went out TO see tho ChietJ ustiCe, at his mod
est home on Rhode Island avenue. found
the great dignitary engaged in q family
game OF whist, from which discovery ! in
ferred that be was not only great law
yer, but no doubt very domestic man.
He left the table when / went in and took
me into an adjoining parlor, where he
talked for some time about the case, and
where he explained how it would operate
in Strauder's particular case. He seemed
to be somewhat at loss TO tell how the
decision would be made enerally opera.
tive pending change OF our West Vir-
GINA law, and said that he had hoped the
Legislature was in session this winter so
thatthe obnoxious provision could be dis
posed OF in way that would prevent any
possible friction.
CLiet Justice Waite does not impress
one Rs great man. lie does not look
the high position he holds as Chase did.
Still he is considered great lawyer here,
by those who ought 10 know.
Ihad aconversatlon with Justice Clifford
the same evening, on the same subject. He
isquite judicial looking old gentleman,
and halls from Maine, whence he was ap-
pointed by Buchanan in 1857. He and his
venerable wife have rooms ut the National
Hotel; there called on them in company
with legal friend here. ] was rather as
tonished TO hear the Justice express him
self so strongly, and as thought, so un-
professionally, in regard TO the decorum
Of the majority OF the court in "the Viz
GINA cases" as they are called, meaning
Strauder's case in West Virginia, and the
Rives' cases in old Virginia. He and Jus.
tiCe Field dissented in all the cases, and
Judge Clifford did not hesitate in
conversation with me to pronounce the
opinion Of the Court absurd. ] interro.
gated the Judge on the bearings OF the
decision, putting a suppOsable case or
two 10 him, and asking him what then
would be the case to be pursued. Said he:
Mr.. Editor, your case reminds me Of one
asked by young lady who was once as.
cendlDg White Mountains on the famous
inclined railway. She became very much
concernedas ito what mighthappen in Ger.
tain contingency, and inquired what fate
would beiAll the passengers in case the
brakes gave way. "rhat would depend on
their past lives answered the conductor"
II can't, said the Judge, "come any closer
to the mark in these Virginia cases, than
that conductor. don't pretend to know
how such decisions can be made to work
properly, but OF course there will be some
way to make tho decision OF the Court op.
Gralive."
The old gentleman is little bit testy, /
think; rather narrowed in his views.
He is q partisan II there is one on the
bench, always excepting Justice Field,
who prepared and read the dissenting
opinions in the Virginia cases, Justice
Clifford ConCnrrinrN and whn Ia a well I'M.