The Washington critic., 1890-02-03
OUR CHIEF JUSTICES.
"REMINISCENCES RECALLED BY THE
ENNlAL CELEBRATION
Sketches of tho Men who Have Pre-
sided Ovor The supreme Court oi
tho United states Their Di,tiu-
gushing Traits.

gushing Traits.
When the centenary Of the United
States Supreme Court is celebrated in
New York on tc morrow there will be
much OF historical rcminiscence for
each orator Of the occasion to tell the
present generation. There is peculiar
awe Of the Supreme Court and its
gowned dignity which is even greater
than the respect paid to Presidents.
The President is elected, and to secure
his Office he minglcs among politicians
ard is one of the people. But the
Supreme Justice is like prelatc of the
Church who claims TO be chosen by
God as his viccregcDt and any Ameri.
can citizen feels frccr in approaching
the creator of Supreme Court justices
than the Justices themselves The
history Of the Supreme Court is the
legal and political history OF the nation
for a century, but there was more po
liiical Importance attached TO the Court
and its members at the beginning of the
century than there is now, when the
Supreme bench is considered the throne
sought for by the lawyer, rather than
by the schcming, ambitious politician.
ARlsroCRArIC JOHN JAY.
There have been but seven Chief Jus.
iiccs OF the United States, not including
William Gushing, who was appointed,
but declined the honor. The first was
John JAY, and to the student of Amerl
can history IL seems useless to tell of
John Jay and his valuable services to
the nation in the hours when strong
men were needed TO make firm the
foundations of Government regarded
the world over as but dangerous eX-
pertinent. John Jay was born in New
York, of Knickcrbocker ancestry, in
1145, with trace of French Huguenot
blood in his veins. He was an arislo.
crat from the start, and became an
eminent lawyer. He was conspicuous
figure in the Colonial Congress, and
trusted by Washington. who, 100 years
ago, made him the first Chief Justice.
But for young man like Jay the dull
routine of the bench in times when men
of action were needed to hold up and
build up a new and struggling nation
was irksomc, and he gladly resigned to
become Minister TO France, with which
nation some important diplomatic rcla.
tions were being discussed.
AMBITIOUS TO De PRESIDENT.
When, to the satisfaction of his com
try. jays services at the French CAPT
tai were ended he returned aud was
yet young man in his prime lie had
an ambition TO be President but he
could not cope with the political
schemcrs. who had been busy in his alb
seuce. Later on he was sent to Spain
as envoy, and was also Governor of
New York. He retired from political
life when but SO years old, and declined
TO join in the jealous quarrels of poll.
ticians. lie was happy in his marriage
with daughter of William Livingston
and proud of his family. He lived out
his remaining days at his elegant home
al Bedford, N. Y, and died of palsy in
1929 He left directions as to his
funeral. and desired no "cofiin trim
mings," as he wrote it, asking instead
that 5000 be given to some deserving
widow or orphan of the village.
Throughout life Jay was u
Christian, and his favoritc books
were the Bible and Cicero. 1t has
been written by one of his admirers,
He assembled to the temple of honor
through the temple of virtue When
Jay resigned to become Envoy to
France Washington promoted John
Ruiledge to the vacancy. He was OF
Charleston, S. c., born in 1889 and
been not only o good lawyer and local
judge, but an active politician in the
South. However, his appointment was
very Objectionable to the dominant fac
tion in control of the United States Sen.
ate, and although he took the robe of
Office during a recess, the Senate failed
TO confirm, and he returned to his South
Carolina home with broken heart and
brain already tainted with insanity,
caused by overwork and mental worry.
DIED HELPLESS LuNATIC.
In a few years his mind failed and he
died a helpless lunatic. Washington
was not pleased with the rejection oi
Rutlcdge. Among the Senators who
voted against the confirmation was
Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, who
was one of the brilliant men of Con
grcss. To the great surprise of tho
Senate and Ellsworth himself, Wash
iueton appointed him Chief Justice ant
the Senate lost no time in confirming
the appointment He was born in 1745
and was given classical education al
Yale.
Ii seems that good men were scarce
in the carly days of our Government
and while still on the bench Chic
Justice Ellsworth took off his robe anC
became Envoy to France as had hi,
predecessor. Jay. However, he did no
resign at once and held the office unit
his return. He reached Paris at tim
The five kings" of the Directory hat
lpgf, ,irivar from, fhn N xo N, In,tr,f an,
when Napoleon, hero of Arcala an(
the bridge of Ludi, was beginning Iii
reign Of the French people. On his re
turn Justice Ellsworth gave up hi
position ON the bench, and became one,
more private citizen of Connecticut
He had married in early life Abigail
Wolcott, the daughter of Goyerno
and Judge of the State Court. But hi
old ncighbors would not let the distin
guished priest end his days in privat
life, and he thought il no abuse Of prid
to serve as Judge Of the State Court o
Errors. which place he held at hi
death in 1907, when but 63 years old.
JOHN MARSHALL,
Every American lawyer has Away
looked upon John Marshall as tn
greatest figure in our judicial history
lie has been called the America
Mansfield, worthy of the compliment
bestowed upon the great English Judg
by an admirer, who said that he wa
always remembered as can awful forr
and figure of Justice" Justice Man,
field served on the Queens bench fc
thirty.two years. while John Marsha
served thirty -four years, from 1SC
until 1885, and nc is the only Chic
Justice honored by a statue in Wasl
ington. 1t is a magnificent bron7
fniirn rcnrnsentinn him I'm indici.