The record-union., 1895-05-24
SALMON P. CHASE.
Personal "reminiscences of the Fa-
nous Chief Justice.
How Early Poverty Has Caused Men
to Rise to Prominence In
All Countries.

ices to the country are calculated TO not
only promote admiration for and graft
tude to the great party of freedom, but
also to confirm an attachment to .the
principles of that party which hrst
checked the progress OF slavery and then
abolished it. The men of that stormy
period were great spirits, fit TO encounter
the contests and to endure its heart-stlr-
ring agitations. Theirs was not a carpet
warfare, in which they might flourish
and declaim without fear. They entered
the scenes of the combat, and with the
martyrs courage retained a firm and un-
yielding grasp of their principles.
Among these illustrious defenders and
champions, many of whom suffered unto
death, and all of whom possessed the
spirit and deserve the appellatlon OF mar
tyrs, Chase is entitled TO our high and
grateful admiration, writes u. w. Pepper
in the GtO0e- Democrat. l met him III
1867, when / was Chaplain OF General
Miles regiment and Assistant Superln-
tendent in the Freedmen's Bureau. lie
was then on tour OF the South IN his ca
pacity OF Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. Upon his arrival in Raleigh he
sent Tor ME and requested that conduct
him the next day Sunday TO as many
colored churches as possible, as he was
anxious to see the progress OF the people,
TOUCHING SCENE IN CHURCH.
The first church visited was that of the
Methodists, building capable of holding
1000 persons. Governor Holden, General
Miles and many distinguished North
Carollnians were present. 1he munster
was absent, and Judge Chase suggested
that preach sermon, and then, NJ eth
odist-tashion. have general class meet
Ing. After the sermon was over nun
Gred spoke. There was bust OF the
Chief Justice upon the pulpit. referred
to it, and said that the distinguished man
was then in the audience; that he was
one OF the chief instruments OF their
emancipation and their lifelong friend.
The enthusiasm was great, and shout
arose for a few words from MIR. Chase.
He spoke briefly, expressing his delight
at their progress. L gave out the hymn:
Blow ye the trumpet, blow;
The gladly solemn sound.
The music or this hymn, sung with the
abandon of happy-hearted colored peo-
ple. as it rang and vibrated through the
great church, was overwhelming. On The
way to The hotel MIR. Chase stopped ire
Quently to wipe away the tears that
were streaming down his face. We visited
other churches with the same results. The
next morning / accompanied him to the
largest freedman's school. AS we entered
the building man so years of age WAS
being taught to read the New Testament
by little child. Chase asked me what
that reminded me OF. l hestitated, and
he said: ut is fulIllment of the proph-
ecy, IA little child shall lead Them"
In the course of our subsequent con-
versations he gave his estimates of the
distinguished men with whom he had
been associated or had known.
~"Thad Stevens" he said, introduced
a new style of speaking into Congress.
which was suited 10 the age and to the
conditions of the debate upon slavery
q combination of the lecture. of the bar
and Of the stump. He was thoroughly
sincere in his convictions, broad in his
statements and fearless of results. Bur-
nngame was for time the most brilliant,
pointed and effective OF all the anti
slavery orators"
Burlingame was afterward appointed
to China, where he negotiated the treaty
with that country.
CHARLES SUMNER.
OF Charles Sumner. Mr.. Chase said:
ssThe high intellect reflected in his writ
ings has for years stimulated the anti
slavery sentiment, quickened the con-
sciences and strengthened the hopes OF
the abolitionists. His speeches will al
ways remain as triumphant vindication
of the Republican policy, as scathlng de-
nunciations of slavery, and as glorious
asked him if he did not think Sumner
was something of plagiarist. at least, in
one of his oratiOns, reading to him sem
tence in one of his speeches resem bling
q passage Of Demosthenes. The Greek
said In his Grafton on the crown: by
the generous souls who were exposed at
Marathon, by those who stood arrayed at
Platea, by all the illustrious SONS of
Athens" etc. Sumner said: mo, by
the generous souls who were exposed at
Lexington, by those who stood arrayed
at Bunker Hillv Chase hesitated. and
then confessed there was striking re-
sem blance.
When asked his opinion of Corwin, he
replied: "There was no such political
speake or in the country as Tom Corwin. l
speak within bounds when / say he had
no equal as a stump speaker, and his
services to the country were inestim-
able"
He then related an anecdote of him.
Corwin was once speaking at Elyria, o.,
when he was Whig. That part of the
Western Reserve had always been noted
for its anti-Slavery sentiments. CorwIn
was very dark in complexion, and was
frequently taken for q negro, and. like
most of the Whig orators, did not relish
any allusion to the peculiar institution.
In the middle of his speech he was intre-
rupted by Yankee with the question:
"Mr. Corwin, what is your opinion OF
slavery ?"
Corwin quickly answered: 81 am sur
prised, sir, that you should ask such a
question as that of a gentleman Of my
COLOR
After few moments, when the crowd
saw the point, one of them called out:
"Three cheers for Mr.. Corwln!'
ADVANTAGES OF EARLY POVERTY.
One day the conversation turned to the
history of MANY eminent men of our
country, whose early opportunities were
limited. After speaking OF his own early
hardships, MIR. Chase said: "Ihe history
of the country shows that majority
of its most celebrated statesmen, poets
and business men, whose careers adorned
its pages - Lincoln, Greeley, Stanton,
both the Adams, Grant, Sheridan, the
Shermans-were ali the sons of poor
men. 1t was related OF Lord Buchan,
the elder brother of the famous Lord
Erskine, that when some one spoke TO
him of his brothers eminence Lord Bu-
chan said. Why, sir, the emlnence 9 OF my
brother is entirely due to me- Inc gen.
tleman asked, How is that? L did not
know you had anything TO do with it.
'Oh. yes.' said Lord Buchan, Il was the
making of him. When he was young
man he asked me for small sum to en-
able him TO live. / absolutely refused TO
give him single farthing, and II IS IN
consequence of that refusal that ne has
risen to prominence
Mr. Chase spoke several times OF Lin
coin, and of his sweetness and tenderness
of heart and yet firm and determined
character, which wanted only the oppor-
tunity to strike with memorable justice.
No patriot born or unborn would ever
measure up TO his greatness.
/ told the Chief Justice that the first
political speeches I heard in the United
States were from him and General Glib