The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-25
Great riials of History.
IMPEACHMENT OF JUSTICE CHASE.
THE DAYS BEsf CARTOONS.

The FIRST trial OF n Justice of the
Supreme Court in tho United State.
WAS that % Samuel Chase who was
recognized an ono Of the ablest mon
OF that body. lie was n resident OF
Maryland and was appointed to the
Supreme Court January 27, 1896
The practice OF adding disquisitions on
current politics TO charges to grann
Jurics was then common with Amer
lean Judges. az 1t had long been In
Great Britain. and after tho downfall,
OF tie Federal party In 1901, Chase
kept up the practice with u bitterness
and ability equally dispicasing TO tho
dominant party.
In the national House OF Representa-
ii"es on January .. 1904. John Ran
dolph obtained committee to investi-
catc ChnSe's official conduct: and on
their report he Was lmpeached on No
vemher 80. 1904, and Randolph was ap-
pointed chief manager. The articles
OF Impeachment were presented to the
Senate on December Z, 1903, and the
trial was begun on January .. 1905.
There were eight articles against
him: /. For arbitrary and unjust con
duet in the trial Of John Fries for high
treason. in April, 1900. In refusing TO
allow tho prisoners counsel to argue
various law points, and In announcing
MS opinion ~ already formed, so that
he prisoners counsel threw up the
case. . For refusing to excuse "A Juror
who had pTcjudic.d the guilt OF j.
T. Calender in u trial under the se-
dillon law In May, 1900, at Richmond
J. For refusing 10 allow one OF cal
lenders witnesses to testify 4 For
intcrruptinG ana annoying Callcndcr's
counsel so that they abandoned hiS
cases. .. For arresting, instead .,
sumiaoninc. Calender In a case not
capital G. For refusing to allow Cal
lender postponcmcnt OF his trial. :.
For urging an unwilling Delaware
grand jury 20 ind indictment under tho
sedition law. s. For "unruly. In
decent and eNtrajudiciaI" reflections
upon the government OF the United
states before u Maryland grand jury.
The eighth article covered his real
oTcnse: tho others were the fruits OF
thu committees Jealous research into
MS past official life.
The defense disprovcd much OF the
matter alleged, and as 10 the remain
der, Chases counsel argued SUCCESS
fully that his conduct had been rather
I, violation Of the principles OF polite
ness than OF the principles of Law,
rather the want of dccorum than the
commission OF a high crime and mis-
deucanor."
On tho third. fourth and eighth ar
ticies Chase was pronounced guilty by
a small majority, tho largest 10 10
10. on the eighth; on the other mr.
ticlcs the majority found him not
guilty. AMI ms a twothirdH majority
was not given for any article. he wns
pronounced not guilty on all. March
/, 1905.
The result OF the trial led TO some
efforts on the part OF tho Democratic
leaders to change the tenure of Fed
eral Judges. There is no doubt that
considerable of the animosity against
Justice Chase was political In char
actor, ana John Randolph was one OF
his severest opponents. The requisite
two-thirds vote required for iInpeach-
mept could not be obtained, and Judge
Chase was discharged by the Senate
or March 6. 1905.
On the first article, ten said guilty
second. the vote stood the same; on
the third and fourth, eighteen sain
guilty and sixteen not guilty: on tho
nth, all said no. guilty; on the sixth
four said guilty and thirty said NOT
guilty: on the seventh. ten said guilty
and twenty-four said not guilty, enn
OF the eighth. nineteen to fifteen The
President then declared Samuel Chase
acquitted OF an charges and the I'm
parchment court adjourned.
Chase at once resumed his seat on
the bench and retained 1t TIL his
sympathy. even among his opponents
on account OF his age, his services to
the country, and the purity OF his
Judicial record. There Is no doubt
however, that 1t did good In checking
the ovcrbearing conduct prevalent at
that time on tho bench. Judge Chasc
was better fitted for nm advocate than
FOR Judge.
Samuel Chase was one Of the sign
crs OF the Declaration Of Independence
In l775-G rs anticipated this declarn
ton ny asserting that by the God In
heaven we owed no allegiance to tho
King of Great Britain" In 1?7S no
drafted an eloquent address TO the pco.
pie of the country. in answer to papers
that had been circulated by the Tories
The following incident is told of Chase
shortly after he became Chief justice
OF the General Court OF Maryland upon
the occasion of n riot. He had caused
tho arrest Of two popular men as tho
leaders. but they refused 10 give bail.
md the Ghr"in was apprchensIve of n
rescue should he take them to pris-
on. "Call out the posse comitatus
theE," said the Judge. sir" was tho
reply, mo one will serve" Summon
me. then: will be the posse comitatus:
! VIII take them TO Jail"