Evening journal., 1915-03-02
New News Of Yesterday
The Letter That Kept
Cushing From the
Supreme Bench
BY Holland.

At time when Charles y. Dana, tor b
mcr editor of the New York sun, was
visiting Nashington ! had an opportum-
itv uf chatting with him and of asking
him in the conversation what his Judg
mcnt was respecting some of the men
who had been prominent at the time he
was Assistant Secretary OF War, in Lin
coins administration. He spoke very
highly Of William Pitt Fesscnden. Tor
years Senator from Maine, and the sue
ccssor of salmon =. Chase as Secretary
of the Trea ,ury. Mr.. Dana told mo that
he thought senator Fcssondcn was gifted
with the most acute a. well as tho most
profound intellect of all those who were
conspicuous in public life in Civil Var
days.
Mr.. Dana said that it was not rare 10
meet with a man who had very acute
intellect and men OF profound under
standing are not exceptional, but II IS
rare that there should be a combination
of these two qualities in the same man.
/ asked Mr. Dana II that were not an
accurate description OF Caleb Cushing
mind, and he replied instantly, "Oh, no
Cushing had a very acute mind and hi'
capacity for absorbing things was pro
diaious That explains how he was ablC
To master so ntany languages But hs
did not have profound mind. and there
was something little askew in his
makeup"
Caleb Cushing's name and career re-
main among the interesting traditions
associated with the great men of the
irst sixty years of the past century.
have asked many persons who bad op'
uortunity to know Mr. Gushing what
/ THEN opinion Of him was. All replied
that he was an extraordinarily interest
ING man. LAWYERS have told me that
while he was very learned lawyer, h'
was not a very able one and did moi
possess the logical faculty. II WAS 3
tradition in Washington that while hi
was a man of most charming personalit,
he was nevertheless eccentric. lie had {
habit of preserving halfsmokcd cigars
Keeping them in little cigar case. s.
/ that whenever he wanted a smoke HI
would Withdraw one of these halt
smoked cigars from the case and light II
He was also spoken of as a very care
less man. as well as very good -naturcd
and To this he owed his failure to gail
the high office Of Chief Justice of Oh
Supreme Court.
Cushing served in the Cabinet o
President Pierce. of which Jeifdrsol
Davis was also member. A very warn
friendship was established between Gen
Cushing and Mr. Davis and was main
tanned Notwithstanding their politca
differences. Gen. Cushing having an
nounced himself as a strong Union ma
several years later.
Aftcr the Confederate governmen
was established and Mr.. Davis becam
president, somebody who wanted to b
appointed to an Office in that govern
| ment and who knew how intimate th
spcrsonal friendship Of Cushing an
Davis had been, asked the former for
letter of recommendation. Cushin
thouehtlessly gave that letter II wa
'aftcrWard discovered among the archNc
at Richmond.
President Grant had a very high re
gard Tor Caleb cushng's services as on
Of the counsel for the United States ?
the Geneva tribunll, a board of arbitra
tion TO pass uDon the claim by tn
United States against England for dan
ages occasioncd by the Confederate pr
vatrcr Alabama. Grant, without con
I Sultln9 anyone. Nominated AuNHiH- ~
Chief Justice 90 succeed Salmon
Chase. Cushing would mdoubtedl
have been confirmed had not somcon
discovered this letter and made il pull
Tic. The publication of the lctte
doomed Cushing. Tie could not becom
Chief Justice Grant thercupon appoint
ed Morrison r. Waite. who had ais
been one Of the counsel for the govern
mcnt at Geneva. and the Senate rattle
that appointment.
This statement was made TO me b.
the late John T. Waite, who was fo
many years Representative in Con
grcss from one of the Connecticut dis
trcts and who was cousin OF Chic
Justice Waite. II is probable that NJ
Waite obtained part of his inform'
tion from his cousin
Copyright 1915, by +. j. Edwards A
rights reservedD
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tc
"When Sheridan Disobcyed Grant
Orders"