Year: 1873

"Reminiscences Of the Chief Justice


The sudden death OF the Chief Justice
has awakened "reminiscences OF his
administration of the Treasury Depart
meat, and from them an estimate Of HIS
leading traits as an administrative Of
ficer is readily formed. When Mr..
Chase took charge OF the Treasury
Department the Government was with
out money, and its credit low. lie had
but six weeks OF peace in which to learn
the routine Of business, and then had 10
provide for increased expenditure from
diminished revenue. In this work be
never failed or tagged. nor lost sight OF
the least OF those assisting him in doing
it, or the means by which it was done.
His power of endurance was wonderful,
and exceeded those ot anybody about
him. On one occasion he reminded the
Assistant Secretary, Mr.. Harrington,
that in coming TO the Department ten
minutes late on that particular occasion
be was setting a bad example TO the
others, and, on that gentleman excusipg
himself by saying that he had stayed
at the Department nearly the whole OF
the preceding night, the Secretary re-


piled that he had stayed up all night
himself. aud Was still there One time
his short hand writer utterly broke


down from protrscted exertion, when


Mr.. Chase sent for another, and con-


.inued to dispose OF business with un-
tagging ardor till the second gave
Nd exhausted, and third
coul not at the moment be
had, when the Secretary went home
Tor the remainder OF the night. He
was 10 those days great drinker OF tea,
to which he then attributed his strength
and his friends since, in part his paras
lytic disorder. The habits OF the
schoolmaster were, in some respects,
fixed in him even at that late period o.
public lie He was accustomed 10
keep a watch upon those he introduced
into the department till satisfied that
they would run without watching In
the right grooves; and, though he was
often frank aud cordial with his suboro
dinates before the end Of lengthened
interview, he usually received them at
the outset with the air OF monitor.
He WAS notably man OF moods. and
for that reason was generally approach
ed with miegivings; yet he WAS never
actually discourteous nor unjust, and
always took a;ively interest in those
about him, remembering Zeal and good
service without solicitation. ln 1863
the expenditures were enormous and
the means OF meeting them apparently
all but exhausted. Night and morning
the cry WAS for money to meet neces-
ssry expenses that could not be deferred,
bat in all the time OF the pressure he
turned no business away from his desk,
though he occasionally laid a letter
aside for a second reading, his custom
being to read carefully every paper p1e-
seDted for mis- signature, and even 10
make corrections or improvements IN the
gramms ical form. .Oneamusing il ient
II remembered by an old clerk in the
departmeut as occurring between
"DckooImaster Chase" and the late
George Woo!, oF literary memory Mr..
Wood had one Of his letters returned
to him with directions 10 change the
word "hy" 10 with" but resisted the
order by augmentation, until the Sec
retsry settled the argument by quoting
in Illustration OF the difference between
the words, the sentence, by these
swords We gain our lands, and rith
them we will maintain Whist we have
gained He entered into the discus
sion of the details OF army organization
9th an interest equal to that OF any
army officer, and military consultations
at the Treasury were not in'rsGuent IN
the Department in the earl y davs o.
the war. Itwss Mr. Chase who pro-
cured the appointment OF Fighting Joe
Hooker TO the command OF the Army
Of the Potomac in Jsnusry, 1863, and
the Secretary OF the Treasury was bis
one friend al court all the time lie e1-
ercised the command. The downfall
OF Hooker greatly weakened the irfil-
ence Of Mr. Chase In tho Cabinet, and.
finding himself unable, at last, to pro-
,ect his own friends in office under him,
in positions where he was the best
judge OF their deserv!ngs. he left the
Cabine; on a resignation, which Mr.,
Lincoln accepted under the advice OF
other Cabinet officers.





The Chicago Tribune says her mer-