Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1873 — Chief-Justice Chase. [ARTICLE]

Chief-Justice Chase.

Salmon Pobtdand Chase was born in Cornish, N. H,, January 13, 1808. At the age of twelve his father died, and the boy was sent to Ohio, where his education was for a time superintended by his uncle, Bishop Philander Chase, lie graduated at Dartmouth College in 182 C. For two or three years he taught a classical school in Washington, studying law meanwhile under William Wirt, and in 1829, was admitted to the bar of - the District. The following year he removed to Cincinnati, and ever since then has made that city his home. There he then acquired a lucrative law practice, aud was for some time retained as solicitor for the Cincinnati branch of Nick Biddle’s bank. His first public connection with the slavery question was in 1837, when he ably defended a fugitive from the patriarchal institution. In 184(5 he was associated with Mr. Seward in hte Van Zandt case, in the Supreme Court of the United States, holding then, as before, that there was no power in Congress to legislate for the reclamation of fugitives, ami that, in fact, no fugitive could be reclaimed at all unless proved to have escaped from one of the original States. In 1840 Mr. Chase supported Harrison for the Presidency; and in 1843 was one of the leading members of the Liberty Party convention held at Buffalo. Four years later he presided iu the second National Convention of the party, and participated in the.nominatioii of Martin Van Bureu as the Free Soil candidate. In the Ohio Legislature, in the winter of 1848-9, three or four Freesoilers held the balance of power, and uniting for that purpose with the Democratic members, they secured the election of Mr. Chase to the'United States Senate. In that body he earnestly opposed the Clay compromise measures of 1850; and in 1854 was foremost in arousing the storm Of popular indignation against the Kansas-Nebraska bill and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Nominated for Governor of Ohio, upon the issues then presented, he was elected in 1855, and was prominently -named- -forAhe Pres i dcnlial ninniuation. lathe first National Convention of the Republican party in 185(1. He was re-elected Governor in 1857. In the Chicago Convention of 1860 he received 49 votes for the Presidency, on the first ballot. Mr. Lincoln called him to the head of the -Treasury Department in March of the following ytar* and he continued in charge ofthe finah'cial affairs of the»Government uptotffeSOth of June, 1864, conducting the operations of the department witii matchless skill throughout that most trying period. In October of the same year he was appointed by President Lincoln to the office of Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court, then just made vacant by the death of Roger B. Tanej-. One of the most notable Incidents of his judicial career was the organization of the Senate as an impeachment court (in which he presided) for tire Jrial of President Johnson. In 1868 he narrowly escaped a nouiination for the Presidency from the New York Democratic Convention, his sympathies having been quite strongly with' that party for some time. Two or’tlirceyears ago he suffered severely from paralysis,and his 1 ife was at one time -despaired-ofc- He - never— fully—regained his health, and for a long time tM>k no part in the business of the court. Tattcrly, he had recovered sufficiently to resume' the discharge of his official duties, and was supposed to be gradually gaining strength. His death at this tjD®r therefore, was as ■ unexpected as sudden,and will excite a feeling of profound regret throughout the land.— Chicago Evening Post. - —lt is said that full 50,000 Jews are desirous of coming to this country from the Old from Roumania, the scene of their recent persecution—and, an organization of their friends in America has been established to help them. A colony of several thousand will settle nenr Lincoln, Neb. Most of them are expected i to arrive during the present year. ■ •