SALMON PORTLAND CHASE.

THE

As

HE war between the States developed many great men. One of these, the acknowledged financier of those dark days in the Nation's struggle was Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln. has been the case with the majority of our distinguished lawyers, Chief Justice Chase commenced his life on a farm. His grandfather, Samuel Chase, was one of those patriarchs of New England whose simple home and well cultivated acres rested on the Connecticut river, near the town of Cornish, New Hampshire. Seven sons gladdened the heart of this sterling and Godfearing ancestor, five of whom were graduated at famous old Dartmouth; two remaining on the paternal acres, one of whom, was the father of the great Secretary of the Treasury. All of Mr. Chase's uncles who had received. college educations became distinguished men. Dudley was a United States Senator and Chief Justice of Vermont. Salmon, for whom the nephew was named, practiced law in Portland, Maine, and was the leader of the Bar. He died suddenly while pleading a case, and the city where he died became the middle name of the subject of this sketch, who was then two years old. The youngest uncle, Philander, became Bishop of Ohio and Illinois, and by him his nephew, Salmon was educated.

Salmon Portland, the subject of this sketch was born in 1808, in the heart of the White Mountains. At that early date the region was still in a condition of relative primitiveness, and consequently the opportunities

for the education of youth were limited. A tradition of young Chase's life is that his first writing lessons were upon birch-bark, so scarce was paper in the days of his boyhood, in the country where he was born. His mother was of Scotch descent, and upon the death of his father, which occurred when he was very small, she determined, although handicapped by grinding poverty in her widowhood, that her son should receive a college education. Fortunately, when he had arrived at the age of fourteen, his Bishop uncle offered to relieve the patient and religious mother of the responsility she had marked out for herself, by taking young Salmon to Ohio, and providing for his education. His uncle was a most indefatigable worker, not only with his brain, but with his muscles as well, and all of his family were compelled to labor as hard, for he had much to attend to, and but very little money at his command. In addition to the duties which his Diocese involved he taught school and cultivated a farm, and the nephew did not escape the penalties which such a life insures.

Young Chase was troubled with a defect of vision, near-sightedness, of course incurable; he had also a defect of speech, which, like Demosthenes, he overcame by persistent will-power and a course of training in reading aloud. It is alleged that in many respects the boy's lot with his stern old uncle was relatively hard. The latter must have regarded his nephew, however, with much affection and as full of promise, as tradition confirms that view. Young Salmon one day begged permission to go in swimming, but was refused with the flattering remark to him, that the country might lose its future President, were he to consent, for he might get drowned. Remaining with his good uncle until he was well prepared by the proper training, Salmon was sent to the to the alma mater of the Bishop, Dartmouth. There are many anecdotes of his career while at that

venerable institution, one of which, so characteristic of the man, is here quoted from Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Men of Our Times:" "One of his classmates was sentenced by the faculty to be expelled from college on a charge of which Chase knew him to be wholly innocent. Chase, after vainly arguing the case with the president, finally told him he would go too, as he would not stay in an institution where his friends were treated with such injustice. The two youths packed up their goods and drove off; but the faculty sent word after them almost before they had gotten out of the village, that the sentence was rescinded and they might come back. They said, however, that they must take time to consider whether they would do so, and they took a week, having a pleasant vacation, after which they returned." Having been graduated the young future Chief Justice of the United States found himself, as thousands of other prominent Americans have, who afterward arose to eminence, entirely dependent upon individual exertions to find the means wherewith to prosecute the study of law, a profession he had determined upon.

His uncle Dudley was then a United States Senator, and to Washington Chase went, intending to teach school, but he was unsuccessful in this undertaking. He waited patiently for scholars day after day, but they never materialized. At last, when his money was

all

gone, he applied to the Senator for a position under the Government, in one of the Departments. The Senator, who knew full well that a life is blasted when once thrown into the ruts of Department work, so far as any distinction is concerned, refused peremptorily to aid his disappointed nephew, but encouraged him with these words: "I'll give you a half-dollar to purchase a spade, for then you might come to something, but once settle a young man down in a Government office, he never does anything more-it's the last

you

hear of him. I've ruined one or two young men in that way, and I'm not going to ruin you." Discomfited and aggrieved at the apparent unkindness of his stern uncle, he set about again to look around with a view of establishing a school. Finally, after many struggles, he succeeded in obtaining one, which had already a favorable reputation, and then commenced his legal studies under the tutelage of the famous William Wirt. In 1830, at the age of twenty-two, he was ready for his examination. When the Judge had finished with him, he suggested that perhaps he had better continue his studies for another year, but upon the young aspirant for legal honors replying that he could not do that, as he was going to commence the practice in Cincinnati at once, the Judge said: "Well then, Mr. Clerk, swear Mr. Chase."

Repairing to Cincinnati, which was then only a backwoods settlement, he commenced that struggle with poverty which comes once, at least, in the life of nearly every one who has risen to eminence at the American Bar. Weeks of waiting and hope deferred, were his portion. It is related that the first and only legal work he did for many a weary week, was drawing up a contract, for which he received the munificent sum of a half-dollar, and which, in a very short time, the impecunious individual borrowed back. His first case of magnitude was before the United States Court, at Columbus, about four years after he had been admitted to the practice. When he arose to make his argument he was in a worse predicament than that attributed to James T. Brady in his first attempt to address a jury. Mr Brady said that he could see neither the jury or anything else in the room; all was perfectly black to him, but he managed to go on. Mr. Chase could not say a word, and was obliged to take his seat and wait a moment before he began again. This time he succeeded, and when the case was through one of the Judges congratulated him "on his failure," as he ex

pressed it, when the latter asked why he was congratulated. The reason the Judge gave for the congratulation was, that his very nervousness was an indication. that he would succeed in the profession, as a person of ordinary temperament would have gone through with the ordeal without showing anything of that character; that he had observed during his long experience as a Judge, that when a young man gave way once or twice to his nervousness, there were always hopes of his becoming a great lawyer.

Mr. Chase had not long been a resident of Cincinnati, before he was recognized as a young man of unusually fine talents, both in the classics and general information. This, coupled with his magnificent personal appearance, gave him the entree to the best circles, where he was ever a welcome guest. His practice now began to be commensurate with his social standing; he was employed by the best people of the thriving town, who not only received him as their honored visitor but as a lawyer worthy their patronage. His life was marked by that incessant industry which has characterized the lives of all our great advocates, and without which failure has been the result. He possessed that other remarkable attribute necessary to success, a wonderful power of endurance. This feature was peculiarly conspicuous during his brilliant career as Secretary of the Treasury. At this time the labor was not only incessant, but demanded a constant strain of brain power, which would have worn out any ordinary man. called upon continuously to resort to devices and methods within the Constitutional restrictions, to maintain the credit of the Nation, and to furnish means to carry on a great war.

He was

Cincinnati was constantly stirred up over the feeling engendered by the close contiguity to slave territory. Those scenes of refugees from the Kentucky side