through Congress the national bank system. He provided for the confiscation and sale of rebel property. He supervised the prohibi tions of trade with the enemy. Through it all he was insistent upon the vigorous prose cution of the war. He wrote to the generals of the army urging action. He constantly, in season and out of season, urged the aboli tion of slavery. He was impatient with Lin coln. The strain of the times was great. Passions were aroused to fever heat. Politics were rampant. All things were unsettled and adrift. Chase was not a man to sink his own personality for the good of a cause. He could not understand Lincoln. Not under standing him, he could not appreciate him. Their intercourse was never cordial. Again and again Chase tendered his resignation because of some minor difference of opinion or some interference by the President with the right, which the Secretary claimed, to ap point his own subordinates. Chase's cam paign for the Presidential nomination in 1863 and 1864 severely strained his relations with Lincoln. In that campaign he saw nothing disloyal to his chief or incompatible with honor. He not only greatly coveted the position, but he veritably believed that he would make a better President, and that it was his patriotic duty to try to obtain the place. Lincoln, on the other hand, was in this, as in all things, long suffering. He ap preciated the invaluable work which Chase had done and was doing. He respected and honored his ability and his manhood. He said that "Chase is about one and a half times bigger than any other man I ever knew." But even Lincoln's patience was exhausted at last. In June, 1864, there came a political crisis over the question of the ap pointment of an assistant treasurer at New York. The Secretary for the fourth or fifth time formally tendered his resignation. Much to his surprise and disappointment the President promptly accepted it on June 30. It was hard for the Secretary to believe that the administration could get along without
his services. Mr. Chase went to New Eng land for some weeks, returned to Washing ton, and then to the West, to support actively and cordially Lincoln's campaign. On October 12, 1864, Mr. Chief Justice Taney died. On December 6 the President nomi nated Mr. Chase to the vacancy. The nomi nation was immediately confirmed by the Senate. He had previously expressed him self as desiring this place above all others. But Lincoln's shrewd estimate of men was never better shown than when, prior to mak ing the nomination, he asked Sumner if Chase would be contented to remain Chief Justice. The appointment was in more ways than one unfortunate. It ended the line Of Chief Justices of the United States who were both great and greatly learned in the law. It was impossible for such venerable and able magistrates and lawyers as Mr. Justice Nelson and Mr. Justice Grier to look up to their new chief with admiration or confi dence. He had no decided love for his profession, no especial interest in his judicial work, no deep reverence for the judicial function. Yet for eight years the new Chief Justice presided over his court with dignity and grace. His ability was adequate to the great office. Eight years were too short a time, however, for him to make a decided impress upon the course of judicial judg ments. His personality, moreover, was not such as to make his influence paramount with his associates on the bench. But he was eminently fitted to deal authoritatively with the grave questions of reconstruction which came before the court for decision, and he studied with vigor to make himself a' competent judge upon ordinary matters of litigation. With his previous training it is remarkable that he attained the judicial suc cess that he did. His influence, too, was much curtailed by his unfortunate continued pursuit of the Presidency. The ermine of the judge could not conceal the aspirations of the politician. His mind was executive
