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4 ‘ é ¥ ; ie -.' Jn February of 1868, Justice Chase delivered_a_t ape ‘remembered speech toa grand jury in Baltimore. In this- diatribe, he screeched that the United States was going to hell in a handbasket because Congress was passing laws ‘ affecting the federal judiciary, setting up universal ‘suff. | ‘rage, and acting in various other ways which he didn’t’ y approve. The Executive branch came in for a similar‘ cuas-: ing-out. We,should, Chase concluded, become a monarchy... That speech tore it. President Thomas Jefferson read it, and immediately suggestéd to Rep, Joseph Nicholson ; of Maryland that Chase should be impeach Tee by Jefferson kept ir the background, as befitted the Preal- dent. The impeachment was moved in the House by the famous and fiery John Randolph of Roanoke, Va., and the, House on Nov. 30, 1804, indicted Chase on eight counts. : ma 4 > _ » His trial by the Senate ran Chase Got Away from Jan. 2 to March 1, 1805. With {t—But— ~ Chase might well have beer i. i. ss convicted by the necessary two- thirds vote of the Senate, had somebody besides John Ran-. dolph been attorney for the prosecution... | 0°... 4 it é Unluckily for Chase's foes, Randolph was a good deal _ better at making'a fierce, dagger-sharp speech than he was at handling a trial in a court. His conduct during Chase’ ' ‘trial in the Senate seems to have been just about as offen- | Bive as Chase’s own rudeness on the bench had beer. ' Chase eventually was “acquitted, though the Senate came within four votes of convicting him on one of the eight counts, He resumed hig seat on the Supreme Court, .Wiere, says the Encyclopedia Americana, “he continued to exercise his judicial functions with the highest reputation till 1811, in which year his health failed”-.° oH |. So Chase got away with his misconduct. But the fact. ‘remains that Congress finally called him on it, and his im- hment made him a sadder, wiser and more cautious mar, | It seems unnecessary to point out the moral of all this © trpresentday Americans,” oo eet oar al aan