GDG- I cannot sleep before I thank you

[Dennis Lawrence]

To the Senate [1]
Executive Mansion Washington, D.C.
To the Senate of the United States Dec. 6. 1864

I nominate Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, to be Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of the United States vice Roger B. Taney, deceased.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Annotation

[1]   ALS-P, ISLA. On the bottom of Lincoln's letter appears the following 
endorsement:

``United States Senate

``In Executive Session

``Decr. 6. 1864.

``Read; considered by unanimous consent, and nomination unanimously confirmed.

``Attest: D.W.C. CLARKE

``Principal Executive Clerk.''

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Chase wrote Lincoln on the same day: ``On reaching home tonight I was 
saluted ith the intelligence that you this day nominated me to the Senate 
for the office of Chief Justice. I cannot sleep before I thank [you] for 
this mark of your confidence, & especially for the manner in which the 
nomination was made. I shall never forget either and trust that you will 
never regret either Be assured that I prize your confidence & goodwill more 
than nomination or office'' (DLC-RTL).

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


>From  http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/inside.asp?pageID=7&subjectID=7

Journalist Noah Brooks recalled visiting President Lincoln after Chief 
Justice Roger B. Taney had died: "The President, who was in a happy frame 
of mind, jocularly asked, 'What are people talking about now?' His caller 
replied that they were discussing the probability of Chase's being 
appointed Chief-Justice. The smile on the President's face faded, and he 
said with gravity and sadness: 'My friends all over the country are trying 
to put up the bars between me and Governor Chase. I have a vast number of 
messages and letters, from men who think they are my friends, imploring and 
warning me not to appoint him.' He paused for a moment, and then, pointing 
to a pile of telegrams and letters on the table, said: 'Now, I know meaner 
things about Governor Chase than any of those men can tell me; but I am 
going to nominate him.' Three days after that the appointment was made."12


Mr. Lincoln's handling of his relationship with Chase said a great deal 
about Mr. Lincoln's notions of relationships in general and friendships in 
particular. Although he valued friendship, he did not place friendship 
above the needs of the "public service." What Chase said and what he did 
were two different sets of facts which needed to be evaluated separately. 
He did not blindly nominate Chase without evaluating alternatives, nor did 
he blindly reject him. And he did not place others who were more congenial 
personally or politically ahead of Chase. Several months before President 
Lincoln appointed Chase to the Supreme Court, he told aide John Hay that 
"what Chase ought to do is to help his successor through his installation 
as he professed himself willing to do in his letter to me: go home without 
making any fight and wait for a good thing hereafter; such as a vacancy on 
the Supreme Bench or some such matter."13

Congressman Alley visited the President at the White House one morning in 
December 1864. "As I entered he made to me this declaration: 'I have 
something to tell you that will make you happy. I have just sent Mr. Chase 
word that he is to be appointed Chief-Justice, and you are the first man I 
have told of it." After Alley expressed surprise at the President's 
magnanimity, the President replied: "Although I may have appeared to you 
and to Mr. Sumner to have been opposed to Chase's appointment, there never 
has been a moment since the breath left old Taney's body that I did not 
conceive it to be the best thing to do to appoint Mr. Chase to that high 
office; and to have done otherwise I should have been recreant to my 
convictions of duty to the Republican party and to the country."14

Newly elected Congressman Shelby Cullom was again at the White House when 
Chase received the Supreme Court nomination. "I happened to be alone in Mr. 
Nicolay's room in the White House when Mr. Chase called to thank the 
President for his nomination. He came into Mr. Nicolay's room first, and 
inquired of me if the President was in. I told him I did not know, but his 
room was next to the one we were in, and he might ascertain for himself. 
Knowing of Chase's disparaging remarks concerning Mr. Lincoln, and of his 
disloyalty as member of his cabinet, I was very curious to hear what he 
would have to say to the President. He left the door ajar, and I overheard 
the conversation. Mr. Chase proceeded to thank the President for his 
nomination. Mr. Lincoln's reply was brief, merely that he hoped Mr. Chase 
would get along well and would do his duty. Very few words passed between 
them, and the interview closed."15................................