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560 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
To fill the office of Chief Justice of the United States, he chose John
Jay, one of the ablest jurists of the country; and for one of his associates on
the bench, Robert Hanson Harrison,1 who during a large portion of the war
for independence, had been one of his trusted confidential secretaries,,
and Avho had been recently appointed, on the 1st of October, Chancellor
of the State of Maryland, but had declined the office.2 Harrison, whose-
character Washington held in high estimation, also declined; but being
strongly pressed by both Hamilton (then Secretary of the Treasury), and
Washington, he Avas prevailed on to accept. He died, however, at his residence
near Port Tobacco, on April 2d, 1790.
Washington seems to have been particularly unfortunate in finding
suitable candidates, who would accept office, as will be seen by the following
confidential letter written to his friend Dr. James McHenry, of Baltimore:
" Dear Sir: " New York, 30th of November, 1789.
h I have received your letter of the 14th instant, and in consequence of the suggestions
contained therein, added to other considerations which occurrred to me, I have thought
it best to return Judge Harrison his commission, and I sincerely hope, that upon a further
consideration of the subject, he may be induced to revoke his former determination, and
accept the appointment.
" Mr. Johnson has likewise declined his appointment as district judge, and I have no-
information of Mr. Potts, the attorney, or Mr. Ramsey, the marshal, having accepted their
commissions. Thus circumstanced, with respect to Maryland, I am unwilling to make a
new appointment of judge for that district until I can have an assurance, or, at least, a
strong presumption, that the person appointed will accept; for it is to me an unpleasant
thing to have commissions of so important a nature returned ; and it will, in fact, have a
tendency to bring the government into discredit.
" Mr. Hanson is the person whom I now have it in contemplation to bring forward as
district judge of Maryland, and shall do so, provided I can obtain an assurance that such
an appointment would be acceptable to him. But, as I cannot take any direct measures
to draw from him a sentiment on this head, I must request, my dear Sir, that you will be-
so good as to get for me, if you can, such information upon the subject as will enable me
to act with confidence in it, and convey the same to me as soon as possible. I shall leave-
to your prudence and discretion the mode of gaining the knowledge. It is a delicate matter, and will not bear anything like a direct application, if there is the least doubt of a
refusal. I have observed, in the papers, that Mr. Hanson has been appointed Chancellor of the State since the death of Mr. Rogers.3 What the emoluments of this
office are, or its tenure, I know not, therefore can form no opinion how far it may
operate in this matter.
" Mr. Johnson's resignation came to hand too late to admit of a new appointment,,
and information to be given of*it before the time fixed by the act for holding the first Dis-
1 He was then chief judge of the General 2 He was appointed chancellor, to fill the va-
Court of Maryland, having been appointed on cancy occasioned by the death of Hon.'john
the 10th of March, 1781. He was born in Mary- Rogers, September 23, 1789.
land, in 1745, and educated to the law. He sue- 3 John Rogers was a delegate in Congress from
ceeded Joseph Reed as secretary to Washington, Maryland in 1775-6, and on the 28th of March,.
November 6,1775, with the rank of lieutenant- 1778, was appointed by the governor and coun-
colonel, and remained in the family of Washing- cil, Chancellor of the State. He died at Anton until the spring of 1781. In November, napolis, September 23,1789.
1777, he was appointed by Congress a member
of the Board of War, but declined.
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000603 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 560 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. To fill the office of Chief Justice of the United States, he chose John Jay, one of the ablest jurists of the country; and for one of his associates on the bench, Robert Hanson Harrison,1 who during a large portion of the war for independence, had been one of his trusted confidential secretaries,, and Avho had been recently appointed, on the 1st of October, Chancellor of the State of Maryland, but had declined the office.2 Harrison, whose- character Washington held in high estimation, also declined; but being strongly pressed by both Hamilton (then Secretary of the Treasury), and Washington, he Avas prevailed on to accept. He died, however, at his residence near Port Tobacco, on April 2d, 1790. Washington seems to have been particularly unfortunate in finding suitable candidates, who would accept office, as will be seen by the following confidential letter written to his friend Dr. James McHenry, of Baltimore: " Dear Sir: " New York, 30th of November, 1789. h I have received your letter of the 14th instant, and in consequence of the suggestions contained therein, added to other considerations which occurrred to me, I have thought it best to return Judge Harrison his commission, and I sincerely hope, that upon a further consideration of the subject, he may be induced to revoke his former determination, and accept the appointment. " Mr. Johnson has likewise declined his appointment as district judge, and I have no- information of Mr. Potts, the attorney, or Mr. Ramsey, the marshal, having accepted their commissions. Thus circumstanced, with respect to Maryland, I am unwilling to make a new appointment of judge for that district until I can have an assurance, or, at least, a strong presumption, that the person appointed will accept; for it is to me an unpleasant thing to have commissions of so important a nature returned ; and it will, in fact, have a tendency to bring the government into discredit. " Mr. Hanson is the person whom I now have it in contemplation to bring forward as district judge of Maryland, and shall do so, provided I can obtain an assurance that such an appointment would be acceptable to him. But, as I cannot take any direct measures to draw from him a sentiment on this head, I must request, my dear Sir, that you will be- so good as to get for me, if you can, such information upon the subject as will enable me to act with confidence in it, and convey the same to me as soon as possible. I shall leave- to your prudence and discretion the mode of gaining the knowledge. It is a delicate matter, and will not bear anything like a direct application, if there is the least doubt of a refusal. I have observed, in the papers, that Mr. Hanson has been appointed Chancellor of the State since the death of Mr. Rogers.3 What the emoluments of this office are, or its tenure, I know not, therefore can form no opinion how far it may operate in this matter. " Mr. Johnson's resignation came to hand too late to admit of a new appointment,, and information to be given of*it before the time fixed by the act for holding the first Dis- 1 He was then chief judge of the General 2 He was appointed chancellor, to fill the va- Court of Maryland, having been appointed on cancy occasioned by the death of Hon.'john the 10th of March, 1781. He was born in Mary- Rogers, September 23, 1789. land, in 1745, and educated to the law. He sue- 3 John Rogers was a delegate in Congress from ceeded Joseph Reed as secretary to Washington, Maryland in 1775-6, and on the 28th of March,. November 6,1775, with the rank of lieutenant- 1778, was appointed by the governor and coun- colonel, and remained in the family of Washing- cil, Chancellor of the State. He died at Anton until the spring of 1781. In November, napolis, September 23,1789. 1777, he was appointed by Congress a member of the Board of War, but declined. |
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