Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/306

 284 T. W. Davenport. involve to the fullest his admirable gifts of speech and demon- stration. But after his advent to the ranks of the defenders of the Union and the supporters of the Lincoln administra- tion, — free from suppression at last, — he loomed grandly as a statesman. It will be recalled that Judge Williams was nominated by his greater admirer, President Grant, to the office of Chief Justice of the Federal supreme court and that the Senate re- fused to confirm the nomination. There was objection also in this, his home state, for which no* satisfactory reason was assigned then or since. There was an allegation that he did not, while Attorney-General of the United States, prosecute the Star Route exploiters and cotton smugglers as strenu- ously as some interested persons of much influence wished; but there was no allegation of fraud or venality against the Attorney-General, either in Washington or at home. Perhaps he was not as rigorous or venomous as his faultfinders de- sired; and if so, it must be remembered that it was more in accordance with his generous nature to end abuses than to punish to the limit those who were guilty of them. He was not fitted to be a relentless prosecutor, a "muckraker." The animus of the opposition came from ex-United States Senator Nesmith, of Oregon, who had been his opponent at the first senatorial election in i860 and who was chronically disposed to resent any proffers of advancement to his adver- sary. It was at Judge Williams' request that Gen. Grant with- drew the nomination, for the real opposition of the Senate was not to the Judge himself and related to social matters which he could not remedy or publicly explain. Society at Washing- ton has something to do with official promotion there, and especially if it invades the harmony of the supreme court circle. I have been induced to write this last explanatory para- graph for the reason that one of the officers of the Oregon Historical Society lately wished to know my opinion as to the inside reason for the rejection of the appointment by the Senate.