Page:The Supreme Court in United States History vol 1.djvu/157

Rh the reports of his •. • puerility and extravagances to- gether with a variety of indecorums and imprudencies multiply/* Attorney-General Bradford wrote to Alex- ander Hamilton, August 4 : "The crazy speech of Mr. Rutledge, joined to certain information that he is daily sinking into debility of mind and body, will probably prevent him receiving the appointment. . . • But should he come to Philadelphia for that purpose, as he has been invited to do, and especially if he should resign his present oflBice, the embarrassment of the President will be extreme ; but if he is disordered in mind and in the manner that I am informed he is — there can be but one coiu*se of prudence/' ^ Timothy Pickering wrote to Washington, July 31 : "The Supreme Court is to sit here next week, and i>erhaps the gentleman named for Chief Justice may arrive. Private information, as well as publications of his recent conduct, have fixed my opinion that the commission intended for hun ought to be withheld," Oliver Wolcott wrote to Alexander Hamilton, July 28: *' Everything is conducted in a mysterious and strange manner by a certain character here, and to my astonishment, I am recently informed that Mr. Rutledge has had a tender of the oflSce of Chief Justice, By the favor of Heaven, the commission is not issued, and now I presume it will not be, but how near ruin and disgrace has the country been ! Cannot you come and attend the Supreme Coiu*t for a few days next week ? A bed at my house is at your command," Two days later, he wrote of Rutledge as "a driveller and fool." " Many of the warmest advocates for the present

1 WaskinffUm Papers MSS, letters of Randolph. July 29, Aug. 6, 1789, HamiUon Papers MSS, letter of Bradford, Aug. 4, 1798; Pickering Papers MSS; letter of PSekering of July 81, 1795 ; letter of Higginson, Aug. 29, 1795 ; HamHUm (J. C. Hamfltou's ed.), VI, letters of Wolcott of July 28, SO, 1795; see also Admirnstro' Hon cf WaskingUm and Adams (1846), by George Gibbs, I ; History cf the Republic (1800), by John C. Hamilton, VI ; New Hampshire OazeUe, Aug. 4, 1795.