Salmon Portland Chase was a scheming and conniving man who had two ultimate goals in life. Achieving one, in which he became Chief Justice, Chase sought the other- the Presidency even after entering the High Court- thereby undermining the Supreme Court itself. But to understand Chase is to also know he had some remarkable achievements during his public life- one as Treasury Secretary in President Abraham Lincoln's administration, helping finance the Northern effort against the Confederacy during the Civil War. And as Chief Justice, Chase presided with dignity over the Senate impeachment vote of President Andrew Johnson. He also presided over the controversial Slaughterhouse cases. Despite his undying obsession for the Presidency, Chase will be remembered as a great public servant.
