' s ▁" team ▁of ▁riv als ", ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Tre as ury ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁issu ing ▁" green back s ". ▁To ▁appe ase ▁radical ▁Republic ans , ▁Lincoln ▁appointed ▁him ▁to ▁replace ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Roger ▁B . ▁Tan ey ▁of ▁D red ▁Scott ▁case ▁fame . ▁ ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁official ▁acts , ▁Ch ase ▁admitted ▁John ▁Rock , ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁to ▁practice ▁before ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁The ▁" Ch ase ▁Court " ▁is ▁famous ▁for ▁Texas ▁v . ▁White , ▁which ▁assert ed ▁a ▁permanent ▁Union ▁of ▁ind est ruct ible ▁states . ▁Ve az ie ▁Bank ▁v . ▁Fen no ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁tax ▁on ▁state ▁bank notes . ▁He p burn ▁v . ▁Gr is w old ▁found ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Leg al ▁T ender ▁Act s ▁un const itution al , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁revers ed ▁under ▁a ▁late ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁majority . ▁ ▁William ▁Howard ▁T aft ▁was ▁a ▁Hard ing ▁appointment ▁to ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁A ▁Progress ive ▁Republican ▁from ▁Ohio , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁one - term ▁President . ▁ ▁As ▁Chief ▁Justice , ▁he ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁Jud ici ary ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁that ▁brought ▁the ▁Federal ▁District ▁Cour ts ▁under ▁the ▁administrative ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁T aft ▁successfully ▁sought ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁Court ▁juris diction ▁over ▁non