Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1810-02-12

! with power.
An attempt was made 70 overthrow The
Supreme Judicial Court, by i'm eaching til,
| Judges, but their ability and upri Illness lei
10 ground wheceon even Jacobln malignity
| could support an accusation and foiled snG
| lsgraced in their first attempt, the ring
leaders Of the party, in solemn Caucus, re-
,uiyed "a sap the fortress winch they dared
not storm
/ II had been seen that the organization
OF the Judiciary system, ~ some Gifts inie
! rior b.. nc!,es, was susceptible Of impi Owe
mcnt The attention OF the legislature had
leen called to The subject and plans for
amendment met with all the consideration
which subjcct 50 important demanded.
| Tie opportunity was favorable, and il was
adroitly seized hv The Jacobins, 10 further
their views. As the stability Of that branch
Of the government so'irmiy secured BY the
constitution, and the confidence Of the peo-
| pie, that i,s ii ect uverthrOw,a at the mere nod
! ia domiaant faction, would place at hazard
the popularity OF those who should be in
lstrumen,sl in its destruction, it was deter
Imin d, in secret cOnClave, to adopt a more
circuitous, though no less sure mode OF pro-
ceedinr, that, % effect the object, ne7v off,
ces should be iaStltuted, which should be
| filed BY creatures Of the party, TO whom
\ should n given, for thc present, powers sep
arate from those Of the other courts and
Z that, b. degrees, all power should be trans
/ ferred to them, preparatory to the abolition
or all the courts and offices sustained by fed
eraiists. A" Court Of Sessions" wasthe first
link in the chain. The old court Of" Cen
raj Sessions of the Peace" bad, in some
counties, become unwieldy and needed re-
form TO transfer its powers 70 the Com
mon Pleas, as has since been iUdIciously
done, would not suit the views of the faction /;
and bench Of three or fourscore justices
was erected, all thorough paced democrats.
To this learned and respectable bench was to
have been transferred all the powers and du-
ties incident to the Courts Of Common
Pleas, and the federal Judges Of these courts
wer, thus to be removed from office, or rath-
er the Office to be removed from them, with
out the least reason except the roydt one ot
" such IS or SvX." The next step was to
be The appointment of" one or more" mag
istrates in each town, vested with the pow
eyS, though not the name, OF the justices OF
the peace and the present lncumbents OF
that office were Cf no. Invested OF the name
as well as the authority Of magistrates " at
one fell s7neeb'') ID be permitted quietly 10 re-
tire TO the " dignity Of private station, as
their several commissions should expire.
In this manner was the quIetHs To be given
to all the lnferior branches of tho Judicial
system. A method which, wearing the
appearance of reform, was designed to lead
many we'll meaning, but superficial observ-
ers TO suppose was beneficial and necessa-
~ change and which being gradual IN its
progress was calculated not to excite 50
much alarm in the mass Of the people. who
do not generally trouble themselves 10 look
far into the cause and effects Of political
charges and are too apt TO consider the
te animation Of pending election as the end
of all their hopes and fears on subjects of
public concern.
When they should have proceeded thus
far in the glorious work Of parcelling out Of
fees among themselves, these humble mas
bring disiHterested patriots expected that the
public mind would become sufficiently ac-
customcd to innovation, to bear greater
and more important change without anxiety
for its consequences matters would be
ripe for the execution of the main design (;
and to CRAFTY the malignant passions OF
Jacobinic demagogues, and the cupldty OF
hungry ambitious Office seekers. the grand
barrier against injustice and knaverv, The
last citadel Of civil liberty, all INDEPEN-
DENT SUPREME TRIBUNAL was to be
Frustrated h the dust Another court, to be
denominated e Court Of Chancery," High
Court of appeals" or some other high SCUM
ding name, was to be added to the list of
new tangled officers To this, by slow de-
crecs proceeding as the temper o: the peo-
H., rN4 Dr4N y
low ,wele e. re attached the various powers
\ belonging 10 the Supreme Judicial Court /;
ana thus lsid!ously rendered mere cabut
nt0rtusDl, depr'ed Of is authority and its
usefulness N defiance Of the salutary pro-
visions ofthe constitution, this bulwarS Of
the rights and privileges hequeathed Us by
QUE ftthers was to be sent TO the tomb Of
the Capulc,."
Then lac pbn Judges, Jrcobin Sherifis,
Tacubiu |. -wfeIs, <tnr none other would be
admitted ID lractice.) with the assistance
af T.conIn Iuries, which "new Jury law"
would easily provide way to procure,
" AID riot with IMMUNITY on the spoils Of all
tio~c who should have the breGunlb f;on to op
pose theiI tyrannical sway property when
possessed by fe4eraliSt, would be but signal
for persecution and plunder in due form Of
l1zv !" and liberty, except the liberty to
"bo1u the knee 10 B1di,' would Ace indignant
from this her last abode on earth.
Fellow Citizens! Are these the designs
Of The men who are so assiduous in endeav
oring to procure your suHrages for taem-
selves and their partizans Is it to tyranny
like this that their wishes and their mea-
sures tend Read their file leader LincoiR's
Roberspierrean report of council;' his
speech TO the Legislature last winter. Re-
collect the overbearing insolence Of the de-
! mocratic party during their brief triumph IN
The S+o,a their inHammatory and threaten