Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-05-02

WAR AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION.

graduate our readers on the ytndlcatiun
ofthe sacred principles OF the Constitution
in an importan; case in which those prln.
ciples were vitality assailed g. ia the Supreme
Court OF the United States and we gave
vent to the feelings OF exultation which
such an incident would naturally inspire
in the breast Of any friend TO the Consti-
tuition of the United States, as illustrative
OF the value OF an independent judiciary.
But we did not go into any particulars
Of the reasons why n decision IN favor
of sustaining the obligation Of contracts,
which might have been considered a mat.
Ter of course in any upright Court, should
be a subject Of rejoicing on our part, or
of congratulation to our readers. We re-
Trained from dong it, because we had
seen at that time no intiinatlon ola dlspo-
sition any where to impugn that decision.
Since our notice OF the subject, how
J ever, We have had sent TO US a number
ofthe Harrisburg Reporter"-which we
understand TO be the organ of the present
Executive of Pennsylvania-containlng =
series of remarks, 10 the true Locoloco
spirit, upon the decision ofthe Supreme
Court referred 10, showing the exaspera.
ton Of that party at being ioiled, by the
! irmness of the Judges OF the Supreme
Court, in their attempt to obtain its sane
ton TO their dwelling and dcmoralizing
doctrines.
The remarks Of " the Reporter" to
which we refer, sun up as follows:
"We are not prepared 10 submit 10 thus
doctrine. We are prepared TO take our
stand, now and forever, against Il. We
are ready 10 battle for the rights, the an
~al,ena6ie rights Of the p~eopie-and II
FIRST BL.ow THAT WI STRIKE is AGAINST
THE LIFE JUDICIARY OF II UNITED
SrArEs-rHE JUDICIAL NoDLEMEN OF
AMERICA.
"Our next Legislature will doubtless
prepare an amendment to the Constitution
OF the United States, destroying the life
tenure of the JuJges-and SO instruct our
Senators, apd request our Representatives
in Congress. Our example will be follow.
ed By our SISTER Staies-and the short pe-
period Of FIVE years will see the last rem.
nant ofb.# fish nristocracy bloited our from
the supreme law of tie land"
The ltailcs and the Capitals Of thi, ex
tract are no. ours, but the Keporter's.--
We are GLAD that the grand project Of the
Locofocos is so prominently, 80 emphatic
ally, and SO uncquivocally ayOwed.-
Here, at least. is no disguise, aud can b"
no evasion. Ii canno be prete. ed IN
this case, as it has lately been in regard
to the anti.social orgies in Tammuny
Hall, that they have nj connection with
the politics Of the purity of which Tam.
many Hall is the headquarters. In the
article now before US We have, IN fcrms. n
declaration of WAR AGAINST THE CoNsTI-
UTIoN There is to DO a battle, and
| Jlows and "the first blow" is TO be struck
at the sanctuary of all the rights, person.
al or political, secured by our Constitution
to the People of the U. States. The pur.
pose is broadly, plainly, undeniably a
vowed as being one 10 DO the hrst aim OF
the party now in the ascendant IN the
State of Pennsylvania which had fiat
tered Itself that 1t was IN the ascendant IN
the Supreme Court and which now pro.
poses to beat down that Court because it
has not been able to either iEtimldate or
corrupt it.
This is a case too serious 10 be treated
with the ridicule and contempt due 10 the
distempered rawlings of the Disciples Of
| Nature at Tammany Hall. 1t is the au-
thent,c proclamation of the creed of a
party claiming the suiIrages ofthe People
ofthe same performance IN the General
Government that they now WELD TO its IN
eTable disgrace in the Government OF the
State of Pennsylvania.
Can it be necessary for US, in converse
with our readers, to portray the conse'
ouences Of the success OF such a party,
aud of such doctrines? Or ist not e.
nough to say that II was expressly to guard
against the arts Of such demagogues, and
against the crimes which necessarily fol-
low in their train, that the Judiciary OF
the United States was established, and
made what IT isl The trainers OF the
Constitution had before them the map OF
the worlds history. They adopted the
best Of all the institutions ever devised for
the protection of life, liberty, and proper
", in the most perfect form that the WIS.
dom of ages had given to it. They es.
tablished by the same act the trial by Ju-
ry and the independence OF the Judiciary [;
and he who would abrogaie the latter
would be only consistent to dispense also
at the same time with that other protector
of private right, the trial by jury.
We shall not insult the understandings
Of our readers by auy argument IN favor
of the supremacy and independence, un-
der the Constitution, OF the Judicial au-
thority, If the Representative principle
be the foundation of this Government, the
judiciary is the keystone, the impairing
of which in its essential feature would
bring down the whole edi6ce into u mass
of crumbllng ruins. 49,,