Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1850-11-08


understood by the People who made i,-ir,--7
.ne government OF the People, and to be ea iof
py ."9 r9opie VINO are TO be governed by il 'ss.o%
us' ne IeoPe OF The country will be induced I,DG
interest which this law has created 70 Oyds
Constitution for themselves to Judge for ,b suuy The
TO determine for themselves. ''e'iSelyes,
have said that this right, guaranteed L,.n
stltution you must guard for yourselves v "e |on-
not trnst, implicitly, even 10 courts Of ns,;- must
must not leave the question of the conS,;,n,; leu
OF the Fugitive Slave Law to the final
of that high tribunal, the Supreme Court Of even
ed States. And yet, am far from brnai" ne Unit
spect upon courts justice know the b@i uls'e-
acler oil our own State tribunals Weld m V'aI-
spect to that other tribunal constituted bo IGe re-
u part; Oh SlaVeholders-the Supreme Copri &c ~
United states. Generally its decisions will lug Jug
conformity with the right. But there arc Oe IN
tons, vital to liberty, which YOU mus, NOT V,e que
any repository of delegated power. Tbr ','use
with THE PEOPLE. ~ "'e Safest
The Stamp Act, which your fathers ros;,
that declared to be illegal and put down nv, Nv; way
ment OF court! No no my friends Tbo lug
court CT the Province sustained the Stomn oi's'
But the people did not loud cheers1 ' 'fha HC'
on tea-dd the courts decide it to be ildoi 5
the people annult? [Appause1 Wel.m INV fliao J%
60 back as Tar as you can trace the blood If ,os,
ancestors ana you VIII Ind, that, while they Well.
ed obedience to law, and held in high res1ect H.,
courts oil Judcature, yet, that there were some ono
tons, on the other side of the water as ,,oII
this that they kept in their own control ara 10 on
will find there, that while liberty has ,Jo r! you
advances in the right direction, she has mad 95 ~"
not through the agency of courts of Justice bn'
through the action, and by the decree the naona
themselves [Sensation P'OP'
In Closing let me illustrate my position. bv reor-
ring to an occurrence in the mother coun,ry no.
than two centuries ago. The name of John Han ~
den Is as familiar to the memories OF this audience
as the name OF your own John Hancock or REM
MN rankin An early champion of liberty aooiDs,
oppressive power, he was called upon TO resist tbo
enforcement OF anllegal act of the gov, rnment I,
was no new thing in the practice of that goyernmen,
IL mad been at times submitted TO for long period
hut our fathers held an opinion that the pracco If
injustice, however long continued does not conyo,
1t INTO right. The government had been accr..
toned to exact tax called ship money. for the nnr.
pose Oh equIPplng the Kings fleet. John Hampiep
was called upon TO pay his portion of that shin mon
| ey. lie resisted and appealed 10 the courts Bp,
before his cause was decided, the king himself an
pealed to his judges, and demanded their opinion
whether, IN case OF necessity, for tie defence Of
me Kingdom, he might not impose this taxation; and
whether he were not sole Judge of the necessity.
~ i''oi iuh ", tldt these guardians OF law and
liberty replied, with great compaisance, chat in !
case OF necessity, he might impose that taxation
ana that he was sole judge of the necessity'' And
afterwards upon solemn argument, the twelve judg
es OF England determined that the assessment Q
iiampden was legal, and rendered their Iudgmen
against him.
But John Hampden and his compatriots did not an
peal to the judges OF England alone. They went to III
people also They aroused the spirit Of the whole ma
tlon' and short time only elapsed, before House
Commons declared the proceeding Of the government
be i'lesai and the Judges themselves who sustained
were made amenabe to law. The Sherifs OF Marshal,
who were required under peaates to assess thar Ia,
We're also held responsible to law and exposed Then
selves to me aud imprisonment for obedience TO an III
lawful wrlt Now, the Marshals who NAV rroceed !
carry out the unjust law of our own government an
the Commissioners who shall isse the warrants ybotl
er they shall or shall not be held responsible 10 the v
OF me country Tor carrying into effect that or,Iinanc
which is oppressive and destructive of the riohts IF
portion OF the people, cannot say, but beI;avo IL.
me DAY Is not far distant, when they will he he1 ,,'
haole ana to an earthly tribunal too; TcbeersI - be
.ey Shai receive the condemnation moi Of courts
lce 1ny nut through the united voices Of an Tho r.
people oil the whole land. prolonged cheers