The republic., 1851-12-19
THE REPU
The supreme cou,t and the SENATE.

nc splIIl WHICH, dcildcu 5cuo1oi DAOSA-
roN in arresting the atnct of Senator HALE on
the Supreme Court of ihS United States, was
sympathized with by evsry man of integrity
and patriotism within hlaring. The manner
Of the Senator from NEt JERSEY in calling
Mr.. HALE to order was calm and dignifed,
while il distinctly manifested the indignation
with which he was animated. The passage to
which we refer occurred during the debate IN
the Senate on "Wednesday. Mr.. HALE had
said that he looked upon il as one Of the main
dangers of the times, ass one of the most
{ alarming facts, that the judiciary of the land
have been so swift 'o PROSTATE and TO
prostitute themselves before the operation
of this law, (the Fugitive Slave law,) SO as
to override, and nullify, and destroy that great
safeguard of constitutional liberty, which the
trainers and founders II our Constitution
thought they had secure." Mr. HALE was
speaking of the doctrines f treason as they had
been laid down by our judiciary, and the allu-
sion was understood to beto the judges of the
Federal courts--the only portion of our judi
ciary that has to deal With questions of this
nature.
Immediately alterwardshe made the alluson
more pointed and distinct ~ saying, in another
connexion, ''there is tribunal that sits beneath
This Senate chamber lehid is the very citadel
Of .4merican slGpe,y" When this direct
reference was made TO he Supreme Court,
Commodore STOCKTON roe, and in quiet and
firm way declared that, as an American cltl-
zen and Senator, he could not sit there and hear
such language without doing something to ar
rest the course of the debate, and called the
Senator TO ordsr.
Mr.. Hall was for once in his life, and for
a few morents, abashed and thrown from his
self possession, for it was evident that Commo-
dore SrscKroN had with him the feeling not
only of the Senators but of the spectators. The
Senator from New HAMPSHIRE sought refuge
in adenial of which we will give him the full
bepeft, though we had felt, with Commodore
STOCKTON, at the time Mr. HALE spoke of the
"prostraton and prostitution of the judiciary" f"
that his allusion was to the members ofthe Court
mat "sat beneath"-the Supreme Court Of the
United States. He denied, however, that he
intended such an allusion, and asserted that,
in using the words "prostration and prostitu
tion," he did not intend to apply them TO that
tribunal '',This remark" he said, "did not
apply to the Supreme Court of the United
States, because no case, growing out of the
Fugitive Slave law, had ever come before
them" If Mr.. HALE did not allude to the
Supreme Court, we presume that he must have
alluded to the circuit and district courts Of the
United States, or to the judges of the State
courts; and we think it quite as indecent for a
Senator to utter sweeping charge of ''pros-
tration and prostitution" against these tribu-
nails as against the Supreme Court itself.
We were not surprised at this attack of Mr..
HALE on the Supreme Court. This tribunal
is essentially conservative. 1t is the sheet-an-
chor of the Constitution and the Union. Hence
it is the object Of especial aversion to both Alb
olitonsts and Secessionists, and all other men
who entertain reasonable designs against the
Federal Government The men who declare
themselves in favor of disunion, and the men
who proclaim doctrines which, if put into exc
cution, would terminate in disunion, hate,
bitterly hate, the Supreme Court. Indeed they
nAy well have an aversion to all courts--for it
is not usual for man standing in their relation
TO the law to cherish good opinion of it. Our
readers win remember that, in his last speech
of the last session, MIR. RHETT also uttered a
violent TRADE against the Supreme Court. 1t
was this sympathetic coincidence Of feeling in
regard to the Judiciary, no doubt, that induced
Mr.. HALE to compliment Mr.. RHETT for his
speech of Monday and Tuesday. We have
no doubt that the Senator from New Hamp-
shire did listen with the pleasure he professed
to the speech of Mr.. RHETT; and as little
doubt that Mr.. RHETT listened with reciprocal
satisfaction to the speech of Mr.. HALE. They
are both laboring in the same voeation--for the
alienation of the North from the South---for
the stimulation of local prejudces and animos-
tiles, and the ultimate disruption of the Union.