Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-09-12
pAssxoxx 11LlIAwson.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court nov
in session at philadelphia, has refused 70
release Passmore Williamson. The ground
taken BY the Judges was that the State
Court had no jurisdiction 10 interfere with
the judgment Of the Federal Court, that
the issters had exclusive power in deciding
eases Of contempt, aud tha,the State Court
could not 60 behind the record to ascertain
the fact whether the commitment was legal
or not. Judge Knox disagreed with this
Kind crtechnical reasoning, anil in an ad-
verse opinion, contended that the District
Court had no jurisdiction 10 issue a writ
Of hobeGs corpus ia the first place, that Will
hanson was guilty of no contempt in sefus-
ing to answer it. and thal.the power to issue
writs Of hsbsss corpus is coahned exclusively
10 The State Courts.
But whichever MY be Ia. decision Of the
Courts, the case of Williamson has been
decided BY the people OF Pennsylvania
Not bound by musty and inapplicable pre-
cedents. nor mys,iied by the iargon Of tech.
nicalities, their common sense and unpre'-
udiced observation teach them that he has
been victim of judicial tyranny, propi-
tiation offered to the insulted majesty Of the
slave power, and that inasmnch as the slaves
who were made free by the laws OF Pennsyl-
vania could no, be restored to their claim
ant, the alternative was adopted of trying
TO punish and degrade a msn whose only
crime was refusing to obey the illegal order
Of an arbitrary court. But as it often hap
pens, the worst consequences Of this iniqui-
" promise to -ecoil upon the heads Of the
oppressors. Together with their hatred of
every species of tyranny, the people ofthis
country have inherited the disposition to
take tides with the individual who is wrong
folly oppressed. Over two hundred years
ago, the unius mprisonme Mt ofJohn Hamp-
den brough; to focus the opposition of the
English people to the despotsm of the
Stuarts. Al later period the uneon-
sn,utional action Of an English ministry
raised specious demagogus in the person
ofJohn Wilkes, to degree Of popularity
that enabled him TO dictate terms to both
Crown and cabinet. A similar feeling is
predominant characteristic of Anglo-Ameri-
cans. They do not Ike to see man of
even an equivocal character relentlessly
prosecuted BY Official power. but when a man
who has committed no crime, is singled out
as the victim of disappointed malice, the in-
stinc,s Of the people teach them that in de-
Tending him, they are defending the cause
Of their own rights and liberties, and hence
they are not slow to manifest a lively in.
,erest in his behalf. and TO make him the
recipient Of any favors they have TO bestow :.
Such has been the result in the present in
stance. and in nominating Mr.. Williamson
State, the people of Pennsylvania have
shown very Enthusiastically what are their
OPINIONS concerning his conduct and that Of
his prosecutors. Itmay suit the tastes and
purposes of some to say, in the language OF
Gen. Cass, that this spontaneous action of
the people is only the work OF a faction
Such anti-republiasn expressions are in per-
feet keeping with the general character Of
the sham democracy. But undismayed and
uninfuenced by the sneers OF psmpered Of
fce-holders, or the tmidity of brow-beaten
courts, the people Will 60 on resisiles.ly to
the punishment of wrong and the re-estab-
lshment of right. The powers which they
have delegated 10 others were originally
granted from considerations founded on their
own convenience. They know themselves
to be the proper guardians of their own
rights, and they have the will as well as the
ability to maintain them.