The Evansville daily journal., 1855-08-23
The Supreme Court and the PrOhibi-
tory Law

tory Law.
Tt was reported, and on very good author
ity, just after the Beebee case was submitted
to the Supreme Court, that no de cision woulC
/ be rendered till the Fall term. CIR radualy
this opinion gave way to rumor that a ses-
sion would be called about the middle Of the
present month, to decide the law, in order tc
/ influence the action of the Convention on
the 29th- The Bright men, who control the
conventions of the party, are bitterly opposed
10 the law, IL for no other reason than be-
cause Governor Wright is identified with it.
A decision by the Supreme Coprt that any
part of the Eaw was in conflict with the Consti-
tuition, would be lever with which Jesse
could lift the Governor clear out of bis
boots. and out of the party, il he has the in
dependence and spirit to leave a party, that
abaudons him. They could say to the Con-
vention, "Will you endorse law which the
highest tribunal has declared, unconstitution-
al!' md no "Od Line" Conventien that
ever infested any State could see the differ
ence between the PRINCIPLE OF the law, and
the defective provisions for carrying out the
principle, or would hesitate to condemn the
whole law, purpose, principle, and provis-
ions. So the Court, while destroying the
law, would be destroying the Wright wing
of the "Oid Line" party, and aiding the
Brightitcs Immensely. And one of the Judges
is VIGOROUSLY hostile to the Governor.
This was the rumor, and these were the
reasons, not without shrewdness and force,
as everybody will admit, which were given
I to support il. This rumor has been very
generally noticed throughout the State, and
queries addressed TO the papers at the cap
iLal, as to its correctness. Knowing nothing
of its origin, and relying on the statements
made by one of the Judges, that no decision
would be re endered before the fall term, we
have abstained from saying anything about
it. Nov we learn, from reliable authority
that the SuIreme Court meets TO. day, TO de-
eide the law, if the Judges are agreed
That the decision will be adverse to The law
is well understood. There is no mistake
about the fact of the meeting, whatever the
reasons may be. We, however, do not
accept the rumored reasons of this new move.
ment. We cannot believe that the cold
line" Supreme Judges of Indiana, though
elected on political issues, and warn, parti-
sans, could so prostitute their position to party
uses. The whole annals of Judicial serviliiy
whether to kings or parties, can furnish
nothing more dlsgraceiu. 1t cannot be
their purpose to decide The law. We pre-
Fsune they will meet 10 receive the briefs
of the counsel, and make some arrangements
for investigating the case. A decision
against the law, now, with the Convention
SO near, and its hostile factions so deeply
interested in the result, when, too, it was
given out by the Judges themselves that no
decision would be rendered till the regular
term, and one OF them didn't know that this
session was to be called, till notified lasl
week, that it was called, would furnish strong
grounds, for concluding that the called ses.
lslon, and the whole affair, has been planned
and executed for political purposes.
i But we have too much faith in the intee-
fifty of our "od line'' Judges to believe thai
they meet to decide the law now. Besides
we know that the counsel for the law have
only Just completed their briefs ready fol
submission to the Court, and surely no Cour
will decide so important a case, without hear
ing all that can be said by both sides. Al
least they cannot so grossly disregard The
fair claims of the friends of the law as to de-
eide without having seen their arguments
The hearing, few weeks ago. don't answer
the purpose of Brief for the attorneys then
expressly said that they could not present
their arguments and authorities with proper
force, for they had not time TO prepare them
A declsi on would now have to be made
! without any examination of the main, in
fact the only, argument upon which the
friends of the law relied. And we don't be-
lieve the sold line" Judges will descend tC
so unfair an act to gain party advantage
We rely upon the justice and good sense o
the Court to postpone a decision until the
J counsel for the law can be fully and fairly
heard. I'll State Journal.