Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-09-19

necessary 1t was awsrded here upon the ap-
plicafion of person who complained that his
slaves were detained from him. Enless they
were fugitive slaves they could not be slaves
at all, according to the petitioners own doc
trlne, and if the Judge took that view of the
subject, he was bound to award the writ If
the persons mentioned on it had turned out. on
the hearing, to be fugitives from labor. the
duty of the District Judge to restore them, or
his power to bring them before him on hab
eas corpus, would have been disputed by none
except by the very fewwho think that the con-
stitution and law on that subject ought not to
be obeyed The duty of the court to inquire
into the facts on which its jurisdiction depends
is as plain as its duty not to exceed it when 1T
is ascertained. But Mr.. Williamson stopped
the investigation IN hnafne; and the conse-
quence is, that everything in the case remains
unsettled, whether the persons named in the
writ were slaves or free. -
Z Whether Mr.. Wheeler was the owner of
them-whether they were unlawfully taken
from him-whether the Court had jurisdiction
to restore them--all these points are left open
for want of a proper return 1t is not our bu-
siness to say how they ought to be decided
but, we do not doubt, that the learned and up
right magistrate, who presides in the District
Court, would have decided them as rightly as
any judge in all the country. Mr. William
so'i nso no u - All esS sne T.
ne supposeu suas e" - -
on 'ae ques.,on - J.,.o' .;"1 ~
4aes'ion a'e as'Is, AZ ne. go l'I ~ eoa1 -.
so' NV naAe -. 'as 'aS S;.'S.; &c
,ec'' nc Pieseiei a., ~ an u
Ais plotegess' anu "ius oiu 'ne" niong'
whicn Is Prooaoiy greater opsnce ~ nls own w
EYES eye .1an any .ning ne co.lu 10 a'us. ~
" neeaer rign.s here - no ieasou $50, " pe
iese 'na' any roupie wha,essr vouiu nay. nase
come ou. ol ..e case i ne &c n.,I m ls e.. :. Ss
luh' anu sPeciai ru'orn VI a., 'ae la9's .oi
'hen ,he l'gn's ol an o'aoa anu nse'
cou.u nave oee.i se. VI ...e
eo ''r WAN Vi J''iis'i0''on' u 'i's 'a !" ~
red -
lt Is argued that the Court naa no ]urlsoic-
ton, because 1t was not averred that the slaves
were fugltlves, but merely that they OWED ser
vice by the laws OF Virginia Concedng, 1or
the arguments sake tnat TINS was 'ne oniy
ground on which the court couiu nave ln.el- leel
fered-concedlng also that II is not supstantiai-
ly alleged IN the peution OF MI wheoier-
the proceeding was, nevertheless, not voio ior
that reason.
The federal Tribunals tnohgn courts OF I'M
tied jurisdiction, are not inferior Courts
Their Judgements until reversed py the proper
appellate Court are valid and conclusive upon
the parties tnougn the ]urisoicuon DC hos a. az
legged In the pleadings nor on any paae Vi .ne
record. (lU wheaton 1871 Even ILLS l.,,
were not settled and clear law. II would sun
be certain that the tact on wnicn Jurisdicuon
depends, need not De stated IN tne process;
1he want OF such a s.aten'ehi IN tue Dou u
the haDeas corpus, OF in 'ne Pesl'ion Nm vn "ni0i
IL was a"alaeu' uiu no' CIV 80. Ie ~ :. Ia
rlgn. 10 ereas l. WIN souseuPs - e.u,
then the Courts oa tne oilieeu 2'-..es .ius' se'
out the grouhu ol tnsir Juilsuiesion ~ esely
subpoena ior ~..uess anu ~ peioeslse :.
true ayerment VIII autnorise Tue "i'ucss " 't De
as contumacious as ne sees NJ.
But all that was sad IN the argument aDout
the petition the witt, ana tne iac1s whlcn ie
were pios.u - Ja az = tnSi- &c.
~, - W.
- sto,, l.b;,d H. e,,,ic.;or i
a,f = n. cs,nld not reverse r. ;f. there had
49,, 10 =, ;donce Of ali. We have no more
- - :, come hetvaen The ,,rsone,
a.,5 sh,s court 70 free him from sentence like
tb;s than we would have to counter.nand an
iI 'n~n nsS NV ~ ts to the
Gfs,;sad Irs Statos ar,,v = 19ssss3sf
wv ~, ,,o1,v-
=, a.,.; a.. .,,,tb;y :, b,rs exccnt the s;nnle
,,sst ~. D;st,;,.t Court had no.var to MN
;sb far contemnt person who ,disobcyed its
.s-aooss tbat he net;t;oner e convicted of
saob ohe' eonte,nnt.--an5 that the conviction IS
~, ne Tha ;nr;sa;ct;on of tbe
oonst on tha case which has been before Il
e,,J o,ar,,thn,. alse which nraceded the CON.
;.;oa ay. ont of our reach and tbev are NOT
eTa,n;nable by. us-and of course not now in