Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-09-27
,p enc ,, 3, 1mpnAcHmENr OF KANE.

PROPOSED IMPEACHMENT OF KANE.
The proposition for the impeachment Of Judge
Kane. for his Judicial conduct in the case OF
Williamson, which was recently put forth in the
Mem York Tribune, and which has met with fa-
voripg responses among the leading anti-slavery
nr,sses Of the country, is one that demands, it
seems to u.s. the instant and earnest, considera-
t;ep Of all the friends Of constitutional liberty
throughout the Free States. Of all kinds Of
tyranny, that which emanates from Judicial
tribunal il the most dangerous, because the most
difficult to reach and remedy. Mr.. Jefferson,
somewhere in his works, gives the prophetic
opinion that abe foundation of our liberties
would be first sapped by the Supreme Court of
the United States. We believe Mr.. Jefferson
was right. And we think the developments of
che few past years, made by the different branch
es of that Court in their decisions, where the
question Of Slavery has been involved, have been
abundantly sufficient to teach us the justice and
sou.4dness Of that illustrious statesnan's epin-
ion. Ever since the Slavery question has been
matter Of general discussion, that Court, year
by year, has. been stealing power to favor that
institution and more boldly encroaching,
BY their decisions, on our great Charter of Per-
scndl Liberty, and more and more clearly show
ing their intention of eventually taking the ex-
traordinary ground of Judge sbarkey Of Missis-
sippi, in. the Will case. which ground, in sub
stance, was, that as Slavery was protected by the
Constitution, decisions against tho freedom of the
slave were not to be based on precedents arising
out Of other questions, and were not to be con-
sidered Unconstitutional because they contra
vened such precedents, for they were matters Of
necessity in the preservation Of that institution,
which otherwise could not be preserved so that
the Stakeholder could realize oil the immunities
which was guaranteed him by the Constitution.
And although Judge Sharkey was then consid-
erably in advance of the United States Judges,
in his decision in the march of judicial tyranny,
vet the decisions of the latter have been gradu-
ally tending to the same point, and we should
think better Of them had they the candor and
sincerity to avow the same reasons for their per.
versions of law and precedent. But they have
shown no such oandor and sincerity as Judge
Sharkey, and while being governed by the same
principle, they have thus far attempted to justi'
fy their decisions by legal sophistries or palpa-
bic perversions of the law; and in this they
have 90 fur succeeded in the eyes of the public
as to have, in great measure, lulled suspicion
of their honesty while their departures from
the right have been SO cautiously made that but
little dishonest ingenuity was required to throw
such an air of plausibility over their conduct
that no adequate hold could be taken upon them.
But Judge Kane, in his recent monstrous dccis-
ion, has placed himself in a position where he
can be reached, and thus afforded to the friends
Of Liberty an opportunity of making such an
example Of him, as shall arrest this march Of
legal tyanny, on which the Supreme Court are
entering, for the support and spread of Slavery.
And we, therefore, respond with our whole
heart to the proposition for moving an impeach-
insnt of this modern Jeffries, who has 80 po,lu-
ted our national ermine, by his tyrannical decis'
ION. And in this, as from personal knowledge
We can safely state, we are seconded by grea'
majority of the best and ablest men in thi!
State, among whom the subject has already, an(
oven before the appearance Of the article in the
Tribune, been earnestly discussed.
The New York Anii-Slauesy Standard, in re
spending to the proposition, and urging the at
+ention Of the people and the press to the sub
ject, recommends the circulation of petitions fo
the proposed impeachment, so that, through tn
proper exertions of the friends of Freedom, (
mammoth petition Of one million of signatures
may be presented to Congress at the opening o
the sessi N. To this, also, we heartily respond
and wait only for such O form as shall DO agrees
on for general use, to put it in immediate circu
lation among the people Of Vermont No
would we stop here, buturge on our approaching
Legislature to take up the subject, pass sue
resolutions as the case demands, and instruct gu
Senators to 60, as nothing loath we know the
will, for the measure in question. .....