Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-05-10
Abolition and Judge Loring.

lanes IT.. but can scarcely have parallel
in the most barbarous countries, in the dark
sst agas Of the world" This is almost as
strong as SUxxER, when he said of PRESIDENT
FILLMORE, who signed the law, Other Pres
dents may be forgotten, but the name signed
70 the Fugitive Slave Bill can never be for
gotten. There are depths of infamy as there
are heights Of fame Better for him that he
had never been born; better for his memory,
and the good name Of his children, had nc
never been President"
Now, in answer to al. such extravaganza,
IL is enough to say that the law in question
was approved by WEBSTER and CLAY without
mentioning the other great and estimable men
who gave it their sanction and support. 1t is
rather too great demand on the good sense
of the American people to expect them to
believe that a law, which was considered
GOOD one by such illustrious statesmen, can in
fact bes site 50 devilish as the Journal repre-
sentsit.
AS the days OF JAMES II have been resort
ed to for illustration, we want the Journal 10
30 oas step further-just one. 1t would be
il strictest harmony with the tone and tenn
per of the Article on which we are comment
ina. We suggest that the Journal should
compare Judge LosIse to Loid JEFFRYs, Of
the Bloody Assizes. This would be perfect
" consistent and within the line Of safe pre-
csdents. SUMSEB, the Lucifer of the Jour
zaal's party, says FILLMORE is ''in the depths
Of infamy;;D and JEFFRYs was not lower
than "ths depths" Judge STORY, also, was
especially prominent among the Judges of
the Supreme Court in sustaining the law of
1898, which the abolitionists say was as bal
ss that Of 1850, and even went SO far as to
declare that the Constitution recognized the
common law right Of recapt,re, that is, recog-
nised the right Of the master to his slave as
csattcl.
Surely the Journal must regard Judge
STORY, likewise, as a monster Of iniquity, as
a man whom 'they cannot be made TO hon
or"
AS to the removal of Judge LoRrNo, the
moderate and reasonable part of the Jour
nats' own party condemn the act. We re-
gard it as a fragrant injustice, the more fla
grant because perpetrated under the naked
forms of law, to an innocent and upright off,
Ger, and as a blow at the independence of the
Judiciary. Nobody believes that Judge
LoR1sa disregarded any raid law of Massa-
ehusstts, or exercised any arbitrary power in
the Burns case. Such a statement is a shall
low pretence and an unworthy evasion Of the
true point at issue.
He was made victim to the vile and
reasonable fanaticism of Massachusetts,. This
is the whole case. In confirmation of ON
opinion, we republsh an article from the
Louisville Journal
REMOVAL OF JUICE LoEING-MAssAcHU-
SETS LEGISLATURE. The telegraph has
brought intelligence that the Legislature OF
Massachusetts, has finally consummated a
scandalous outrage upon the Judiciary in the
person Of Judge Loring. The Senate has
confirmed the address for the removal of the
probate Judge, that he'd previously passed the
House Of Representatives, and it now only
remains to see whether the Governor will do
kuc luldluOu5 aCl 1ie IS dSktl 10 90. w e Dtc-
sumo he will.
It is not our purpose to discuss the merit:
of this question now. In an article published
some months ago, We underworld to show
that Judge Loring had neither violated any
law or omitted to perform any duty that the
law imposed upon him; and therefore that il
would be unjust to punish him by removal
or any other way. The Legislature punish
Mr.. LOring for acts done as a United State:
Commissioner, and not for failing to perform
his duties or for acts Judge of probate
There was no law or regulation that prevent
ed Judge Loring from accepting the Office and
performing the duties of e. s. Commissioner
and no one doubts, that, had he decided in
favor of the negro Burns, the Legislature
would not have inflicted upon him the indig
nifty and injustice of expulsion from office
The conclusion therefore is irresistible thai
the purpose was topunish the U. s. Commits
ssonsr, and not the judge Of probate. The COnsti
Constitution Of the United States forbids the
States passing an post facto law and an "a
post facto law has been decided by the courts t.
bea law, that pronounces criminal, and iuake
provision to punish, act that was not crimi
nal when il was committed. Now this is Jus
what the Massachusetts, Legislature hav,
done. There no law that forbade Mr.
Loring's accepting the Office of q. s. Com
missioner, and there could not possibly b,
any conflict or interference whatever in tn,
jurisdictions Of the two courts. Not only i
the act Of the Massachusetts, Legislature oil
outrage on justice, but it also violates the let
ter and spirit Of the Constitution of the United
States. The outrage is aggravated by tn,
fact, that, for this mean, contemplate explo
sion Of spleen and disregard of right and jus
doe, by which wanton insult and injury ar
inflicted on an unoffending citizen, the law
provide no redress. Wendell Phillips, tn
advocate and champion of this act of infamy
boldly urged it on the ground that the Lesis
laturs had the naked pot0er, and could an,
should exercise it, right or wrong The dam
nable counsel sank deep into consenial hearts
and the majority of the Legislature hav
shown that q republican assembly may b
composed of tyrants. The constitution c
Massachusetts, gave the Legislature only tn
right to require the removal OF Judge Lorine
If It had given the power to hang him W
suppose this body of tyrants would have ha
him strung mp TO tree on Boston Common
Humanity has often shuddered at the reel
tai OF the monstrous atrocities perpetrated b
the Puritans Of Massachusetts,. Her earl
history is O record of bigotry, intoleranc,
and persecution, that ought to teach her cit
gems to be moderate and to respect the opir
ions Of mankind, and at least to observe I'll
dsceDeies due to honest difference of opinion
Umen and women burned at the stake, or il
offensive Quskers scourged to death no lor
ger enliven the dull monotony of the Bosto
and Salem streets it must be credited rath,
70 regard for decency than the extinctio
Of the spirit that prompted those atrociol
sacrifices to the spirit of fanaticism and into
ersDce. To expel a man from Office for d,
ing bis duty and executing distasteful la
smanates from the same moral and religio,
principles that formerly condemned men, W,
men, and children to be tied to the tail of
cart and scorged through tho streets, even
death, because they were Qsakers In Il
political history Of Massachusetts, there
much to admire, but her religious annals a
defaced with passages Of cruelty, intoleranc