Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-10-17
From the Springfield Republican.
NATURALIZATION OF THE U. s. SU-
PREME COURT

IT needs no argument to show that the Supreme,
Court Of the United States has degenerated into o.
mere partisan and sectional instrument. The,
lamentable fact is palpabe and undisguiscd. Its.
recent outrages upon puplie decency and prOprie-
ty, in forcing upon the country series of opinions
upon the subject of slavery, not required by the
case under consideration, and uttered for the solo
purpose Of giving a certain sacredness to the
greatest partisan outrage ever committed by Con-
gress-the annulment of the Slavery prohibition in
/ the TerrtOry--shows the extent to which that
/ Court has degenerated and the bitterness OF its
prostitution to the uses of the Slaveryextending
politicians. Is there no remedy for this debase-.
ment Of the Supreme Court2
Has the country protection against this new
and strange process, by which the politicians may
get their most repusiye heresis transformed into.
law Must all the Executives and Judicial pre-
cedeRts Of the past be ruthessly denied and tram
pied down, Whenever reckless political gambler.
shall choose to coin some new theory in support
Of Slavery, which he sell to the South for q
consideration
| The Supreme Court is looked upon rs some-
! thing fixed aud movable-entirely beyond the,
reach Of the people, and clothed with an authority
nearly or quite absolute and despotic. Indeed,
there arc not wanting, among those who claim
the name Of Democrats, some who consider it a
sort OF treason, or something worse, to doubt the
/ Iinfallbility of the grave gentlemen who occupy
the Supreme Bench, or to hint at the possibility
that they have uttered mistaken opinion. or
yielded to corrupt influence. But the whole his
tory of the judiciary, in this and other countries,
shows that judges are but weak and errinS men,
often committing the saddest Mistakes and, alas
how often perverting their sacred Offices to the
support of the wrong cause, when backed by power
and wealth against the right which has only it's
own righteousness to sustain it.
We said the Supreme Court is sectional. 1t is
only in its general aim and the spirit of the
maj Ority Of the judges; it is sectional in its con-
struction. This is seen at glance by the follow
ing table Of the judicial districts
FREE STATES.
! l. Maine New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts, and Rhode Island 2,043, ,204
York 3.7s2, ,3O6
g. New jersey and Pennsylvania 2,S0l,341
igan, 4,2o7, 500
Four circuits. Total free population 12,834,72o
SLAVE STATES.
/. Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia 1,3S3,912
.. Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky l,443,394
and Georgia 1,249,1
| s. kentucky Tennessee. and Missouri 2,1l0,174
10. Mississippi and Arkansas 457,9S7
Five circuits. Total free population 6,644,454
Hcre Kentucky is twice included. If we de-
duct her population from circuit. VIC shall see
that he.fve Southern judges represent but $685.,
! 600 people, while the four Northern judges repre-
sent Il, ,S35, 900. Under fair apportionment; tho
North would have six of the nine judges, and the
! South but three.
We have reason to believe that the subject Of
a just and fair reorganization of the Supreme
Court will be brought before the next Congress,
and will become a topic Of the most serious and
earnest discussion. 1t is too much to hope from
a Congress constituted that will be, that the
measure will succeed. But it will be presented
in such form that the whole country will see its
intrinsic justice and proprety, ana the decision
against 1t will be SO evidently based on sheer
sectional and party grounds as to demonstrate
how entirely the Supreme Court is relied upon and
used as political machine. Something will thus
be gained in the presentation of the true bearings
Of the question to the people, and in the prepara-
ton Of the public mind for the change. If we
cannot secure Supreme Court immeasurably
above the base partisan to which the present
court degrGdes ITSELF then it better that the
whole thing should be rooted up and new court
organized that shall stand above the reach Of such
influence.