The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-21
UNREASONABLE COMPLAINTS.


UNREASONABLE COMPLAINTS.
The New York Tribune referring to the late decision Of
the Supreme Judicial Court, says:
"It is longer In Congress on the plains of Kansas
that assaed Now the saveholders majority in the
Supreme Court of the United States have stepped into the
arena"
Similar language, on the same subject is employed
along the entire line of the blackrepublcan press and
under such influence there at the North,
doubt not who regard the Supreme Court as having
made gross and wicked attack upon their individual
rights II these will take the trouble to think calmly
and dspsssonatey upon the probabilities of the case they
win readily admit that such attack is hardly among
them and that tribunal constituted the Supreme Court
is is not likely violate wully its duty and its udg
men in order to make upon any section any citizen
Of our common country Why should itdoso2 Why should
Chief Justice fancy rexampe be governed in his official
action by any other considerations than those of impartial
justice and honest patriosm2 yenerabein years. well
in wisdom bel earned during long life those plaudits
which, among men, areeely bestowed upon
private worth and public virtue and eminent ability. His
home is in of those central States Of the Unon where
the of public opinion meet and modify each other
both from the North and from the South and where
sye opinions the subject of slavery not generally
understood to prevail He must be insensible, ALSO
every consideration Of personal ambition, because of
course he has political future and be retains his pres
emit position by virtue of the consultation. II such man,
after twenty years of judicial service is not surrounded
with all the Prescriptions in favor of right action that
give confidence anywhere, it is difficult to imagine
position where such presumptions exist We mention
the Chief Justice by way Of example, but not to exclude
preumpions Of similar character in favor Of the other
members of the court. Why should Judge Catron, or
Judge Wayne or Judge Nelson, Judge Grier be held
any less reliable in character patriotism than Judge Nc
Lean Judge Curtis neither of whom do think it
decorous to attack for mere expression of judicial
opinion Surely if southern Judge is to be charged
with southern prejudice, northern Judge may with equal
proprey be charged with northern prejudice western
judge be distrused for alleged Partially to the West and
thus the whole moral power Of institution whose indie
pendence and wisdom and mpartiaty the country has
been accustomed to respect will be FILTERED away by To-
cal aud sectional prejudices We respectfully submit to
any northern reader who holds the opinions Of the New
York Tribune whether he himself is quite likely
be the victim of local partisan prejudice any member
of the Is he quite that subjects connected
with the slavery question he does not occupy stand
point which renders his Judgment almost necessarily par
tia Does he place himself in the position of those
slave States and from that position does he look up
the great work Of fathers and inquire honestly and
dspassionately what its meaning is Or does he
not rather the subject If he thinks it worthy
of investigation with his whole nature mbued with abo
lton theories and crude notions of abstract right which,
had they existed and had full sway in the convention of
49, would have rendered the constitution impossible as
they interfere dangerously with is practical work
ings2 What the constitution ought to be- in the judg-
ment of a modern theorist, 10 thing; but what
the constitution really is, is another and very diff
ferent thing. Upon this latter point the determine
ton of the Supreme Court OF the United States,
situled have described it to be- is surely quite as
respectable and authoritative that of an abolition ed-
tor an infde convention Each Of the judges have
already said is worthy of the public confidence but it is
striking fact that Judge Mclean prominently before
the Philadelphia convention Of 1856 in competition with
Col Fremont for its nomination. and it is equally to be
remembered that when Judge Curtis appointed to his
present place. the blackrepublcan papers which now re-
gard him fvorably loud in their denunciaons of
his subseyency to the South Is it not better to believe
that he was equally honest then and now and to credit
both him and his associates with upright dispositions
whether we agree with them not in all their opinions
If all the Prescriptions of the thus favorable to
the justice and wisdom of the opinions of the court it may
be added with reference to the late decision which is
the subject Of comment that 1t peculiarly entitled to re-
spect and consideration because it is the result of pro-
onged investigation and careful thought. The has
been argued and reargued by counsel OF admitted ability
1t was retained for advsement unusual length of time
and was finally announced in opinions Of great elabora
ton and ability And it goes far to indicate the be-
slowed the by every member of the court well
to negative the idea Of any sectional concurrence Of
views that each Of the judges prefers to record his own
views of the subject in distinct FORM and to support his
conclusion by his peculiar Of reasoning There
said to be many opinions as there are judges.
With two exceptions they not yet published and the
camor raised by the bIackrepublican leaders is therefore,
eminenty unjust to the majority Of the court, whose rea
they do not know and whose precise conclusions they
can do little than conjecture In some instances we
fear that the agiatos who fill the air with denuncia
tons this subject do to examine either concu
sions reasonngs lest the examination should be unfa
vorabe their views and interfere with that trade of
agitation by which they live Bat the great majority OF
the people are not of this description, and will treat
with fairness and respect the action Of their highest
judicial authority knowing full well that they each and
all have personal interest In maintaining its character
as an important branch of their political system The
election developed most encouraging amount Of
alive feeling in the community, which hailed by our
patriotic citizens bow of promise upon the dark cloud
of sectional madness which behind it, and this