Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-01
From tle Cincinnati Gazette
THE AMERICAN STAR CHAMBER AMI
ITS PROCESS.

From the Cincinnati Gazette
THE AMERICAN STAR CHAMBER AND
/ ITS PROCESS.
! Any person Of common observation, much more
any lawyer or iurist whose peculiar province it i,
to investig ate laws must have been struck by the
operation of our Commissioners Courts, aud the
purposes for which they were instituted. b>okin.
through the State Institutions we find nothing o
the sort. Commissioners in Chnncery there are
whose Office it is simply to ascertain facts or sci
property, but not TO assume jurisdiction, much les
try offences. But we in our cities class o
men suddenly rising, whose authority issues Iron
! the United States Government, whose peculiar OF
flee it is aside from ordinary offences, to enlorc
the right of property in human beings, aud try th
offence Of aiding human freedom These mer
hold their Office under laws of the United States
execute their DEGREES by United States Marshals
and sit as the American Star Chamber OF Crml
nal Law.
Tho Common Law knows nothing Of any such
Courts, and hence it is the Common Law has long
been the adherence of the friends of arbitrary
power. The dcmagoguc and tho tyrant have been
equally opposed TO it, The tries to abolish it
10y codfyng statutes, which he cndeavors to per-
sunde the people is more simple than the ancient
usnges Of their fathers. The other substitutes
Star Chambers and High Courts to nulfy and re-
peal the Common Law of Liberty.
! Hume, in his history of England says zone Of
the most ancient and most established instruments
/ of power IVES the Court of Star Chamber, which
possessed unlimited discretionary authority OF
tning, imprisoning and inflictiug corporeal pun
ishmcnt; and whose jurisdiction extended to all
sorts Of offences contempts and disorders that lay
not irjtiA the rcacb Of Common Lam. The mem
bers of this Court consisted Of the Priyy Council
and the judges, men, who all Of them enjoyed
their offices during pleasure and when the
Prince himself was present, he was the sole judge
and all others could only interpOse with their ad
vice, There needed but this one Court in any
government to put end to all regular legal,
and exact plans of liberty. For who burst set
himself in opposition to the crown and ministry,
or appeal to the character Of being a patron OF
freedom, while exposed to so arbitrary iurisiic
ton much question whether any OF She abso
lutte monarchies in Europe contain ut present 81
Illegal, and despotic tribunal"
The most absolute monnrchies may not have it
but the Republic Of the United States has some
thing very like it. The Star Chamber was 1,P
pointed by the Prince, (Prcsident) during hi
pleasure. The Star Chamber ~. S. Commits:
oner) has jurisdiction of offences, contempts, an
disorders, not within the reach Of the commo
law. The Star Chamber could not take life nc
can the United States Commissioner; but the Sta
!, Chamber can imorison and so can tho Unite
Fl States Commissioner The Prince when preser
was the sole Judge but, being absent the Sta
Chamber Judge exercised is power, Here W
reverse it. The Commissioner is the Judge but
the President telcgraphs instantly execute thu
law" The President will sustain you with all til,
power of the United States, Commissioners
very successful imitation Of the Star Chamber
which soslOng sustained the arbitrary power of the
Tudors and the Stewards. 1t is true, that the
reading of the Constitution would have given us
not the slightest idea that such an institution
could have been created under it. But the Con-
stitution has been undergoing the same process
which the text of Shakespeare has undergone. If
the old Playwright was % rise now, he would
never know some of the plays enacted in his name
and the trainers Of the Constitution, if now pres
ent would certainly be oblivious of many things
they are supposed to have done and intended.
The United States Commissioner is not Court
lie cannot summon and try a case by jury. lie
is in fact an EcecUtice c6iccr, vested with Judicial
powers This is precisely a sort Of tribunal which
Congress has not power to create. Congress has
the power to create "intcitor" COUIkS and they
had the power to create ErecHire officers, but
they had no power to create IL compound of the
two in one word to create the worst of all tribu-
mails, an EGccuiicc oGiccr cioticd 1rh jadciai
porcrS. We are accustomed to think in tins coun-
try, such usurpatiOns impossible, and pay no heed
to them, because we enjoy freedom ourselves and
think under Il form of government it cannuot be
impaired 1t is II mistake. It will be well if it
be not fatal one. This institution OF United
States Commissioners exercising judicial powers
but in fact, mere creatures of the Government is
dangerous Gegialiag Of ErccUtire uSupdtion. But
the other day. one OF these men tried and held to
bail an uuuiicudng citizen of Oho-an officer OF
its judicial Courts--tur reason but that of do
ing his duty mills oBictat caplcty Such an act
as this is not only II disgrace to the name of De-
mocracy, but it should excite the honest indigna-
ton of every citizen of Ohio. When it come to
DC examined as it will be, by the people at their
homes, it viii be regarded with horror. What
Is man, clothed with the mere authority Of
an Executive subordinate to call up, try and com