The Kanzas news., 1857-11-28
The Kanzas News.
sATURDAY,:::::::NovEMBER ss, 1857.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Reorganization of the Supreme Court.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Reorganization of the Supreme Court
The Republicans, at an early day in the
next session of Congress, viii introduce
and unanimously support, bill for the re-
organization of the Supreme Court, and g
re-adiustment of the judicial Circuits, ac-
cording to population and political weight
Under the present system, the slave States,
with a white population, according to the
census of 1850, of 6,419. .5O3, are represent
ed in the Supreme Bench by fire Judges
while the free States. with population, ac-
cording to the same authority, of 13, ,434, 1913,
are allowed but four members in the highest
judicial tribunal in the country. The rep
resentation of the free States in the lower
house of Congress is one hundred and for
ty-three that of the slave States, with the
constitutional proviso for the enumeration OF
two-thirds of the negroes-a proyiso which
does not extend to the Supreme Bench
only ninety.
The United States are divided into the
following nine Judicial circuits
FREE STATES --a-
Circuits Free Population.
l. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts, Rhode Island, 2,G43 ,204
9 Vermont, Connecticut and New York, 3, ,7S2 BOG
g. New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 2,80I ,34l
T. Ohio, Indiana. Illinois and Michigan, 4,207 1853
Four Circuits. Total free population, 1854, ,720
SLAVE STATES
A. Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, 1885, ,912
5. Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky, l,442, 1874
Georgia, - 1,249, ,167
g. Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri, 2,ll0,l74
g. Mississippi and Arkansas, 457, ,907
Five Circuits. Total free population, 6,644,554
In the above table, Kentucky is twice
numbered. Deducting her population, the
total for the slave States is reduced to s.
883,037. Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa
and California are not yet attached to any
circuits-the white population of either To-
wa or Wisconsin being at the present time
greater than that of the ninth circuit.
From these figures it will be seen that the
free States would have, under fair appor-
tionment, at least six out of the nine Judges.
Apart from considerations of the political
complexion of the Supreme Bench, and the
astounding dietuna put forth in the late Dred
Scott decision, the democratic principle of
government demands a remodeling of the
court. The majority principle, which runs
through all departments of our poliiy, is
palpable farce so long as a minority court
has the power of deciding" away every
enactment which happens to displease that
minority. But in the case of the present
Supreme Court of the United States, this
requirement is magnifed by the notorious
negro-breeding proclivities of the majority
of its members. That the Dred Scott de-
cision is Justification of history, prosti-
tuition of law and an enormity on the civili-
zation of the age is hardly question for
enlightened debate. The only argument put
forth by its Democratic adherents in the
North is the exceeding sanctity of the court
which pronounced it. 1t is not held that
the opinion of Taney and his majority allies
IS a faithful rendering of the Constitution
it is not declared to be in keeping with the
humanity of the age and nation-it is not
held up as master discovery among the
principles of free government; it is only |
driven in the popular face as the pronuncia-
mento of five slaveholding lawyers accident
ally placed where their opinions are author
lty for the continent.
Ut course a great cry will be raised among
the amalgamationists, North and South, in !
opposition to this movement. The inviola- |
oi euO y GuiCidIy VIII Dc clidf Scu upon,
and quite likely the Union will be on the |
brink of dissolution, and only saved by the |
sef-sacri6cing devotion of few hundred
doughfaces. But the liberties of nation |
cannot be forever at the mercy of half-a- |
dozen slave-drivers. The Supreme Court
OF the United States is established by law,
and the power which enacted that law can
repeal it.
The Supreme Court is an ambitious or
ganization. From being expounders, they
have become makers of the law. 1t requires |
but moderate degree of ingenuity on the
part of any Judge 70 make plausible argu-
ment in justification of any decision re-
quired by personal or party interest In
the Dred Scott case the Supreme Court ex-
ceeded itself. Ii enacted law defining the
relations of races, when, according to its
own ruling, there was no such subject under
consideration. 1t is time the people resumed
the lsw-makiug prerogative; and if the
ousting of Bench full of pro-slavery Judg-
es is necessary to resumption of this right,
let 1t be done wit as little DELAY as DossihIe