Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-04-09
An -Attempt to ForcstaM and
FWffTE.F 49,

= The business in the Supreme Court Of
writing out, reading, and filing opinions,
and furnishing them to the public as
welIea to those specially interested, has
lenghsd settled course, known to
dose eohnectedxith its proceedings.-
The judges have never given a peculiar
prominence to a case over another, nor
sought to obtrude their opinions upon
the public. Everything has been left
to take the usual course. sanctioned by
the practice of years. The majority in
the bred Scott case had every reason to
believe that no new one would be now
pursued. Their opinions were written
out, read, and filed, as in other cases,
and they were left to find their way to
the public in the accustomed mode,
without any special agency or act of
theirs!!is7They did not seek, nor even as
sent, that their opinions should be rush
ed before the public for political effect,
or to crafty a morbid or feverish appe-
tite for something new. They have
maintained their W dignity, as well as
that of tho Court of which they are
members. We wish we could include
the dissenting judges, Mclean and Cur
It's, in this category: Yielding to.the
pressure of political agitators, both stepp-
ed aside from the. usual course, and
caused, or allowed, copies of their opin-
ions to be taken and ushered to the world
through the partisan presses. These CO.
pies must have been furnished before
the opinions were delivered. Why did
they submit to this? Can there be a
doubt Their political friends desired
to forestall public opinion, and break
the force and effect of the opinions of
the majority. Had all the opinions gone
out together, the public would have judg-
ed of the relative force of the facts and
arguments presented; but by hurrying
the minority opinions before the public,
and niisrcpresenting those of the major
ity, and distorting their meaning, a po-
liieal advantage could be gained The
agitators counted upon the benefit that
they could derive from this course
They understood how difficult it is to
eradicate error when once deep-rooted
IN the popular mind. But n side is
heard, while the other is most grossly
misreprcsented. The great jury of the
American people are called upon to de-
termine an important cause upon the
hearing the arguments upon one side
only. Their verdict is demanded with
out the other side being listened to. A
trial thus conducted, instead of result
ing in truth, must mislead and point to
error. Agood 6use needsno such un-
due advantage to sustain it. When the
people fully understand this attempt to
mislead, they will look upon the authors
of it with suspicion, and refuse them
their confidence. Had the dissenting
judges filed their opinions in the usual
manner, without furnishing partisan pa
pers with copies, the prblic would not
have been subject to- the receptions
which such papers have practised, and
the majority of the Court would have
escaped Being tradueed by inscriptions
editors and heated partisans. How
these minority judges can reconcile theil
course with fairness to their brethren is
not easily imagined, except upon the as
sumption that they did not understand
and appreciate the reckless unfairness
of their friends, to whom they entrusted
their opinions, nor the effects of theil
own acts.
The course of the opposition in thi
matter demonstrates one position, to wit
that they keenly felt the necessity o
some new element of agitation to rail-,
and keep up their thinning ranks
They had seen thousands of misled De
mocrats leaving their standard and re
turning to- their old friends. Som
C of checking further loss was muc
needed to preserve the show of strength
This may answer a temporary purpose
bnt. viii soon reeoil upon them. Truth
though slow in its progress, is faithfu
in its purposes, and in the end reache
its object over all intervening errors
It may be temporarily thwarted and dc
laycd, but never ultimately defeated.
Hash. Union.
EWr*Bob, Harry Smith has one of til
greatest curiosities you ever saw"
tfaDon't say so-what is it?"
"a tree which neversprouts, and whic
becomes smaller the oldcrit grows
"Well that lisa curiosity. Where di
he get it?'
From California"