The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-07-06
The Ssa lghaer OF Judge swan
What q Conservative Esep,lb.a.
can Thinks oft. tt,~.

Is t5R 5es-;rT-vod +Eavfge s;fi'
The following which We copy from the
Columbus Gazette an Independent paper
edited by Gov. GREINER, is the views of
very great many of the conservative Re-
publicans. 1t is an honest and forcioe
expression of opinion. Read it and show
it to your neighbor..i is'9 20 oh 'aHt o'9''
Nulllhcation by the judiciary.
What were the conservative men of the
late Republican Convention about, when
in order to secure a few party nominations
for Office, they abandoned their principles,
and consented that Judge SWANS throat
should be cut because on question that
is vital to the existence of the Union, he
dared to. do his duty? This is probably
the first Instance on record, in which a
great political party has publicly and
officially rebuked public servant for be-
ing honest and faithfni to the Constitution
A tinid, trucking. time serving judge,
seems to have been called for in this crisis
Of Republicanism The bench is to be
prostituted to party purposes, and the men
who have consented to inaugurate the
work by sacrificing Judge Swan, will not
be slow to follow it up with Judges PECK
| and ScorT, and even with Judge GHoLsoN,
| if contrary to the assurances of his friends,
| he should, as the probability. he win, prove
refractory. The crumbs of Office, will,
from time to time,l be thrown to all con-
servative compromisers who are willing to
sacrifice courts aud judges, for the sake of
union in the Republican ranks, or we
should rather say snirttre, for there is no
union. - '''# i-.
| When we sift this whole matter to
the bottom, it has only one. meaning,
which statesman can recognize, and that
is this, nuHifcation of the fugitive slave
laws By The State Courts, is to take the
place of Kansas in the platform Of the
Republican party, and the. pride of State
rights, and our hatred Of slavery, and of
the Dred Scott Decision, are to be relied
on to educate the people Of Ohio for this
work. If the Republican party should
remain in power, there will be no difficult
! ty in finding judges who will precipitate
this issue upon us. 1t would be upon us
at this moment in the shape of civil war
between the Federal and State authorities,
but for the frmness and wisdom Of the
judge, who is publicly pronounced unwor-
thy of the. Republican party. A Probate
Judge of one of our northern counties,
1 following thesene lights of modern Re:
fpublicanism, may force the. State author
lily into collision with the General Gov.
eminent tomorrow, for the opinion of the
Probate Judge, is. SO far as the, State
authorities are concerned, the Constitu,
ton. If we rightly understand this ques-
ton, it is one on which there can be no
compromise, and we regret that the peo-
pie of Ohio are thus compelled to meet it
at the polls. vo;ss,7 =. 5a. ,,s..,t,
4 Itis not personal question. 1t is n OF
a local question !, Were it SO, we might
consent to overlook the fragrant Injustice
done to a fearless, aud upright judge, and
find our apology for SO doing, in the exf
gences and necessities of party struggle
and caprice. Franklin county might be
u dissatisfied, while thelState at large would
feel but little interest in snch an ISSUE
The true question presented for the rdeci
sion ofthe people is whether the law and
the Constitution shall be overthrown, by
tdecapitating, one after another, every
judge who dares to sustain them five
are 10 have notification, let it be the bolt
and manly resolve of the people of Ohio
by their delegates in convention, legally
4 chosen, but let, us not delegate such
: power to judges elected even by the peo
pie of Cuyahoga county.