Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-29
suureme Court Room.--supreme Court.

in the massive Capitol. II Is aptly described
by the Tribune as ''a queer room Of small di-
mensions, shaped over head like quarter Sec
ton of q pumpkin shell, the upper and broader
rim crowning three windows, and the lower
and narrower coming down garTet-like to the
floor; the windows being of ground glass, and
the light trickling through them into the apart
ment" The nine Judges sit in long pew just
in front of these windows, in straight line, clad
in black silk gowns, looking "for all the world
like row of worn-Out nurses, sitting in an In
tsIIigence Office, waiting to be hired"
The Supreme Court has become the last
great bulwark to Slavery, and we append the
Trbune's instructive historical chapter showing
how it has been made such: - .-.l
At its organization in 1888, the Court con-
sisted of six Judges. Three were selected from
the North and three from the South. For ten
years, this proportion was retained. In 1899,
Chief Justice Ellsworth was sent as Minister to
France. When he left, the North had two, and
the South three of the Judges. The tribunal
was without Chief, till January. 1901, when
Marshall was placed at its head, thus giving
four of the six Judges to the South. Though
the number was afterward increased to seven,
and many changes of membership occurred,
Southern supremacy on the bench was not
shaken till $780, when Mclean Of Ohio, hav-
ing the year before been substituted for Trim
bic of Kentucky, and now Baldwin of Pa, tax
ing the seat vacated on the death of Washing
ton, of Va, the North had four Of the seven.
jackson in the Bank war, and Calhoun in the
notification contest, encountered the opposition
of this tribunal, They resolved to make it
more subservient to Executive dictation and the
DEGREES of the slavery propaganda. In 1886,
Marshall, after presiding for six7and thirty
years, died. And now the first strictly politi-
cal appointment to the bench was made
In 1888, Duane, Secretary Of the Treasury,
refused to remove the Federal deposits from the
United States Bank. TheIeupon jackson re-
moved him from ofice and appointed Roger B.
Taney in his place, iu the recess of the Senate
Taney promptly did the Job. The Senate re-
fused to confirm his nomination, and he went
back to private life Two years aiterward,
Marshall died. Jackson, willing to reward
fancy for dong an odious political deed, be-
slowed upon him the ermine that fell from the
shoulders of Marshall Benjamin F. Butler was
then Attorney By the rules of the pro-
fession he should have received this appoint
ment. He had ample learning, experience, indus
bt1 anu AOt Tile pihce Dut IL " as gwen
as compensation to a politician who had not
scrupled to perform high-handed act at the die
tation of the Executive. From that hour the
Court lost caste with the country. Calhoun fix
ed his eagle eye upon it and resolved to make it
the subservieut hack of the negro propaganda.
To this end, it was necessary to restore South
ern supremacy on the Bench. Two new seats
were created under jackson. Van Buren, filled
them with CatrOn and Mckinley, both extreme
slavehoiders-the former a respectable jurist,
the latter groveling partizan. And now the
Court consisted of five slaveholders and four
non-slaveholders, with the unscrupulous Ia
ney at its head. And thus it remains to this
day. f,-a ai f-4
Of the five Chief-Justices of this Court, two
were from the North, and presided in the aggre-
gate z years; while the South has furnished
8, who have presided 60 years. OF the 81 As
sociated Justices, IS came from the North, and
Is from the South; the aggregate period of the
former being l9l years, and of the latter 244
years. During the first 10 years of existence
of the Court, the Judges were selected equally
from the North and the South Throughout
the subsequent so years, the South has had
majority on the bench, excepting about years
It has controlled the Court for the last % years
Do not forget that all this time the population
the South, and that for quarter of century
past this preponderance has been great and con.
stantly increasing
The Attorney General is an important auxil.
liary of the Supreme Court; its public and pri-
vate adviser. He is the law-oficer of the Adj
ministration and of Congress The Slave
Power has kept its eye on this important office
During the seventy years of our constitutional
existence, z 7Attorney. Generals have been taken
from the North, whose aggregate terms of Of
fee amount to % years; while the South has
furnished l6, who have held the post 40 years
Does anybody believe that this persistent pos
session of these two branches of the Govern
ment by the Slave-Power, is the result of mere
accident
This tribunal has important functions to per-
form not only in banc0, but at the Circuits -
These are most uneqHally, most scandalousIy
arranged The Free States are divided into
four Circuits, and the Slave into five; the Judges
of the two sections sitting in the Circuits differs
essentially from that of our State Courts. 1t
is chiefly of two kinds-suits on patents for in
ventions, and civil and criminal cases arising
out of maritime business and the revenue laws
1t is notorious that nearly all patents are issued
to the manufacturing States of the North
Hence, there is the seat of this kind of htiga-
'honor among thieves.", Each Of the first two
Circuits, i. e. New England and New York, af-
ford more such suits yearly than all the five
Southern Circuits. The great oulk of business
spIings directly and indirectly from the CON-
mercial marine. The amount of this marine
in the several Circuits is much surer test of
their juridicial business, than population. The
registered and licensed shipping shows the ex-
tent of this marine Let Us apply the test
In the four Circuits Of the Free States, this
shipping measured, in the last year, 4, 4,079, ,574
tuns. In the five Circuits of the Slave States,
it measured Sal ,53S tuns, or scarcely more than
one-ffth as much. The admiralty aud revenue
business of the Circuits is about in this proper
tion. In the first Circuit, composed OF Maine, |
New-Hampshire, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
the tunnage is 1870, I47-or nearly double |
that Of all the South In the second Circuit,
composed of Vermont, Connecticut and New
York, it is ], 7S9, ,257 tuns--or more than double
that of the five slsveholding Circuits The |
Circuit in which New Orleans and Mobile are |
situated, has osly 240,245 tuns; and that which |
boasts of Charleston and Savannah, but 1884, |
III tuns. We doubt not that more admiralty |
and revenues case are heard in either one of the
first two Circuits than in all the South.
We might extend these statistics indefinitely. |
We forbear. Those adduced show that this |
Court, as now arranged, is scandalously section
al, grossly partial, mockery of the Constitu- |
ton, sef of the slave power, and a disgrace |
to the country. A truly national Administra-
ton will not fail so to reform it as to regain for
it the confidence Ofthe people by adapting it to |
the ends for which it was created.
A Pixies Peak Trim,
The boats bound up the Missouri have now
a-days to stow away passengers in every avail
a HE snof of their cabins deck hprr;ca na ,oof /