The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-07-20
s A. SPEAR, Proprietor.l
Usurpations Of the Federal Judiciary

Sntdtioes, May 30, 1850.
\ We present below extracts froI
, this able speech, embodying /
! leading points. Its great leng,
) precludes our printing it entiro:--
CONTRAST BETWEEN FREE STATES AN
SLAVE STATES.
> Respect, Mr.. Chairman, for a
constitutional obligations, and fo
4 the laws passed in pursuance of tn
Constitution, as well as for all au
! lucrative judicial decisions, ma
: with propriety be said to be u lead
Ing trait ine the character OF tn
American people Especially i
this respect habitual with the gre u
body OF the people OF the free states
The system Of government adopt
Z ed by them, in my judgment, is th,
best system known to man. Ii il
the best, because 1t rests upon labor
and is created and controlled by the
free and untrammeled will OF the
laborer. It is the best, because ex.
perience has demonstrated that it ID
the only foundation upon which
states and governments can safely
and securely rest. In such a gov
ernment, the laborers must not only
be free, but they must be citizens;
having rights which the government
and all classes OF citiz ms are bound
to respect and defend-the poorest
and humblest inhabitant being equal
before the law, with the richest and
most powerful, sharing in its bur.
dens, enjoying its protection. and
feeling individually responsible for
its good or bad management. '"'s
In fifteen states OF the American
Union, practically, the reverse of
all this is true. The exceptions are
only in few of the border counties
of slave states, adjoining the free
states, and in three or four cities
whose commercial intercourse is ex-
tensive in the North. In all these
fifteen slave states, a class Is dom
inant which fills all the offices, and
controls the Legislative, Executive.
and Judicial departments of the gov
ernment. They do not pretend to
be loyal to the National Constitution,
or obedient to the lava passed in
pursuance thereof, bnt claim that
their first and highest allegiance ia
due to their several state govern.
ments and their Institution OF human
slavery. They are nothing for the
Union, except so far "a it subscrves
their pnrposcs Of building up and
extending their peculiar institution,
and perpc!uating their own political
power. They trample upon all
treaties, compact@, ana compromises.
If lhcy stand IN their way to univer.
sal dominion on this continent, AMI
neither respect nor obey any law or
judicial decision tn : does not sns-
tain their imperious demands tor
special legislation AMI protection,
now AND WHY FEDERAL JCpGE3 AEL
APPOINTED AND CONFIRMED
| propose, Mr.. Chairman, to show
the Honsc and the country how on9
department of the government has
been taken possession OF by this pri
vileged class-l mean the Supreme
Judiciary. propose to show that,
while they have been preaching con,
ccssion and compromises to us. they
have for years been secretly and
cautiously at work to Obtain com.
pIete control OF this important, as
well as most dangerous, department
Of the federal government. expect
to show that none whose nomina-
tions have been submitted to the
Senate for confirmation as Judges OF
this Court were rejected for want OF
learning, character, or ability, as
Lawyers, bnt solely because Of their
known or supposed unsoundness on
the question of slavery; oil known
to entertain liberal views on that
question being rejected, and parti-
sans destitute of their eminence OF
fitness confirmed in their stead, be-
cause OF their known or supposed
reliability in sustaining the claim.
of the slave power in their judicia
decisions.
Sir, unless a man has carefully
examined this subject, he csnno
conceive, and even after an exam
Iination will be reluctant to come tC
the conclusions which | confess
have, TO wit; that this Supreme Cour
is, as Jefferson declared it to be ~
subtle corps OF sappers and miners
constantly working under ground t.
undermine the foundation of ou
; confederated fabric" They are con
straining. our Constitution" he add
!, ed, "irom a coordination OF gen
eral and special government to
general and supreme one alone. y
| feel confident, that Of these usurpG
/ tions oi this Court be not speedil
Z checked, the rights Of the states an
the liberties of the people will
l. endangered; and the danger is tn
;. more imminent, from the fact that
y class interest have secured the absC
lutte control of this Court; and havin
secured it, now demand that tt
70 party which they also control sha
y proclaim through their President
/, and party Conventions, and par
u u press, the doctrine that the politics
: decisions OF majority of these mir
men are infallible and binding upc
o the party, without the benefit of {
= appeal to the people. The extrao
dinary spectacle is presented to Il
- world, OF a once great party, whi'
20. cherished and defended the righ