East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-12-07

all public officers. For our perpetui-
ty and stability as free States depend
much more ON the spirit of obedience
to law among the leading and infuen-
tial classes, than on jails, forts and
armies. And how is it, that "the
British Constitution and the English
nation havo outlived its feudalism, its
dcspotism and its barbarism, Of
thousand years, and now promises a
thousand years more of constitutional
freedom?" 1t is chiefly owing to the
spirit of obedience to law, manifested
in its courts, and by its ruling and in
fluential classes.
And that man is very imperfect
student of history and of human ma
ture, who has failed to learn this i'm
portant lesson, namely: That no
state of mind can be moro pregnant
with evil than that, which can know
inglv violate or alndn tho Cnn stifntiap
and, at the Same time, seek to excuse
or justify it by artifcos, by ingenious
theories, by cunning speculations, by
specious arguments, derived from no
tions Of mere policy. Wherever this
state of mind exists, and has sway, it
will never DO wanting in objects of
paramount importance, in extremely
exigent occasions, such as seem to it
to be strongly characterized by that
kind of necessity, which now calls for
the exercise of doubtful powers and
now knows no law whatever. In this
way, one part after another of the
Constitution is set at naught, till ut
length it is striped of its force, and is
either overthrown, or treated as in
operative and void /: Just as the Su-
preme Court Of New York, by Judge
Bronson in Oakley rs, Aspinwall, 3
CONS. 547. 56S. says: eff the Leg
islature or the courts may take that
IL svS5vss VI anivHuings Ntne UohsfifI-
tion) or if, under color Of construc-
ton, orupon any other speciousground,
they may depart from that which is
plainly declared, the. people may well
despair of ever being able to set u
boundary to the powers of the gov
ernmont. Written Constitutions will
be worse than useless"
The Judge continues: Believing,
as / do, that the success Of free insti-
tutions depends on rigid adherence
TO the fundamental law, / have never
yielded to considerations of expedien-
cy in expounding it. There is always
some plausible reason for the latitu-
dinarain constructions which are re-
sorted to for the purpose of acquiring
evil to be avoided, or
some good to be attained, by pushing
the powers of the government beyond
their legitimate boundary. 1t is by
yielding to such influences that Con-
stitutions are gradually undermpipSed ed.
.slxu nnuIiy UNsfunruwn. My rule mas
over been to follow the fundamental
law, as it is written, regardless of con-
sequences. If the law deos not work
well, the people can amend it; and in
can be borne long enough
to await that process. But if the
or the courts undertake to
cure defects by forced and unnatural
constructions, they infict a wound
upon tho Constitution which nothing
can heal. One step taken by the Leg
islature or the Judiciary in enlarging
the powers of the government, opens
the door for another, which will be
sure to follow; and SO the process
goes OH, until all respect for the fun
damental law is lost, and the porers Of
the government are Just ,ehat those IN aa-
thority please TO call them"