The mountain Democrat., 1864-08-13
The Rights Of Freemen.
TAnnr CRY Inly aIst. 1884.

TAHoE CITT, July 3lSt, 1869.
EDIroRa DEMOCRAT In an actiun for fraud
recently brought before the R0lce Court Judge
in San Francisco, the defendant beng charged
in the complaint with having paid the plaintiff
An account in greenbAcka, the agreement bav-
ing been that it should be paid IN coin, some
strange opininns were drawn from his Judge
ships store nf legal acnmen. The Judge took
occasion t0 remark, during the prugiesS Of the
cuse, that However IL might be in u legal
point. there was M doubt but the man acting
thus was as guilty If frand us the criminal pa.
cling hrs cell ut San Quenti :" The Counsel
for the defendant here remarked that ut was
a question whether the Government had not
committed The fraud in issuing the green
backs" WhereupOn our Judge became irete
aud replied: Never let me hear another re-
mark If that kind made in this Court. II n
| ever occuFs again, | will commit the offender
below for contempt, and perhaps for ntterinR
trrasnnabe language. 1t is neither yonr nor
my place to question the acts "f the Govern
ment and it will not be tolerated in this Court. y
| Il il added that the counsel "dred mp"
! The SacramentO Union, with characteristic
serviity snd.want0n perversitv, endorses the
petty tyranny Of The petty magistrate, and l.
| please d iO style il a deserved rebuke." .
If the remarks above quoted US emanating
| from Judge Shepheard be correctly reported.
/ he is either dS9rAcefnly ignorant. or criminal
" corrupt: and in either case u reproach tn
the Judicial Ermine II he be sn ignorant. he
is unit for the position he occupies II he be
tainted with partisan prejudice and fanatical
zeal, the claims nf Justice must suffer IN his
! jurisdiction, and his rulings and decisions turn
ail legal prnceSs into disgusting farce.
| If il is not the place If the citizrn 10 call in
! question the acts Of the Government. pray,
whose is il! Is not nnfs Government of the
people? Are we not representative Dem"c.
racy? Are not our Legislators WIN frame, and
our magistrates who interpret and administer
the laws, the servants Of the people! Are not
all the puwers lawfully exercised by them, del
egated BY the reople: Ii so, then ure we still
what we are wont To boast ourselves a free
people; and it is not only the privilege but the
/ duty of every citizen II closely watch and crit.
/ icse the acts of their representatives., and hold
them t0 II strict accountability for any ami ev-
trv violation of the obligation that holds them
within the limit If the written law.
Onr laws contemplate no distinction If per.
son or place. All are alike amenable To them
from the Chief Magistrate ~ the hnmblest ci;l
zen IN the humblest walk Of life. Not even the
Government as our sage Judge is pleased
10 style the Administrator, is exempt iron
their common application.
If {" il is neither yonr NOR nv place to queS
tinn the acts Of the Government" then are we
M longer free, und our government is an ire
/ eptuSlOlc pbN NcIs uIu iSNlbtlS as tudt VI lilt
Car ni Russia.
We consider the police court lwver who i,
said tn have dried up" under " the rpbuke'
nf his Peitness, our laval Judge. the object -
| the exercise uf petty iVranmv. which sh"uit
not only be condemned by the people. but re
move the author from the pace he dlShnnori
into one mnre betting his nature aud capL.l
~.
We are not surprised at the Sacrament,
TTpinr'l nI,,r ,ia Vt linz Ih.t la,
intolerance and oppression un the part OF ia,
authorities. 1t is the tool the mere puppet, -
Federal power, and it requires but hIStle o
beck from ITS mas'rr and il gives the KEY .u"t
10 the whole Abolition pack on This coast -
Like the INSCRIPTIONS magistrate whose tlran
| nv and SubServeucr 1t 81 freely endorses, il i
body and soul and influence in the interest {,
Abolition the tacIinn who are prey ing upon tn
vitals Of the Government. Its hatred nf Dem
"cratS-mnre especially uf those If Sunrh-rI
birth Causes il to d,sturi the facts N ever
thing relating Ia them. warp every npiiceab
Incident that "ccnrS Ia social life, that can b.
made prcjndiclal Ia them. II. IN ii street row
Il man happens t. get Knocked down, it Is
Z" Secession outrage II somebody gets RIB
bed, Of course. II Copper head" or Stcc>siun
i>t" perpetraied the deed. On The other hand
it Democrat gets beaten bv a gang Of At"ii
,ionlSis tCni"n men = f." using ioerd"m a."
speech. the act is blaznned as " A Copp,rhea'
done fur, nr "A traitor punished" Ii nj
AbolitinniSt steals horse from Dempcrai III,
the operation is STYLED " 4 tiick un Il tIait"r.
50 il g'eS, ad nhnitnm.
We are not surprised at nnvthing absurd
prep"sterons, false nr Contemplate IN the col
umnS vt such IL paper, but We ate a>tuul>hef
that. notwithstanding its character, il sh"ulc
have 50 large circulation aud 50 much inh
ence as it has. W II. II.