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

Now, Sir, both Of these antagonis
/: ical opinions cannot be correct. If
judge gives two directly opposite opir
ions on exactly the same set CT fact
and under the same law, both cannc
bo good. In one or the other, h
must be either mistaken or dishonest
If witness testifies TO one set of facts
at one hearing Of a case, and then :
a directly opposite set Of facts, at an
other hearing of the very same case
both of his statements, of course, can
not be true and not only so, you vii
of necessity be led to query whethe
he, at bottom, has any truth in him a
all whether he really has either NOR
al or mental integrity in his head o
heart
But, Mr.. Chairman, let me her
make this inquiry: Are we to infe
from these SURPRISING disclosures tina
integrity as this would indicate, leav
ing moral integrity out Of the ques
ton; that he is not true to his convic
tions; that his mind is not true to it
self; that it is so made up, as not t.
be able to clearly see and duly appre
ciate the force Of fundamental princi
pies, or adhere to them against temp.
tations from without, or the striving.
of personal ambition from within?
Or are we to infer that Mr.. Blail
has two opinions as to the constitu.
tionality of this measure, one being
his opinion as lawyer, and the other
his opinion as politician, schemine
for future promotion, and that he now
advances one and now the other, as
shall best serve his purpose?
We daily recognize the fact that q
man may and should change his mind,
when there is good reason for it.
We recognize the fact, too, that he
may differ from himself at different
t:.-.SS. w. .sl5v, tirO UtIIcr Hunu,
recognize the fact that principles do
not change and that this provision of
the Constitution is now just what it
was when Mr.. Blair pronounced it to
be decisive against measure like the
one under consideration. We also
recognize the further fact, that men
sometimes have strong motires for
changing their opinions, when they
have no good reason for it; and in
such cases they may assign for reasons
what have the form thereof, but not
the power. How good Mr.. Blair's
reasons are for his new opinion, we
have seen a little already, and shall
see more fully little further on. In
the meantime, Mr.. Chairman, / must
confess that l am reminded here Of
the habits Of a certain money and
stock broker, native Of France, and
o person Of note in his way, who re-
sided in Boston. You go into his Of
flee and say to him: "Mr.-.hp bow
you wish to buy, or do you wish to
SELF" You answer: Buy" He
continues: "Well, the Board closed
to-day at 800, with an evident tenden-
cy upmnd will sell at 800, ,50."-
But if you say to him: Il wish to
sell" then, he would answer: "Well,
the Board closed to-day at 800, with
an evident tendency douArnd. will
give you $500" But let me again
inquire of any who may know, if it
be indeed true that Mr.. Blair, whom
the most Of us have hitherto believed
to be q man of fair intentions, has at
length become SO far perfected in tho
arts of the modern politician as to be
capable of saying to any whom it
may concerns "If you must and
will know the true intent and mean
ing of the Constitution, relative to
this measure, L tell you as a larger,
that the Legislature cannot authorize
citizen TO vote in any place, except
in the township or ward where he re-
Sides" but if you are disposed to ac-
commodate, or sell yourself to our
side, that is, to my party, cithn the
party, then tell you as politician,
believing that "the end justifies the
MEANS" and as ono Joued to ,cia, Con-
st,tution or no Constitution, that the legal
validity of this measure "need not
be doubted" Is this the ultimate
object Of his recommendation of this
measure? If yea, then he and his
adherents might well pray, in the Ian
guage of Burns:
30 wad some Pow'r the giftic gle us
To oursols others us
1t wad frae monte "a bundcr free us,
An foolish notion"
Sir, we should Toe led to smile at
this extremely unsightly spectacle were
there not kind of moral melancholy
intormingled which turns ridicule into
mourning. But still the position re-
mains in full integrity and force, that
the exposition i have offered agrees
with, and is supported by the views of
the members of the legal profession,
who lived in the State at the time the
Constitution was adopted, and also of
those who came here or entered the
profession soon thereafter, which views
have universally prevailed until a
clique hit upon this measure to pre-
serve party supremacy and especially
personal supremacy ~ the party.
6. Another consideration showing
the inoxpediency of passing this meas
ure is to be found in tho tendency it
would have to uncentre and demor-
alize the public mind.
l. In relation TO constitutional h,c:--
For the Constitution, as we have seen,
prescribcs the boundaries of legisla-
tive and judicial authority, in short,
the organization, the powers, and du-