Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-10
OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

We are still in the midst of revolution.
The wager of battle has been determined
and the weaker have yielded to the stronger
party in the terms upon which it was de-
clared the war was being waged, but the
work of revolution has not stopped. The
dominant party in Congress, and their co-ad-
TUTORS in the legislative bodies of the States,
have avowed their purpose to revolutionize
the form of Government established by the
! fathers, and to which the American people
| have been educated and are attached If
their efforts succeed il will be the end of free
institutions with us, and the beginning of
centralized despotism or a state of anarchy,
of which we can have but faint conception
at present
We would fain believe that this is not the
work Of the people, but of usurpers and
that with little more time for the subsi-
dence Of passion and the return of the sober
second thought they will dethrone these
enemies to free institutions and reassert the
cardinal doctrines upon which American
liberty was established and as embodied in
their organic law. Others, we know, are
less hopeful and see no relief from the
manacles that are daily being forged to en-
slave them. To such we desire to suggest
that this is but the work of the legislative
branch of the Government. The people of
the North have not yet been clearly tested
upon the questions as nor presented. We
nave much reason to hope that, notwith-
standing the sad degeneracy of public
morals, they viii not be so blinded to their
own interests as TO uphold the usurpations
of tyranny and consent to policy which,
in the end, must ruin them as well as the
unfortunate people of the South.
But we have even a stronger hope than
this. In this, as in the mother country, the
Judiciary was designed, and has generally
proven, the bulwark cf our liberties. The |
history Of all free governments have demon
.trated that in times of great commotion |
nothing was more dangerous than the ex-
cesses of maiorities, and that their only pro- |
lection against their own follies was in a |
well organized Judiciary; which, freed from
the influences of the political arena and edu-
Gated to a sense of the dignity and response
bility of their high Office, would guard the
great cardinal rights upon which society is
organized and political institutions are based.
We still have this last resort-both in the
States and in the Federal Government-upon
which we may build hope for the prcserva-
lion of liberty. We cannot but believe that
the American people will vet yield respect
10 this great umpire; and notwithstanding
he changes it has undergone and the efforts
hat have been made to corrupt it, we have
faith that the Judiciary of the country will
prove, what it was intended TO be. a barrier
against the CncroaChments of faction and
he excuses Of majoritios Legislationmav
be unwise and deleterious to the public good
put 1t is never dangerous SO long as it is
within the limits of the Constitution. When
{ goes beyond this it is the province of the
supreme judiciary to determine. If true
@ their Office, then, the most obnoxious le-
yislation Of the country, State and Federal,
will fail of its object. Let Us not yield to
he false notion that legislative bodies are
and that all their unconstitu-
ional proceedings will be held as the law.
our distrust of individuals NAV
'e, the Judiciary Of the country has not vet
proven itself faithlcss to the high trust
,ummittCl 10 its charpe and vva FIRMLY 10
ieve will not, so long as the people them
elves deserve the name and privileges Of !
reemen I