The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-23

wendell Phillips on the SUPREME
COurt-Justice and National Exist
ence Of more Consequence than
Forms of Government and Vener'
able Institutions. s.-.
From the Anti slavery Standard, January 10.
The decisions Of the Supreme Court
sbow ms that we must henceforth count
two Of the three great cOcqual powers OF
the Government against us. Henceforth
Congress fights alone for the nation against
the Supreme Court aud the President,
leagued in the service OF rebeldom. vi
course, therefore, the contest grows Keenei
and more equal, and the South taxes
courage. The North is not discouraged
because she knows her omnipotence, knomS
that she can crush all the mere forms o.
Government when 1t is necessary so to DC
IN order to secure its great purpose-Jus.
tic. and the preservation of national ex.
is,ence. This the people mean to do, ana
,slu do, unless banked by timid, selfish
incompetent and corrupt leaders.
The action OF the Supreme Court--its
d;sloyalty-will not surprise Aboltionists
we have tested that bench for thirty years.
Ever since Taney-the mere creature OF a
self willed President--took his seat there,
Il has &C ased to be an independent branch
! of the Government, aud become the con-
yenieDt aud supple tool of the Executive.
Abolitionists well know that during the
whole course Of its existence it has never
souared it's decisions on the slave question
either with justice, the spirit Of the Con-
r,jtutiou, or even its letter when that
favored liberty, While its course on many
hoS hao 70 oh
ton. its record on the negro question Is in
famous. We use the word deliberately.
The use Of it in this connection twenty
Ave years ag2 won us the nnmitigated
abuse of the whole American press. We
have maturely considered their protest,
and remaining of the same opinion still,
deliberately repeat the statement. With
out limiting the remark to the slave ques-
tion, we affirm that on several important
subjects no instinct of freedom has eUer Ted
th,I o"urt to deuiate by accident or for a
uome.,d into any decision becoming the AHe-
yican pcops, their history, Constitution, or
Declaration Of Independence. An effort
would have been made early in the war
To remodel the court, but for very gene
raj distrust oil Mr.. Lincoln's policy in fill.
ing vacancies there. Thaddeus Stevens,
when appealed to In 1862 to neutralize the
poison OF that bench. by adding two or
three Trustworthy judges, replied: add
Judges for Abraham TO nominate had
rather risk the court as II Is" Events have
conarmed bis sagacity, two Of Lincolns
pcminees having joined tho enemy.
II present appearances may be trusted,
that court, like the President, is hence
fhts 70 stand an iusurmountabie obstacle,
~ At present constituted, to any eificient
and safe reconstruction. Thanks 20 the
bred Scott and other decisions, the bench
has long ego lost the sympathy and respect
OF tbs masses. General Jackson conld not
lft Tsney 10 the besch; ID could drag the
bench down TO fancy. There are meu
whnm ii is impossible to make respectable,
ssaes they have no element 10 wip respect.
The,.e 10 no human institution SO, yeners-
HE that the touch OF vile men will not de-
die and GsgIsde u, Ten yssEs g? the
6asl ssu's o. igss . s''ssa'' q 9''s'