The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-26
How the tsAwfuI Majesty Of the Law"
ia Preserved.

triot Attorney, over which we cannOI OUT 1891
pha keenest shame and regret, and in our
feelings we are sure we will be Joined by
every right-minded citizen. The occasion was
the return to the Court of a writ of habeas
corpus issued against Commodore Selfridge,
and upon which he had refused to produce the
body of an enlisted man. The return was in
no wise disrespectful, but was couched in Ian
euage firm and courteous, in which the Com
modore doubted the jurisdiction of the local
court over officers and enlisted men of the
United States. The question was one Of juris-
diction. 1t was a legal question, and one on
which there is not only two sides, but the
side holding that the Court has no jurisdic-
ton has decidedly the most appearance of
legal truth. In nearly all the States of the
Union the exclusive cognizance of all
such cases is vested in the United
States Courts, and we cannot recall
another State in which such authority
is not recognized. Under such circumstances,
we would naturally expect the law officer
of the people to treat the case in that quiet,
argumentative, dignifed manner which the
doubtful nature of the probable decision rem
dered proper. On the contrary, however, we
find Mr.. William B. Mann delivering a speech
in the case of Commodore Selfridge and
Captain Brown which would have disgraced
the smallest pot-house politicians address to
q bar-room assembly. In beginning his
address, he uttered all the trite and empty
platitudes which have become sterreotyped in
a hmn0aOnha craaob Ha fallyoH nf fhara
"being no bayonet sharp enough" or
no walls strong enough, to successfully
resist the execution of the law in
Pennsylvania. Then, getting warmed up
with his subject, he proceeds to call Captain
Brown ga whelp' and the Secretary of the
Navy "highwayman, rufian, tyrant, and
blaekguard." We have no personal feeling
further of the merits of the case than to say
that both Commodore Selfridge and Cap
tain Brown are educated and honorable
men, and that the Secretary of the Navy is an
official of the United States Government. But
the propriety of such demonstrations does not
depend on the character of the persons against
whom they are directed. We know of no
cency or honor, on whom a high law officer
could with propriety heap such epithets as
did the District Attorney. Self-respect, respect
iOr the Court in which he spoke and the
people whose cause he pleaded, should have
restrained Mr.. Mann from thus descending into
the field of billingsgate. 1t surely could not
harm any one, and must only rebound on the
utterer of such low denunoiations.
The great need "a need which we feel more
and more, day by day. of our public men, is
the possession of that dignity and courtesy
which should be attendant on Office. The
holders of the places of trust and honor in
our land do not realize what is due to their
official POSITIONS and degrade their Offices
and themselves by such language as that OF
the District Attorney. How can we expect to
see the tone Of the Bar elevated when its high
est officer thus rants and RACES like a common
drsyman, and that too in the very face of the
Court The evil influence of such an example
on the younger members of the profession
cannot be calculated, and the first effect is
found in the case of Mr.. Hirst, Jr., yesterday,
who, following in the wake of his superior,
called the Commodore ga blackguard and a
ruhian." But with such a precedent, why
should we blame the imitator2
1t would seem as though both these lawyers
deemed that loud voice and violent adiec-
tVes give force to an address, and supply the
place of reason and deliberate logic. There
can be no greater error. The ears of the yuI-
gar may be pleased with such denunciations,
but the judgment of those whose Judgment
alone is valuable win condemn the style and
the matter of the address, and easily see
through the invective, and decide on the
1a.I @Sr,ss OF the plea stripped of all epithets.
WAN all the good the District Attorney has
oOne, Sno there is much in him which we most
hear'uy commend, yet the utterance of one
suoh speecn as that ON Tuesday canoeIs a
months faithful service in the o,,oo of tI.u.
who desire dignity we'll as ability ~ ',tI'
servant.
In opposition to the violence of thai.
Ger, we have to commend the quiet wo,aO onl, :,
Judge Pierce and the gentlemanly remarlrs ~ ~
United States District Attorney Valentine,
The Judge displayed proper appreciation
of the great question of jurisdiction involved
and decided to hear the argument before
full bench on Saturday. Until then he re
fuses the attachments asked for. This is tn,
proper plan. It seems to us against reason
that the officers of the United States should