American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-07-20
pEGHNERA@v OF COURTS
Jae Mcmphis Appeal, speaking d
the SurJatt trial. SAYS:


Tae Memphis Appeal, speaking OF
the SuTatt trial, says:
This case and others in still higher
courts, Of which we have heretofore
spoken, remind US OF the worst of
times and are pregnant with signs VI
the decadencc Of the Republic. Nil.
ton truly says that "in every com.
monweaith, when it decays, corrup.
ton makes two main steps, The
first Is. when men no longer care for
honesty and virtue in themselves but
only for the seeming of them, and
are content to live only by the out
ward c0nstraint Of law, turning "the
simplicity of real good into the craft
OF snemil 6 so by law"
The next declining" he says, lis
when law becomes TOO strait for the
SeculaG manners, and these too loose
for the ciHCtuge of the law. This
brings IN false and crooked interpret
atiou> 10 exc ont law Then Judges
come, bought by brides or persuaded
by the CONSTANTS OF party nccesSi-
ties, to viiiatn0uS and rascaly con
clusions, and afterwards with great
pains hunt and mouse around for
shows of reasons with which to Justify
to others their false and foregonc
conclusions, these being so much in
justice, pad for in one shape or an
other, at SO much page.
James II succeeded in procuring
the opinion Of the twelve judges of
England that he possessed the power
to dispense with the disqualifcations
and penalties imposed on PapiStS by
acts of Parliament, which he did by
removing several of the Judges and
appointing in their stead those who
were pledged to decide as he wished.
The decision was not more glariHg.y
erroneous than many given b" tn
courts, both Of the United and Con
tedcratc States during the war, and
by those Of the former since nor
more corrupt than some of those.
Certainly it was not more glariugly
erroneous than those which have
been made on the subject of contracts
whose consideration was Confederate |
money, aud those as TO acts OF the f.
State governments and proceedings /.
in the State courts after secession.
We will not stigmatize these as
corrupt: but they were rendered I'M |
der such influences as do not permit |
courts to come to safe judicial con-
illusions, and they therefore have no
value as such and are entitled to no
weight OF consider tiva - aatIyIity,
my more than a decision of a Federal
,onrt would be, declaring a COnfedc-
ate soldier or statesman guilty of
reason. In making such decisions,
he courts lay aside the erminc and
become the mere registrars of the
sdicts Of arbitrary power.
II is unfortunately too true, that,
he members of tho har are rapidly
oSing all confidence IN the couTtsg
md they say that there is no longer
my constitutional law in the country.
With rare exceptions, the courts no
onger possess the public confidence
IL that of the bar.
The above is true of many courts,
nut We are happy to say that the
Gliciary Of Mississippi, particularly I
he Hioh Court of Err rs and Appeals
mi tne Circuit ami County Courts
,fthis judicial district are exceptions,
md possess the entire confidence Of
he citizens, both white and black,
lnder their respective jurisdiction.
We are personally acquainted with
'ome Of them. and feel assured that,
90 tar from being thought bv brihes."