Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-16
AssauIs Upon the Supreme Court
0f the limited States. II

Washington Chronicle and Philadelphia
Press, is one of the most active, effective
and unscrupulous Republican politicians in
the United States. He has Just been elected
by the Republicans of Pennsylvania In
State Convention, one of the Senatorial
delegates to represent the Republicans of
Pennsylvania in the Republican National
Convention. He is a representative man
In that party. He enjoys its confidence
and is large recipient of its emoluments.
He has just made most vindictive assault
upon the Supreme Court of the United
States, one of the three cO-ordinate
branches of the Federal Government In a
letter to his Press, dated Washington,
March TO- he uses this language:
"We are to have political decree from
the Supreme Court against reconstruction
Long threatened, it is coming at last, and
the rebels are full of joy over what can only
be effective with a President ready to en-
force the doctrine that the rebel States ars
at peace. when they are now as much in
need of military government as in the first
month after Lees surrender. The decree Of
the Supreme Court possesses no more ualue in
view of this historical fact than the resolu-
tions of q to,cn meeting. propose to Offset
it with the New Hampshire election, which
possesses the, value of being "a higher
power even than the Supreme Court with
its political majority Of one or two ole
men,"
Having practically usurped the powers
conferred upon the President of the United
States, by the Constitution, the Radicals il
Congress now seek to hamper the Supremt
Court Of the United States, and to bring 4
into reproach with the people, if it shall il
its decisions touching matters of SO called
Reconstruction, fail to find therefor jus.
tification in the Constitution of the United
States. Openly is it proclaimed by the
Secretary of the Senate, that ''the decree
of the Supreme Court"-a body we have
been taughtto look up to with reverence
as so constituted, and so removed from
partisan Influences, that its DEGREES were
impartial and just-is now entitled to nc
more respect than meeting drummed up,
heller skelter, on the spur of the moment
in some town or village, and that the
resolutions, be they tame, infiammatory OF
silly, OF the latter, should challange from
US as respectful consideration, as the grave,
deliberate and patiently formed DEGREES OF
the former.
To what does this lead? Think. Strike
down all respect for the Supreme Court OF
the United States, and that body becomes
useless-of no manner of account. You
cannot decry it for one purpose, without
destroying its influence and usefulness in
all other cases. Convince the people that
the " DEGREES of this court in regard to
Reconstruction are of no more binding eff
feet " than the resolutions of town meet
ing" and the people, who are now loaded
down with exorbitant taxation, will insist
that any decreen that the Court may
make, to the effect that the exemption of
Government bonds from taxation is in the
nature Of a contract, and, as such, its rigid
observance is obligatory upon the people,
is of no more binding effect "thant the reso-
lutions of a town meeting to the contrary.
Fasten this conviction once firmly in the
minds of the masses of the people, and the
capitalists and bondholders who reap spe-
cial advantages through legislation will
have lively time of ir.
Hon. George III. PeadIeton's Nom-
hook inatiOn. B-..i9
Under date Washington, March II,
sAgate,n the very able special of the Lincin-
natl Gazette, in a letter discussing the New
Hampshire election and its probable inffu-
ence upon Impeachment, and the certainty
that it will make General GRANT the Re
rus-