The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1869-01-22

FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. %.
The BQuD QUESTION.
The CenAfss ~ Law IN Iewa.
Thu chicsko Pix Of recent date hes a.a.
,;cl. under Abe above heeding, from wnicn
~ make this exxact;
i, !. ,ot "a i. denied that the payment Of these
h,,a. = resssasd ~ many persons In Iowa, ~
I.rre number OF e1esalent citIssns, = n"l on.y .
hardship but IN injustice. Thy aser taas tDey
vere procured, in some instances aseny fste,nes
only without authority Of law, but through mis-
renrc,entatior aud frssd. They have constantly
and NO doubt 1 onseisntiously, opposed the PAy..
m.nt Tho very feet ,that the Supreme Court o.
fbe state basin ssyesAl instances decided that the
bonds were Illegally t,sued, 10 enough OF itfen 20
show that those who have opposed tue PAY menl
h.ye not bees altogether unreasonable ana vn-
patfiotic But tho point - 1gnt mere nsns.
ihsn the supseme Court Of lows has decided N
favor Of tho bond In . word, they are nsc.eo
ky the suthosity and power Of the United e.ates
Of America The court Of last resort mas pesn
reached, and its decisions cannot be oveffuieo y
inferior courts. We understand, IN TACT, t ~
those stll holding ont against ths Payneet OF .ne
hond,. heye not sAs hsss ides q ssskt ng the
S S.u;.;.n ;n.t made. Their idsa Il to 6ght the
matter alopr In the courts, and thus somehow s..
! rsversal q the rulings q The ssRrsns Govt 9!
De UnoA 6tstss. This oovf ~ - !neI
1ids e shs 49, 80, . - ~ q III 40
court Of the land, arc beyond reversal except oy
means OF . successful revolution against the FED
eral Government--a thing that Il not really
thought Of. ~ 10 thsse stsss, therefore, submits
sion would appear to be not only policy, but the
absolute duty Of all the good citizens Of lows.
And 70 beg i. sssuse thso that those whs teash
othetx3,4 re mos tksif lksnds, but fhsir praAH-
cal enemies. A decision of the Supreme Court
81 the United States IL not reversable. A case
like IL may DO decided another way, but that
makes no particle Of difference with the other,
foreottsn BY those who have brought shons the
conflict between the Federal courts and the courts
81 Iows. go
Outside parties, especially the Chicago
pspen, ss prsdigal Of advice and counsel y
the citizens Of the counties in this State In
tasssted in ths 1sAroad bonds There y .
general Misrepresentation entertained By
people abroad with referencsto this vhoas
1nstler. IA gentleman who came from Chica-
10 the other day, tells us that the decision Of
Judge Drummond, and the attitude Of the
people OF Lee county, were the principal
TOPICS Of conversation on the cars. And one
veteran Illinois soldier said that there was
perfect army Of soldiers in that Stats Who
had helped,put down rebellion in the South,
and warn ready to put it down in LescodntJ.
That's all bosh, yet it shows the general mis-
apprehension No have referred TO. II OR
people were in instruction against the just
power Of the Federal Government the ex-
pressed readiness Of those Illinois veterans.
would be highly laudable and patriotic. The
Union has cost TOO much to have any further
rebellion against its authority. But there
isn't any instruction, and isn't going TO be
any. If ANY hot-heads smonG NJ coussel
forcible resistance to the Federal Govern.
ment, set sthen doNn % the enemies of ouz
people and the allies of the bond-holdara.
For shsse hond-holders can desire nothing
better than for our people TO exhibit m in.
surrectonary spirit. In that event, they
know the Federal Government viii promptly
enforce the judgment of its courts with q
the resources at its command. And that II
such event, the Federsl Government voult
do this il certain. If there be no forcible re
sistance made or insurrectionarp spirit shown
by our Board, or our people, We are equal.
certain that the Federal Government vii
not interfere to enforce the decision
Of it's courts in this con
fict of Judicial authorities. SO, tha
were our people capable Of being dislo,a
and rebels-which they are nos-the yer
,impolicyof it on their part insures that .
thought Of forcibls residence win be enter
tanned by any sensible man in Lee county.
People abroad have evidently the opinio
that the citizens Of Lee county are COMM,
ting two great wrongs: That they are tryin
First, TO repudiAte . debt they justly owe
and in order TO do s..they are ready-Sec
ondly, to rebel sgainst the United Suite
Government. Now, neither Of these il th
fact. Our people claim that the debt is n
debt At all because the bonds having bee
issued illegally, sre void ab isitio, and wer
NOT made valid BY the subsequent crroneou
decision Of divided court misconstruine
Law Of the Stats. In that opinion our peopl
are backed unanimously BY the Suprem
Court Of Iowa. The Post, As: quoted above
and the article is It least very good temper
ed-says: "The Court Of last resort hs
been reached, and its decision cannot be ovel
ruled by inferior courts" That I" g highe
tban.ths Supreme Court of Iowa has decide
in favor of the 5onds.' And here the Po
blunders US greatly, Is our contemporary di
said: The Supreme Court of the Unite
States, by = divided bench on appeals fror
the judgment offhe State Court, reverse
it," Our contemporary being ! lawyer an
an ex Judge, should have kDosn, and Ii
Post should know the same thing-that in
case Of this kind no appeal lies from tn
State Court to the United States suprem
Court. In such case the State Suprem
Court is in no sense An inferior Court"
is, as wen as the Supreme Court OF th
United States, . Court Of .slast resort N
appeal lies from one to the other. The ouel
ton Of the validity of the bonds arises solel
under the Constitution and lsss Of Iowa. =
the bondholders we're all residents Of low
they wound have no power to bring suit o
the bonds in the United States Courts at all
they would have to restrict themselves to th
State Courts, and the Supreme Court Of tn
State having decided the bonds to be void
that decision would be final, and no effort I
collect them could be made. II is becaus
citizens of other States lhave become posse.
sors Of the bonds that the Federal Cour,
have concurrent jurisdiction as to these case,
But the fact Of that concurrent jurisdctlo
does not make the State Supreme Court g in
ferior" to the Federal Courts. Each is
Court Of ~ Lest resort and that tn