The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-26
ssacur Powerful Government.

ssaour Powerful Government. 4sa
Judge DaUxMoXD, OF Iowa, the son, II We,
are nes. mistaken, Of one Of those northern
Methodist preachers who have done so much
in reducing the country 20 ito, present, de-
plorahlea cSndisiono land who even on, yes,
terdayshsd a delegation of their number;
before the Reconstruction Committee OPP
posing the compromise offered by the Viz.
ginia committee), has achieved as much
reputation in his stateas sscund eonstitu-
ticnal ls~yer as 7USpxRwoop has in yir-
ginia. BE, no doubt takes his ideas of the
powers6of the Federal, Government from
"the old man" as UNDERWOOD gets his from
the loyaiists In this State who desire TO get
into ofscs. The twain villa do ell they can
to bring, the Federal Government INTO Is
disrepnta In the States which they re-
Bpectivelyl honor byotheir luminous judi
cial decisions. I" Whilst UNDERWOOD ,l',' is Is
overhauling the State courts in virginia,
Deusmosp is laying down the law to the
same class Of tribunals in Iowa. The one
will diagust every decent man in Iowa with ttlh'
his consolidation theories, as the other has
already made the District Court Of the,
United States . by-word and o reproach il
Virginia. These judicial quacks may not
do unmitigated evil by their course. They
may do something to open the eyes Of the
blinded Partisans of the Union who have.
sung praises to their idol whilst it was rob
bling them Of their dearest rights, and thus
aid In restoring the rule of party which
will administer the Federal Government
according to the Constitution. As to OS-s
pERwoop, the Senate Of theaaUn1ted7
States has now before it bin, re-
ported last Saturday from the Com !
mittee on the Judiciary, which provides
that section three Of the act Of Congress of
April 8, 1866, to protect all persons in the
United States in their civil rights, shall be 30
construed as to confer jurisdiction on United
States courts Of all criminal offences COM
mitted upon the person or property of per-
sons who are denied in the courts Of the
States where they reside any right declared
and secured by section one Of said act, but
not of cases wherein both parties are denied
such rights, or in civil cases. And perhaps
DRUMMoND may ere long attract the stten-
ton Of that august body in Washington
which now controls the legislative, execu-
tive, and judicial departments Of "the'
best Government. the world ever SAN b. -a
ThsIIowa case is this. In certain suits
brought by foreign creditors upon railroad.
bonds Issued by certain counties in that
State the Supreme Court Of Iowa decided
substantially that the county officials did not
have the right to fasten this debt upon the
people, and that nandamus could not be
issued to compel tax for the payment Of
the interest upon these bonds. Judge
DRuMMoND, however, by some means or
other, got the case into his court, and de-
cided the cases directly the other way, and
granted the writs of n,andan,us asked for,
although there is provision in the consti-
tuition OF Iowa which limits the per centum
of annual taxes, and although this limit
has already been reached in one of the
counties concerned in the suits. The gu
pervisors, holding that to levy the tax would
be to violate their oath of office, refused to
levy it. Whereupon Judge DRUMMoND
ordered them to be arrested. We quote
now from an Iowa paper-the Davenport
Democrat:
"On these questions will come the tug CT
judicial war between the Federal and State
courts Of Iowa and it will be seen whether
the judges Of our State Supreme Court will
manifest enough stiffness in their spinal CO
lumns TO protect the supervisors of l. ee county
against harm by Judge hummond for obey
ing their own official mandate not to levy the
tax which Judge Drummond's court ordered
them to do, and for not doing which Judge
Drummcnd promises to arrest and punish
them.
"If our State Judges now back down. and
permit county supervisors TO be arrested and
carried beyond the State to be punished by a
Federal judge for obeying the mandate of the
Supreme Court of Iowa, issued by themselves,
they will be guilty OF an act OF moral and OH
cial cowardice which ought to consign them
10 the everlasting contempt of every citizen of
the state who recognizes the proper dis1inc-
ton between the lawful authority OF the Fed
eral ana State governments. IL Is IN arrogant
assumption of power in the Federal court,
which not only does not legitimately belong
to It, but is absolutely dangerous 10 the lib
eerty and prosperity of every citizen of the
State of Iowa" a.--..
We feel perfect Indifference as to the up
shot of the affair. These Iowa simpletons
thought they were doing God service
when they sent down their soldiers to sub
jugate the south. They did not know that
they we're thus subjugating themselves. But
so it is. State courts ere no longer re-
spscted since the war was so gloriously"
concluded. The fruit they eat is of the
tree they planted, and which they watsred
with their own blood. Let them repent the
wrong they have done us while they suffer
as we do from the entertainments Of the,
Federal Government. We are not at all
sorry on account Of their troubles. 1s--Aa