Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-08

man may exercise his powers and ex-
pend his efforts. Why not? Jefferson
said the Supreme Court was an eternal
thing, for a Judge never resigned and
never died. The Judges could be divided
into three classes, TO go out in rotation
one class elected at first for six, one for
twelve and one for eighteen years. The
Presidential term might be extended to
six years, so that he would have the APP
| pOintment of One-third of the members
of sass
4 THE SUPREME COURT
each term. If any should prove rotten.
then their term, expiring in a short
/ time, would leave the country free of
/ apprehension, for they would naturally
drop out when their time was up, and
better men could be appointed in their
/ places. A term of eighteen years on
1 the Supreme Bench would secure COM
/ potency upon which a man stricken in
| years could comfortably retire to spend
| the fag-end of his days in quietude and
repose. This system would have also
! the additional merit of securing the re-
| tirement of judges from the bench,
when all the good would be worked out
of them, and the country would be
spared the affiiction of seeing a man on
the supreme Bench in his dotage.
Then
APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE
could he made from the Congressional
! districts in the same way that cadets
are sent to West Point and the Naval
Academy. This would insure a fair dis
tTibution of offices all over the country,
and the misery of sectional government
would never be witnessed. It is such
questions as these" said Mr.. Johnson,
that ought to occupy the attention of
statesmen and engage the energies of
parties; but, alas! what a spectacle have
we instead? A host of people engaged
in wild rush for place, and every poll
tician inquiring How will it pay?' IS
there money in it?' and what effect
Will it have on the next eleetiOn?'
Where is the dignity and glory of Con-
gress? We see the whole three depart
ments of government rapidly merging
into one, and the Congress assuming to
be the army and the navy,
THE LEGISLATURE, THE JUDICIARY
AND THE EXECUTIVE.
all at once. There are no constitutional
checks; there is no balancing of cO-or-
dinate powers, but instead a hydra
headed ruler and tyrant, known as the
Congress of the United States. In the
midst of all this the constitution is re-
garded as useless instrument, and those
who revere and uphold it as the basis
and guarantee of the peoples liberties
as "Old fogies."
We spoke long and earnestly about
the future of Tennessee in the govern
ment, recalling "reminiscences of her
former grand name and position in the
affairs of the nation. Mr.. johnson men
toned, incidentally, the apparent ab-
sJIrdity of the people, both North and
South, continually denOuncing the mil
itaTy, and at the same time selecting
military men for civil offices. He said
THE PEOPLE, NORTH AND SOUTH,
clamoTed against all military displays in
the government; and yet whenever they
get a chance they select military men,
regardless of fitness, and thrust them
into positions as a reward for their ser
vices. Remarked that the people meant
well and thought they We're doing a COED
thing in each of those cases. "Let u.s."
people of the United States take pride in
being thinking men. Why not act as
such all the time?'
OUR INTERVIEW
lasted over two hours, and would have
been prolonged, had we not been inter-
rupted by the advent of some towns
people, who arrived to consult Mr..
johnson about local matters.
By the time this reaches you, Mr..
johnson may be in Nashville, and
short time afterward you need not be
surprised to find him among you once
more, waking the echoes by the thun-
ders of popular applause which his splen-
did and powerful utterances never fail
to produce. He is the same Andy John
son that led the Democratic masses |
twenty years ago, and no doubt will do
II aoaiu ~