South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-05-02
Important Supreme Court De-
ciSiOnS.

The Supreme Court Of the United States
has just rendered two decisions, which are
deemed by the Court itself, and by that
par, Of the press which commented yester-
day on the decision Of Monday, to have
important bearing on the question Of State
rights. IL is perhaps . pardouable vanity
for judges aud other public func,ionaries
70 msgpify their office, and try to make it
appear that they hsve done something ex-
,rsordinsry, When in fact they hsve merely
discharged plain and imperative duty.
The judges who announced their decision
on Monday are reported to have said that
the case before them "iuvolves the decis-
ion Of questions more faf-reaohing and per-
vsding in their consequences, more pro-
foundry interesting to the people of this
country, and more important in their bear
Jog upon the relations Of the United States
aud Of the several States to each other and
the citizens of the States and Of the United
States, than have been before the Supreme
Court during the official life Of any of its
present members" II this rather pomp
Gus statement is merely meant TO assert that
questions which involve State rights are Of
paramount importance, iuasmuch as they
touch the very basis of the Constitution,
the opinion is not DULY we'll enough but is
not fairly clutestsble. But we see no rea-
son why il should be proclaimed with q
flourish Supreme Court judges are pre-
sumcd to be acqusinted with former decis-
ions Of that tribunal, aud the whole cur
rent Of its authority for tho first seventy
years of its existence recognized the reserv-
ai III Of, Cd tpa Flo
deral eucroacbmeut. Ii is no very wonder
full feat Of either intellect or courage for
the same tribunal to stand by q long and
uniform course of previous decisions.
The cases just decided involve, to be
sure, the Interpretation Of the three new
amendments TO the Constitution. The
pith of the question was, whether those
amendments had changed the previous re-
lstions Of the States to the Federal Govern
ment The Court very properly decided
that they had not but its opinion is spun
out into q refining and half apologize
elaboration Of argument, which convicts
the Judges OF lack of moral intrepidiiy. -
They could have said oil that was needful
in few terse, incisive, and courageous
ssntences which would have bad teDfold
Nothing il clearer than that the new a
mendments, fairly interpreted, leave oil the
States aud the Federal Government uD-
changed aud untouched. liz was the duty
of the Supreme Court to have said this d.
rectly with the strongest emphasis, instead
of feebly making it out by tedious circuit
Gus reasoning. Their conclusion being
sound, boldly. What they have, in effect,
though they might as we'll have announced
it batingly aud cloudy decided is, tina,
the three new amendments merely relate &c
the civil and political status of the Afri
can race, guaranteeing negro equality bu
leaving the Constitution in other respect.
unchanged. This sound doctrine cannot b,
successfully controverted We only wisi
that il had been asserted with greater Wig
or aud emphasis. 1t was only the frs
section of the fourteenth amendment tina
was really before The Court but as thu
whole three amendments had a common
purpose and proceeded FROM the same mo.
tive, they were ell properly considered Al
furnishing a key to the correct interpreta
ton Of that part Of the fourteenth which
was Immediately before the Court Th,
joint design Of them all was to bleach tht
negro into political white mao to rsis'
the African TO the level Of the Caucasian
10 his civil and political rights This wa
the declared purpose Of the amendment
both by the Congress that proposed, th,
State Legislatures hat ratified and the PEG
pie who endorsed them. 1t was simply 4
make the operation Of our political system
the same as if the negroes bad been bort
white. The amendments abridge State au
thoriiy TO this cxtent:-tbat the State
cannot make the negroes slaves that tb
States cannot deprive them Of the electiv
franchise that the States cannot exclud
them from the witness box, from jurics, o o
from any Office or privilege to which whit
citizens are eligible. The amendment
) simply make white men Of the negroes bu
they leave State authority precisely th
same scope IL would have bad II there ba,
been no Africans aud the whole population
Of the country bad been Of Caucasian blood
The operation If the amended Federal Con
stitulion upon State affairs is therefore pre-
cisely the same that the operation Of tn
unameDded Constitution would have bee
if every negro 10 the land bad been Dor
= with a white skin, Of a white father and
white mother Ard this is what The So
preme Court ought 10 have said, with sde
quate dstinctoess and coursRe. But pet
haps we ought TO DO thankful that the
have said itat all. Doe Of the decided c.
) ses came dp from Louisiana on an applies
ton to set aside statute Of that State ia
cooperating the Crescent City Live Stoc
Landing and Slaughter Company givin
that Company exclusive rights 10 whic
other butchers cannot participate. Th
other case came up from Illinois at the su