New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-18
4 FREE PRESS AND AN INDEPENDENT
JUDICIARY


undertake 20 say that no community Is ca
pabie Of self-government where either OF
these institutions is permitted to dominate
the other 70 the point Of subversion. 1t Is
true. judiciary may become SO indie
pendent as to be irresponsible and tyrah-
meal. in which case the press, as the eA'
ponent Of public opinion, may justly a?-
ply criticism. And press may become
so free as to degenerate into hcehNonS-
ness. OF the two evils we regard the LAST
named as the more injurious to society,
for the reason that the influence for e'li
is greater in a newspaper than IN a u 1Ge'
And j. is chiefly Of the Righteousness OF
the press Of this city that we have now to
SNEAK II has come to be rule WITH
that portion Of tie people represented by
the Committee of Two Hundred to .censlire
in tie coarses. terms any Judge who de-
ciaes a question in which there is even SO
much as a trace of politics adversely 20
their own biyoted notion Ct things. No
sooner is decision rendered. upon the
plainest evidence and the most explicit
provisions Of law, it may be, than the
little !ay politicians and demagogues open
their clamors upon the head Of the judge,
and they straightwav order their too will
ING party organs to as5ail linn in every
| conceivable shape. For many years the
| Supreme Court of the United States has
enioved the distinction Of being assalied
| by little country editors who had
no conception of the principles in
volved in legal decision. and
who could not literally understand the
language in which it was written. But
they learned somehow tina. the Judgment
was against their side Of the political
question, and nothing was lef: but for
them to assail the character Of the judges
who rendered it. The bones Of the unfor-
tunate Jeffreys have been dug up on an
average of twice q month or more since
the war, and made to stand as prototype
of Judges Underwood. Bond, DUrell. the
several justices of the Supreme Court who
die! not hold proper views in the McArdle.
the legal tender confscation and other
cases. and who insisted upon enforcing
the laws of Congress relative 20 attorneys
oaths, the Ku-k.ux laws, and other mat
tiers that in.erfered with the happiness or
convenience Of the chivalry.
In our own city the wise men Of the self
constituted Committee of Two Hundred
have long been il the habit of passing upon
every question and preiudging every cause
that has come before our tribunals. IL
the Judgment happened TO be in their in
terests. as in the Slaushterhouse and sim
liar cases. they commended their own saga
city, but when they were found to be III the
wrong. as they usually are. they generally
took il out in abusing the Judge. For H.
stance, when the Circuit Court took juris-
dict;on CT the case Of Kellogg VS.. War
moth, it was unanimously agreed by the
Committee of Two Hundred tyrants that
Judge Durell was not only ignoran:
OF the law. but corrup. and IN
temperate as well. Their two organs
filed up for week or two with
billingsgate attacks, and these scandAlous
a Il hbelous assertions were carefully
copied and sent abroad by the compliant
reporter Of the Associated Press. And
when one Of these same organs fell into
financial difficulties IN consequence OF the
failure of the plan to cheat the honest
voters Of this State out q. their choice OF
rulers. and It's unrelenting creditors forced
tina: concern into bankruptcy, another
howl Wen; up that the rights Of 4 free
press were invaded; Judge Durell was
called Jef,reys again several times, and
the party tina. was Of all others the most
rejoiced at the rnisfortunes 0: the Tj'ae>
hyy ocritically called for tie judges
prompt impeachment. IA word, nothing
short OF lis absolute disgrace viii ever
satisfy or comtor. the secretly gratitieG
rival.
It will be remembered that the itinerant
committee that carried complaints to
Washington based their objections to the
decision Of the Circuit Court on the
ground that it upset State government.
SO tina: when the decision Of our own ST.
preme Cour. gave a flat contradiction to
this preposterous assumption they at once
prepared sweeping articles Of impeach-
ment against the three judges who con-
Cured in the decision, and promptly
demanded their heads OF their bastard
Legislature. In ali these attacks upon
the integrity of our Judiciary. the fusion
organs here have been either principals or
willing seconds. II is a part Of syste-
matte plan to destroy the reputation Of
any man who sanctions the enforcement
Of the constitutional amendments and the
reconstruction acts.
The w!sest and best men OF this CON-
munity regard this interference with the
judiciary by the press with alarm. 1t
shows dominance here Of spirit rebel
liors to any laws except those which favor
certain interests. This tends to revolu-
ton, and We see it already advised that
;axfayers shall resist the collection of dues
TO the government. Any attempt to resist
the officers of the law Will result in vio-
lence. which may 60 70 great lengths or
be suppressed at once. This is a question
which will depend altogether upon the
number Of misguided citizens who prefer
70 see riots and bloodshed. and the de-
structioD of property by the torch of the