Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-02

stance of this kind Cannot fail to rise 70 your
minds, IN illustration which stands before Us
TO-DAY, for need not remind you that naii u
the members Of the Supreme Court OF Name
are graduates Of Bowdoin College. l1fea.
cheering You have the right to be psouc
that half the members Of the Supreme Cou,',
from the Chief-Jusfice of fourseore 10 the
Youngest member, are brethren OF ours, VINO
received their bent toward loyalty ciearness
Of though, and right in the old college " mere
all of US learned them. ~ 7.L.9 ,-Lo .
Gentlemen. in the confusion of tongues
which we have had there lately In eur trsi
times in that voice. fusion OF tongues. !
Tgrezt lzughter.1 Well, / call II con
fusion" but don't know what to call Hin
that maelstrom-in the questions. the cross
questions, in that chaos Of governors ~hhou,
. povernment-shere was needed clear anu
authoritative voice Affirming the principles
Of Constitutional law and Constitutional gov
eminent. TO assert those fundamental rishts
of the people. and set forth thoserights which
are derived from the right itself and II was
their voice which was heard above that chaos
GAppIause You wanted voice there 10 IN
terpet the law not under the microscope
view of sharp drawn verbal bubbles, but IN
der the broad light of liberty of which law Is
the guarantee, applause and OF right Oh
which law is the end. Great applause
Gentlemen, when say say that the VOICE Oh
the Supreme Court was the voice OF bo"noih
College. do not stretch the point. AP-
piause The decision Of that Court, neea
not saw TO you will be memorable chapter
let me correct rnyself-the decisions OF 'iia'
Court (for there were three wall be nieilofa-
BILE chapters in Constitutional law. ana De-
lieve they will be noble and lasting chapters
and much needed chapters in these times
rApplause.l II is true that these decisions
are new Well, do not think il derogatory
TO the Court to say that that may be their ex-
ceIience rather than their fault. for were not
the circumstances of the case somewhat new
Applause Such case was never made up
before think the facts involved the very
fundamental ideas of free institutions.
And what did the Court do: They rose
above the mere lawyers view suited to lndl-
viiual cases which might sometimes nave
given occasion for the Court to use language
which seems inconsistent with these recent
opinions. The lawyer must take the law as
il reads and seek to give force to those So
called rights which are the effect of law
There is no other way for the lawyer But
in this case of ours in the State of Maine
the Court rose out of the sphere of the mere
LAWYER TO that of the statesman, to the sphere
of great ethics, to the height Of supreme po-
iitical ideas involving the very foundations
Of social order and political liberty great ap-
plause, to the region not of rights merely
~ made by law, but to the region OF night
which is constructive of law. Applause.
And these opinions were also timely opin-
ions. Who can tell my brethren, what the
next year or this present generation may see
in this country! l, seems to me, sir, that no
lesson is more needed than that very lesson
which, by Gods help, we have endeavored to
bring out in the State of Maine. Applause.
The lesson of a people sorely tried, prevent
ing blows, keeping their peace and vindicat-
ing their rights before the rightful tribunals
hot blow of the braggart or of the assas-
sin, not bullet of death. but the people
kept their patience with sublime selfposses-
sion and submitted their questions. peaceful
" and patiently to the constituted tribunals.
TGreat applause. That is one lesson. Then
the second and greater lesson it seems to me
is that we have found a Supreme Court in
that State who could rise to the magnitude
of the situation and of the occasion, and pro-
nounce an opinion which re-affirms almost
the very Divine law itself, of rights and
righteousness impressed by our Maker in the
heart of every true man. Applause. In
my poor opinion the decisions of the Supreme
Court onght to be printed together and serve
as study. eliminating study, in the
course of Constitutional law in the colleges
of that State. Applause. l hope to be able
to do that before this year is out. l have
asked the Legislature of the State to provide
copies enough for our people to read and
shall bespeak enough to take them into our
Senior class. and they shall be examined
upon them as studies in Constitutional law.
As ! sit down express the hope that Bow