The Columbus journal., 1880-10-27

ermine, shows how they regard il.
And the emphatic energy with
which our present Chief Justice has
expressed his scorn of such desires,
which have irretrievably injured the
fame of bis next predecessor, would
have been very befittingly reward
ed, if he should be lifted to such an
added eminence as this bill implies.
The singular reverence felt by
Americans for the judicial office was
remarked on, long ago, by De Toe
queville. Ii Is, of all forms OF civic
eminence, the least invidious. The
rude shocks of civil war. and its
subsiding consequences, have shaken
ii among us far more than is safe.
Not only has civil life suffered, but
religion herself. for Law, as says the
great Hooker, "hss her seat in the
bosom Of God" Whatever increas-
es the efficiency, and raises the dig
nifty OF justice, raises the whole tone
OF life. Even through the base, con-
tagious clouds of civil disturbance,
the Supreme Court of the United
States shines out, as the Chief JUS
tice of New Brunswick eulog izingly
declares, "like a sun in the flrma-
ment of Justice" 1t ranks as one of
the most august tribunals that have
ever existed. Even the British Privy
Council, in rendering decision on
purely domestic question, has
thought it necessary carefully to
vindicate itself against the appear
snce of having slighted principle
affirmed by the great American
Court. Any enactment, therefore,
which shall relieve the over-bur-
deDed energies and raise the just
consideration of the Supreme Court,
and its Presiding Judge, In the way
in which the bill now pending does,
may be favorsbly regarded by us.
My Judgment, of course, is merely
that OF a layman in law. But a
great artist once remarked to me.
that the chief works of genius are
usually the most widely enjoyable.
And this bill appears to me a real
work of genius, which in its case of
development, the careful congruity
of its various provisions, the harmo-
niOusness with which it provides
that the present constitution of the
Court shall glide untroubled into
the new order, added to the fact that
il has been introduced by Demo-
crat, perhaps points to the clear
Celtic intellect of the great Irish
lawyer of New York. Should it be
passed, fervently hope that the
nomination of the twelve additional
judges will be in the hands OF such
Republican President as we now
have, or such as we hope soon to
have. From either of them we
should know how to expect con-
siderstion of real merit, at antipodes
with that laundering heedlessness,
which few years ago attempted to
thrust into the Chief Justiceship
itself, first a nobody from the Paci-
fic, and next an unprincipled old
fox from the Atlantic. Ii a DEM
ocratic Senate should compel the
naming of four Democrats out OF
the twelve, so much the better. We
want a good working majority of
Republicans, but we do not want a
Supreme Court OF the Republican
party but Supreme Court Of the
United States. And II the coming
election should turn out as we desire
and expect, 1t is to be hoped that
this bill will not suffer under a
prejudice arising from the time of
its introduction; fer if a lsic may
presume even to speak In matters of
such high moment, there could
scarcely be, in any direction, a devil
alton without descent from the
proviaons of the bill. Co.'S.