Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-04-06
Spirit of yefferson.
charlestown, Jefferson County, west Va.
TUESDAY MORNING. APRIL 6. 1sso.
COMMUNICATED.
NEAR M1pD1EwAy. March .. 70,


Geo. W. Rdincs, Esq.
DEAR Sir see from an editorial in
your issue of March 9th, that by recent
decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States that unless, according to that decision.
1t they do not abandon their construction Of
the constitution and adopt that of such cir.
cult judge, that every officer, from Governor
down to Pound>keeper, is liable to indict.
ment and imprisonment. aud that this decis-
ion was the result of the civil rights case,
lately tried by that eminent and august BODY
of impeccable and immaculate jurists-one
of which, the Strauder-Taylor case, was car.
ried up to the high court of Kings bench
from the State of West Virginia. Now.
am no lawyer, and know but little about the
case or the law; but even if were thor
oughly acquainted with it, and were the
most astute and profound lawyer in all the
land OF Uncle Sam, l would not presume to
argue it in the face of those gentlemen who
wear the judicial robes of the Supreme Court
OF the United States with any expectation Of
getting a reversal of their decree in case
involving the civil rights bill, for upon the
enforcement of that depends the perpetuity
and salvation of the Radical party, and this
decision of the Supreme Court ia bnt
another evidence of the determination of
that party to centralize the government
and make the States mere cantonments. or
as as other Lordships call them mere abstrao.
tions. subject to the powers that be. and
stripped of every shadow of right which thew
reserved to themselves when the Federal
Government was formed. And this is per
haps the beginning of the end as foreseen by
those who opposed the adoption of the Fed,
ernl Constitution, and saw in it the germ of
monarchy, and predicted that the creator
would ultimately become subject to the
creature. 1t was feared and foreseen by
snch staunch Republicans ns Patrick Henry.
James Monroe and George Mason, and by
nearly one-halt Of the delegates chosen to
the State convention of Virginia. amonp
them somo of the noblest minds of the State
to decide upon the Federal Constitution. md
who thought that the powers committed to
the hands of the general government would
ov6rwheim the liberties of the people and the
rights of the States. Nor was this oninion
confined to the statesmen of Virginia alone
nc same opinion was entertained by some
OF the stcrnest Republicans of the dav
throughout the whole country who were op>
posed to it, and alarmed at the mower II
conferred on the Federal Government. II
contained features which did not harmonize
with their ideas of a simple Democracy or
Republic. 1t was predicted by them that a.
no remote period it would terminate in
virtual monarchy. IF, then, the men of
that day entertained fears that such was to
DC the fate Of tho country, we may we'll be
alarmed at tho condition of affairs at this
day. We may we'll pause and ask the oues-
ton whittier are We drifting. Do not. the
Signs of the times indicate fulfilmept of
tteir predictions7 Are not the tendencies
OF measures and Of mems opinions Fremont,
tions that their worst fears may be realized
And are VIC not cncompassed by dappers
when the constitution is disregarded and
perverted to meet every contingency. and
prostltuted to meet the wants of a corrunt
and inscriptions political party? When
men occupying tho highest Judicial POSITION
IN the country are so partisan bound, and SO
blinded by party zeal as to ignore the will of
the people as expressed through the ballot
boz, (Which ought to be regarded as the su
preme power) and in coutravention of their
own conviction place in the presidential
chair fraud, we may we'll ask the question.
what has become of our national safeguard
aud are such men fit to expound aud admin
lister the law! Nor is this all. For the first
time since the formation of the government
Is the unwritten law been set aside and
treated as nul!ity, and the people asked to
support for a third term a man for the presi>
late civil war. and who has no other recom>
mendation for it but his military record and
bulldog pertinacity, unless playing the
mountebank in a travelling circus by riding
muio can bo regarded as a qualification.
Let the people of this country beware how
they act before it is too late, and consider
the price at which their liberties were pur-
chased, and vote for no demagogue whose
contemplate exhibition of himself ought to
cause the blush Of shame to mantle the check
OF his most shameless admirer, whose despi>
cable egotism is only rivaed by his inordi,
nste vanity, and who would become the re D,
rescntative of party that would sacrifice
their free institutions for monarchy or des>
potIsm for their unhallowed purposes, and
his own Unsuitable ambition. Let them re.
member that there have been in other repub>
lies military dcspots who, like Grant, have
aspired to power, and like him were made
president, but he was not satisfied. He
became Consul, but Consular power was too
short. He was made Consul for lie, yc. he
was not content. He aspired to higher
power. He desolated Europe, subverted the
republic, imprisoned the patriarch who pre-
sided over Rome's comprehensive see, aud
compelled him to pour on his head the
sacred oil that made the persons of Kings
divine. and their right to reign indefeasible.
he became an Emperor. And let him re-
| member the fate Of that aspirant His fate
may be worse one; and let him also reuem-
Der the fate of ancient Rone's aspiraut He
| found his Brutus, and he may do the same.
respectfully yours, OPEoUoN.
REMEDY FOR HARD TIMEs.-Stop spepd>