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Show A POLITICAL TEXT-BOOK FOR 184\0. TIIE PO\VER OF 'filE SUPREl\fE CUUltT. hr view of tbe Drcd Scott die ta and other encroachments upon tho Libe rties of the People and the right~ of the States, that may w ell be appre hended from futur·e d ecisions of a Federnl partisan Judiciary, the opinions of the lead e r s of the old J c llcr o nian R epublican party on the powers and duties of the Supreme Court become matter of puulic interes t. OPINIONS Olo' TIIO:MAS JJ<:Flo'ERSON. In a letter to John Adams date d Sept 11 1804., Mr. J cfl'crson sa.ys : 1 • ' t: ou seemed t? ~hink that it devolved on the Judges to decu.lc on the vahd1ty of the Sedlt.ion Law. JJut nothin in t\1e Co~stitutlon has given them a right to decide for ~he Exccut1ve, more lhau the Jo:xecutlve to decide for them llot_h ruaglstratcs arc equally independent in the sphere of act10 ~ as.signed to tb ~m. 'l'hc Judges bclle\ing the hw corb~ltutlOual, !Jnrl a n ght to pass a sdntcnce of tlnc a'nd Ultprr~oumcnt, because tire power was placed in th : ~an1l.;; hy the Collbtitur ion. JJut the .l!;xecuti ,·c bellcvi~11~ l_c, Ia\~ to be. llllconslltutional, were bound to 'rcrnlt the executiOn of It, IJccauso that power had been COllihl •d t thew by the Con::.titulion." c 0 Again, in n. le tter to Judrre R oane da.ted Por,hr :Fore ~t t 6 18 ° 1 ' , cp · , 191 Ur. J e ffe rson rc-m rt rks : p-nder d,ate of Montecello, D ec. 2(:), 1820 he wntcs to 1bomas Hi teh io ns f ollo,rs: , . . . . ~'he Judiciary of the Gnilcli Rtntes Is the suhtlo corps of suppers nucl mlnt.•rs conKl'llltl workln under-ground to undermine the fo undation~ 0 / 0 g f~dcruted .. fnl_u·ic. 'l'hey arc construint{ our Cons~ftu~~o~ fr om a co"nlrnat ion of n general nud ::;pedal govc. ' to a geueral aud supreme one alone. I omen ~~~the 1 th of August, 1821, Mr. J efferson \Vl'ttes to .Mr. C. ll:u nmond, ns follows: It hils long, lrow_ever, been my opln!on, and I have never shrunk f:·om rts c;~p res~ion, tlrat the germ of dlsso· lut.lon of. our J• edcr.al Oovcmmcnt i:; in the constitution ?f U~ e Federal Jud1ciary-un irr·(•sponsihle hod , kmg hkc gra~·lty by night nnd by day, gaiulng a 'fi't~~~~oday ar_HI a htt~c to-morrow, and advandn~ Its nolsele9tl step, lrke a ~lnef, over tile flcltl of j url!ldiction, until all sh a ll be usurped from the States, antlth\• (Jo ,·ernmcnt of all be consolidated into oue. 'l'o this 1 aru opposeu. be· ~ansc, '~h en all government, llomcst ic and forclg~ In httlc as m great t hings, shall be dra\\ u to Wasllingtod ad the centre of all power, it will render ]JO\\ crless the thecks provldcfl of one OovcmmenL on anot her and w'll ~~o:ne ns venal and oppressive a:! the Gover nn\ent fro~ w l c l we separated. lL will be 11::1 in Europe where every mnn must be either pike or gudgeon ll'ln:mer or anvil. Our functionaries and their ::1 arc w:u·c~ from tho •:un~ workshop, nut~e of the sa111e IIJlll erials, and by the s.l.lll·e· hnnd. lf_the States look w:th np.dhy on this silen\ ~~ denying the right they usurp In excl I 1 descent of their Government inoo tile gul f whi ch is to ) plamingthe ~onstitution, I go further than l~~vc y CX· swallow ~lll,,we have only to ,,·e••p over the hllman ch,lr· understan~l rightly your quotat.lon from the~ d~, i~ I ac~cr, formed UHCOHtroll;ll >le J,u, by a rcHi of iron, uud of .an oplmon that "'J'hc Judiciat·y is the last rcede{ ftll~t, ~~c bln~:~phcmers of man a~ iucapaiJk of Hel f·I)OV!! tllllt:nt latl~n to t.hc other clcpartm •nt~:~ of the 0 . sor u I c- ccowe his true lllstor:an~:~. ' not m relatio t tl . ! over nmcnt, but I I under which ~leoJu:fi~;l,fr~~~soJe~·li;e~f\;ttc;r \~.the roipuct M· n.t 1ett1e8~to Ju<l rre J ohuson, <LLLL·J .\Io!lticcllo, sound, then Indeed i. our Constitutidn a WJ!op fin on be a.rc 1 ' 20, he says-nBe~ t lt'or intcn ll ' t . comp cte eto de I t I < no 0 estaiJhsh three departments, coUrt!!- cnn?o ay down my pen withont recurring to one ot one ea.~~~hi~rd~ffndcr~t, that they _might check and balance ~~e llUbJ{Ctll of my former letter, for, in trutiJ there is no of them I ' 1as ~rv •n, accorurng to this opinion to one Ganger apprehend so Uluch a~:~ the consolid;Ltlon of our ment of tfreon~hth.; r ght to prescribe rules for the govern- •I overnmcn t ,bY the noiseless, and therefore unnlarming, by and indc;en;l~~ta~ttlto tlr<~~ one, too, which is unelectcd I~s~~-~e~.t a:lt~ ~f the Supreme ~ourt. This Is the form tution on this IJypothe&"le _na on. • . • . 1'hc Constl- I 1 ct era lSrn now arrays rll;elf. hauds'or the Judiciary ,~~~·i~f~ t'~lC11y1%: tl~in~tof wax, in the Inn letter date d June 12 Rnmc year he sny anr fo rm they I I y WJS and shape into Th tl ' . ' ' nai truth in pol\~~~~·~~;·~t t ~hotu lu be remcJ?bCred, as an ct cr- case ~op~~~scc.\of J~dge 1\lnrslt all, of traveling out of his hi Independent Is 't . ' w lll eve: power m any government not . II c w lat the law would he in a moot case the spirit of th~ :oJSlol~tc also; ".1 theory only at .first, while sura~ffor c the court Is very irregular and very cen· relaxes. Indep~od~n~es ~t~~ bl.Ju: ~11 P_ractlce as fast as thut c ... the people in mass 'l'hey ·tre ln~~stcdtlno;vhcrc but with In wntmg to ~h· \V. IT T o rmnce June 11 11.11 but_ moral law . . My COilS.tructlolnr:~ tl~c cdep~nd~nt ?f 181.5, Mr. Jclfc r~on says. . ) I very dtt:rerent from that 0 ons ttutron JS T · partment is truly lrHlepJ:HI~ (tuote. It is that each de- he secor~d question, whether the juflges arc Invested equal right to d ·ciue for ltst!l? w~f. ~l~e o~hcrs, and has an :JUt fxclt~sl ve authority to decitle on the constitutionality Constitution ln the cases sub mitt~~ t 8 i~ c m?aning of the w"Ua aw, ;as been heretofore a subjecL of consideration cially where it is to act ultiruatel ~ 3• ~t10n, and espe· th' 1 f10 n the exercise of ollicinl dutieH. Certainly I ' Y au WJt out appeal. 1 ere 8 not ll word In the Constitut.ion which has given S n a lcttcl' to Mr. J a rvis , dated Monticello ~~~~ JH ·wcr to them more thau to the Executive or Legis· ept. 28, 1 20, .Mr. J e ffie t·son says.. , e branches· Quc:~tlons of pro pert v of character y adnefdt or crime bel . · • ' 1, • ng ascnbed to the judges through a tl · i · · ou seem, In pages 84 and 148 to n oe course of legal proceeding laws Involving such IC ~dgcs as the ultimate arbiters or 1J ' consider quetsltlons, belong, or course, to the1~ · ancl as they decide questlOus-a v ery dangerous doctrine ~d codnstltutlonal odn ICm ultimately, and without appeal they of course wlllc~ would pl:tce us under the dcsp otis /e ' ~nd one lae''iVclde flor then~s?llv•8. Th.e constltutlou ~l validity of th~ Our Jullgcs arc as honest as other men m 0ct an oligarchy. • or aws agam prescnbing ex ecutive a ction and to Tiley have, with others the same 'I an not more so. be administered by that branch ultimately and 'without c o;er1 and.tl~c privilege of their to~ls~ on~/ol party, tor 1\Jh>pcal, the Executive must decide for the~nsellvee also ""woenr ttjhu dtcts est a1n:Pliar"" jn•,.,;sd· cu··o .. 1C r,,maxim is, w ether under th C i , ' r~ e more dangerous as wth• e~y I ·~ern! and th e 1r So a 1s o ' as to 1 e onst tutlon' they are vaUd or not· and not responi'lblc as u, are n ollice for life, lsi t ' h aws governing the p roceedings of the Leg-elective control. 1lhe Co~ 0t~~c~. functionaries are, to the all~/~~'t~ a~ body must judgejo1· itself the cons titution· single tribunal kn . 8 u ron has e rected no such from Its c ~'J· and equally witheut up pen! or control wbll the corr,uptio~:~~1~~t~~~ whatever ha nds confided, bran h ~oor mate branches. And, in general, the .:>ecome deMpots H has 1 party, its members would c wluch is to act ultimately and wlbhout appeal on menW! co-equal ~nd t:o-sovme~~el-wn ~c.ilrhl·m atdhe all the depart- ~ny law, is the rightful exposito; of the validity of the .... c; " " n cmsclvcs. aw, uncontr~lle:i by the opinlow of the o~her conrui-natc authorltJC~. SOUTIIEHS OPIXIOXS OX TilE SUPRE~IE COU11T. 17.3 J ohn Ta\ lor, of Caroline, Vu., wh o used in j for t hat l lhink 1 ht~\· c howu to be impo!1sihle, with th~ • • T ~. . • • I- unJ write ,, u.~ one lt <tYirw :I?Wej l"::i wltich the Legislature lllay ~al t:ly ll~c and c:-.er hiS da.\ tO ·. pc,l '- . . , . o I ::tse, and l)cC;LU.:ie the people have rclmned 111 th crr 1111 n 11uthori ty " Ill the old_ Jt"flc r:-:?ll lall .. h cpul,.IIL:<tll hand::1 the pOII'er ~~f cou ~rolliug :wd u.;cct.ug the Lq!fi~pnrtY in an essay cutrtlcd "~ew V rewr; oi the l:tlu n·, IJy their rmmedratc and mcdr1tte l'lcctiur~> nf C · '· · " 8 . j'S. l'rc idcnt, ~enate, and llou~e of Hepr·eseutativc:~.-S,o on ututron, ,L • iu , pavd 73. The perseverance of t.hc gentleman In favo r or a ,\h. Co~.:!-·, (If '1\~uuc~:-- •c, Oil the h<tlliC ul,- N•tlonal Uovernmcnt provct~ tlmt the suhjcct was tho- ro.u. ghly con ·idercd; an1l t I re so I emu pre f ercucc. o f t I 1e J·l'c t 1 ~aid: FcJerul form demonstrates that 110 constructwn IJy We have been to ld that the nation is to look up to "·hich the pn·fL·n:nce will be f;ustrated cau IJC j u!lt. tlt ei:!C iuunaculat.c j ud~;cs to protect their liber1ies; to Its basill wu 'tate sovereignty, conlJHLlih lc Wlt.ll a fco.Je- protect the people agamst thcursc vcs.-1 b., Jl'l!/<> 75. ral limited UovcmmcHt, but incornpatiiJic with a su- I reme National (Joverumcnt. lienee :-itate Sovereignty n t he lJoust', HolJcrL W illi:llll~, of Korth ~as denied by the gentlemen who proposed a t\atioual Carolina, said: (lovernmcut. This sovcrelgnt.y ii:! tile foundaliou of ull Jhc powers reserved to the ::!tatet~. nlcss they Me SUi:!· llined by it, they arc bascle~;s. State legislative, executive and judicial power~, must all or none flow from this sou:·ce. All arc nccess<u·y to sust a.i u the State rtcl> Ublicnu Governments. ' uhjcct either to a 111a..ster, and the others become subject to the s<unc master. If t1e ..tate j u1licial power, as !lowing froru Stat.c sovteignty is not independe nt, 'tate legi:lla.tlve and executive' power cannot be indepeudent, IJecuu:Je all rest upon the same foundation; aud because if a. supreme federal Judiciary can control ~talc Courts, It Cllll also control Sta.to Leglslaturet~ and Executivc.\l. 'J'hus a federal form of Government would he nticctcd, though it was cst~tiJ lished, and a. National Govcmwcut would be established, though it was rejected. • . . . 'l'he legal features of the Constitution, lu r ela.tion to judges, Is expressed In the sixth article: "'J'he Constitution Is the supreme law of the land, anti Ure judges In tA'el'?/ ~State arc to be IJound thereby." Can the j tlll!;ment.s of the .Federal courL IJe a. supreme Jaw over this supreme law ? I s there uo difference between the supremacy o ( a l<'etlcral court over Inferior J.'~dcral court~:!, and the supremacy of t lie Coll/Jtltutlou ()Vcr a ll courtll? 'l'hc suprernacy of the Con titutlun ill a guaranty of the lndepeudcut powers, within ll1clr rc,pcctive spheres, allowed by t he ~·cdera.list to the ~tate and :Federal Governments. A suprcmaey In the court might abridge o r allcr these spheres. The tale j udges are bound by the Co11stitutiou aiHl by an oath to obl'y the supremacy of the Constitution, aud oot eren required to obey the suprc111acy of the .lt'cdcra.l court. Why £t re all the dcpartwents of t.he ~tate and •'cderal Governments equally bound to obey the supremacy of the Constitution? Dccaww the 'Late and Federal Governments were considered a.s checking or balancing departments. llad either hcen consiucred as subordinate tr> a supremacy In the o1her it would lmvc been tyrannical to require it hy an oath' to support the t uprema.cy of tile Constitution, and also to break that oath by yielding to the usurped suprewacy of the other. During the administration of John Ad:uus, lhe J udicia.ry system was remodeled iu s uch wa.y o.s to create a lu.r rre nulllUcr of Circuit J _udgcships, and to mak~ the Supreme Court ~lll~pl~ ~ Uourt of Appeal from the iuferiot· JUrtSdJctwns. After t.ltc election of 1\lr. J ctfcr~ on, with a. Republican (Democ r atic) mnj o rity Ill Congre~ the act was repealed. During the debtttc in the ..,c na.tc, which wns protracte.(l, ou thi::; repeal !Jill, .M t·. J;tcl<son of Georgta, ~:tid : We haye been asked if we arc a frai1l of having an army of Judges? !t'or my::;clf I 11.01 more afraid of an ar~.r of judges under the patromlgc of the President, than or an army of soldier!!. '!'he former can do us more harm. They may dcpri ve u!J o r our liherlles, if attached to the Ex.ccuti vc, from the it· dech!lons; and from the tenure of ollicc contcudcd for we cannot remove them; while the soluier, l1owevcr ' he may act·, is ~listed, o~· if no~ enlisted, ouly subsistc,l for two year:!; hilst tho Judge >s enlisted for life for h is salary cannot be taken froJU hiu1.-Stlll A'll.I'-U.lJ/ 1 c:f CV1l{J7'lliJJI 1801-~ page 47. • • If this doctrine is to ext cnu to the IPOgth g •ntlcmcn contend, then is the soverciguty oftlte Oovcrn1ueut to be swallowed up in the vortex of the Judiciary. )\ hatever the other departments of the Govemrnent may do, they c;w uudo. You 1uay pnss a law, but they CHll unuul.,it. Will not the people he a::;tonished to l1car that their laird depend upon the will of the judges, whr> arc thcmseh Ci:l indepeudeut of all Jaw ?-1 u., ]JII(JI!./1 i>:Jl, [);J:t. John Randolph, of Roanoke, sai1l: llut, bir, if you pu..'IB the l:lw, the j udgc.\l a . c to put their veto upou it by declaring it uucon!)tit utiou:d. ll cre .s u. new powe r, of a. tlangcrous all(! uocolllnillahle natu. e, contcutle!l for. The dech:liou of a con~Li t uliouullJUcstiou lllust rest soruewhcrc. ."hall it IJe conJld ctl to 111en imrncdiu. tcly rcsp0nsillle to the people, or to those 11 !10 arc irr~JIO HsiiJlc ~ for the n .o. spou~ibility IJy iJJlpeacbmeut ill little les.':! than a name. Jo'rom wl10m is1t corrupt dec.:l.OU most to be fea red? 'l'o we it nppear;:. th:tl tl1e p011cr which has the l"ight of pw;sing, 11 itlrout uppeal, ou rhe validity of your law~;, is your sovereign. . . . Lut, Mir, arc we uot as ueeply iutcrcsted in lire lruc expo itwu of t!Je Constitution Jl:! the j udges can he~ \\ ith all due clcfcrence to their la len L~, is not Cougre.-;s us C:IJlltble of forrning IL correct opinion <Ui ~h~.~ arc ~ '~ rc ll?L. itli tucruberl:luctillg under It rcspousrbrlrly to pulll1c Otlllllou, which can aud \\ill check their aberraliou:! fo urn uut.} Y Let a. case uot au iruuginary one, be ::.tate.!: Congrnill violates th~ Com;ti tution by fettering the pre~tl; the j udi· cial corrective is a pplied to ; far frCim protecting the lilJerty of the citizen, or the l~ttcr of ~he Cow;titutJ?Il you llud the111 outdoiug the legrslatu.n.: w z_eal; prc.sslug the commou l:tw of Jt:nglaud to tlte1r bervrcc '' lwre the sedition Jaw clid uot apply. ~uppose your reliance lmd been altogetl1cr on tlli1:1 1Jrokc1~ sLat:r, uud not on the <;:lcctlve pdnciplc ? Your p ress uught lmvc l,ccu eu_cluoued till doomsday, your citizcu.s ir_,carccratcd fur. llfl', U.IHJ \\here is your rcwcdy ? JJut 1f tl1e con.~truclw~r o_f thl! Con.:.tituti~ n is left with u!:!, there ar·~ no longer lilll_ll::. LG our power· and Utili woulu be true, 1f un appeal uul uoL lie through' tl1c el 'cliou~, f rom u_s to_ t_he uall~lll, lO \1 hum alone and uot a few prrv1lcged rndrvrtluabi, 1L ))dong"' tu decid~, in the last resort, on the Constitution. . . . . In their iuqui::;itorial capacity, the Supr: cw~ Co_urt_, n.~ Jievcd from the tcdiOU!! labor or iuve trg:t.tlllg J Udtclal points IJy the law of the la.st s.ession, may c:l:!rly tlr_rec~ tl~e .Executive, by umndamu:~, Ul wl_tu.t m~<.le it, .'s tl1~1r pleasure that we should execute h rs Cunctlon~. I hey will also have more leisure to attend to the I_l·glslutu.rc, and forestall, by lnfi<unmatory pamphlets, therr decl:;IOIIS 11r1 all important questions ; whilst, for U1e am~r:w mt.•ut of tl1" public, we shall ret~i.n t~te right of deba.lWM, !Jut uot of votJng.-lb.,pa{Jt:.Y tit.il , tiu2. Xatlmnicl ~{a.con, .,r Xorth Car olina, saitl: During the su.me discussion Mr Mason of V. . . ' . ' We have heard much about the j udges, ami Ute necessity of their independence. I will state one fact, to s.how· that they hll ve power u.s well as indepeuuencc. Soon ufler u1c cstablishmeut of the Jo'edcral Courts, they Issued a writ-ltOt IJciug a 1,rofcssionrll mau, I shall uot undertake to give its name-to the Suprern~ Court of N,orth Carolina directing a case then dcpendrng In the tate Court to 11Je brought iuto tire }'eueral Court: '!'he l:!tate · lges refused to oiJey t11c summons, and laul the who~e ~~~ccediub'!J before the legislature, who app1oved thlllr conduct, and, as well as l J·crueulh~r, un1UJ~rnously ; and thh; in that day was not called drsorgaoizmg.-1 b. 1rguua, ~:tir 1 : The objecte of courts or law as 1 under1ltand them ta re t o BeLt 1e questions of right' bet weeu ~uitor·s to en-' oree Obedicnec tO the laws, ami tO protect the C.ti:~oens &.gal ne~ the oppressive u.se of p ow ~:r iu the t<;xecutivc til1c .. 11. NoL to protect them agai~t the Lcgi l<l•u. e, JW{/R. 711. J oh u D<l (;Oll, of ~( a. "R<tchu.sett , saiJ: The Judiciary have ~ o more right to prescribe, di1;ec~ >r cc..nt.ol UHt ack! ot Lhe other d cp:utmtluts o( the Gov· |
