voL. VIL TO PEOPLE'S JOURNAL. rc➢LIBIIED RYERY THURSDAY IHORKIND. BY ADDISON AVERY. Terms—lnvariably In Advance: c o c opy par a 311111131, $l.OO • Mtge subsaibers, 125 TERMS OF ADVERTISING. I sq uare, of 1.3 lines or less, I insertion, $0.50 " " 3 insertions, I .S 0 ~ every subsequent insertion, :2.5 Rule and agure %verb, per sq., 3 insertions, 3.00 Ere.). s ubsequent insertion, .50 I column, one year, 25.00 I cebiain, six m on th s, l 5.00 Administrators' or Executors' Notices, 2.00 Sieritrs Sales, per tract, L5O Professional Cards not exceeding eight lines inserted for $5.00 per annum. ir All letters on business, to secure 'at teution, should be addressed (post paid) to the Publisher. CALL TO KANSAS IT LUCY I.4RCOV Yeoman strong, hither throng! Nature's honest men, We will make the wilderness Bud and bloom again. B r ing the sickle, speed the plough, Turn the ready soil! Fr e edom is the noblest 081 For the true man's toil. Ho! brothers! come, brothers! Hasten all with me. We'll sing upon the Kansas plains A song of liberty ! Father, haste! o'er the waste, Lies a pleasant laud, There your fireside altar stones, Filed in truth shall stand. There your sons, bravo and good, Shall to freemen grow, Clad in triple snail of Right, Wratig to overthrow. no! brothers! come brothers! :hasten all with me, We'll sing upon the Kansas plains A song of Liberty. Mother, come! here's a home • In the waiting West, Bring the seeds of love and peace, You who son• them beg. Faithful hearts, holy prayers, Keep from taint the air, Soil a mother's tears hare wet, Golden crops shall bear. Come, mother! fond mother, List we call to thee, We'll sing upon the Kansas plains A song of Liberty. Brother brave, stem the wave ! Firm the prairies tread! Up the dark Missouri-flood Be your.carivas spread. Sister true, join us too, Where the Kansas flows, Let the northern lily bloom With the southern rose. flrave brother, true sister, List! we call to thee, We'll sing upon the Kansas plains Pt song or Liberty, One and all, hear our call Echo through the land! Aid Ili, with the willing heart And the strong right hand ! Feed the spark the Pilgrims struck Qp old Plymouth Rock ! To the watch-fires of the free Millions glad shall flock. Ho! broaters ! come, brothers Hasten all with me, We'll sing upon the Kansas plains A song of Liberty. OPINION OF JUSTICE Sli=ll In the matter of the petition of John Ryeraft ,for a writ of Habeas Corpus and to be discharged from imprisonment; and in the matter of Sherman N. Booth. The facts of these two cases are essentially the sante, and, so far as the observations which I feel called, upon to make, may be uttered, they will he regarded as applying to both, and therefore, for the sake of convenience, reference will be made to the petition of Itycraft only. On the application of Sherman M. Booth, at the last term of this Court, for a writ of habeas corpus, no copy_ of the indictment was presented, but: only a copy of the warrant upon which he had been arrested, which recited merely that he had been indicted _ under the Act of Congress of 1.850, for aiding the escape of one Joshua Glover, &c. This was an ordinary bench warrant, to bring in a defendant to answer to an indictment found in the United States District Court, and it appeared to ifs we ought not, (and, indeed, without an inspection of the indictment we could not,) interfere With the regular action of that Court, but were bound to presume that if the indictment, when at the proper time it should be brought up for examina tion, failed to present a ease of which that Court had jurisdiction, or charged no offense at all, the Court in which it was formed would so decide, and that all such questions were prelim inarily within the proper scope of the power of that Court, But now the -case is different; all those questions lhave been properly urged, and without avail; and the petitioner comes before us and shows, by the return of the officer, that he has been pressed on to a conviction and sentenced to iinpris onrnent, and is now actually impris oned, within this State, and that the sole authority therefor is a transcript of the record of such conviction. The first, the fundamental question which the case presents, is: Has this Court the power to inquire into the legality of the authority by which the prisoner is he'd I THE -.- : - PE.--.:I:,.PL:E".Si.- . .-.JOURNAL It seems to me that the solution Of this question is to be found in a few simple, elementary pinpositions, which require little or no proof or argument to sustain them. It is the duty of . government to protect and secure the rights of the citizen, among which is the right to liberty. This duty of the government is to be measured only by the extent of the individual right, and it is bound to proi•ide means adequate to the end in view. . If the government be complex, the members of the convention which means may be distributed and the framed the•Coustitution, ought to ad obligations of duty divided, but nut so monish us alir,aluit' a, rash .asSumpfion. as to fall short of the object to be of exclusive - jurisdiction. That which accoinplished.. merely extends to a particular subject, . Ours is a complex system, with or class of subjects, can not, upon any distributed powers to all of its parts, legitimate mode of interpretation, be but all its parts constituting an entire considered as comprising the whole of sovereignty, and so of course in duty such ,class to the excluSion of .every bound as a.wholo to furnish complete other povier. Several powers may protection, extend to - a 'given .class:of subjects; but Whatever -powers and duties are one can comprehend them all. The not delegated or assigned to one de- extension of a power to a subject, by partment or branch of the, entire sov- no means inergesit exclusively within ereignty, must remain in the other. such power. • If the one be made up of delegated . But we are relieved from the ne-H and the other of reserved powers,• the cessity of criticism upon these words, duties assigned to the former can only by another provision of ,the same in be coextensive with the powers dele- strument, in the following words : gated, and the duties of the latter "This Constitution and the laws of must be commensurate with the pow- the United States. made "in pursuance ern reserved, and those powers ade- thereof, and all- treaties made, or which , quote to every emergency, not within shall be made under the authorities of the 800p0 Of 1.1,0 cCol'iilOr. - rho tr.i.t.a sssstss_. "will be the supreme The Federal Government is one of law of the land ; and me Judges of , delegated pow d ers, the State Govern : - ercry State shall be bound thereby." rnent one of reserved powers: The Here is a distinct recognition of the former competent to act only within power and duty of State Judges to de- its prescribed boundary; the latter tide upon and- to conform to all the' exercising all the functions of saver= requirements of the Federal Constitu eiguty which have not been delegated tion s and the "lam made in pursuance to the former. - thereof." If thdterms "extend to," The power to protect and guard in a former preision,•were intended the individual liberty of the citizen, to be exclusive„and to vest sole and is one of the powers reserved to- the ultimate power n the Federal Courts States. It was never granted to the and Judges, wh - should the obligation Federal Government, (except is a of constructioc obedience, and con very few prescribed cases which have , fomity be inipised upon State Judges? no bearing upon the present inquiry,) Why are fu. Constitution and•the has never been claimed for it, but laws of the Forted States " made in always conceded to the States. pursuaur liereof," made the law of If, therefore, it is the duty of the every fate/ and the State Judges State to guard the individual liberty boundinereby, unless those subjects. has ., wore sdressed to the judicial mind of its citizens, it must necessarily. - the right and the power to- inquire and prscience of those officers ? And into any authority by which that lib= why rat careful phrase when bs • :ted those 1 made officers de in pursuance were ad city is attempted to. be taken away. dreid to State 'Judges, " the laws of But the power to inquire includes the tthhee„ unless States-- n power to decide. The right to demand id re by what authority such imprisonment qii- to determine whether whether is attempted, implies the obligation of °tot • the- laws of the United States the person imprisoning to respond. *e made in pursuance thereof 1 t seems to me that here is an ex- The right to demand such authority on the one band, implies on the other 115-I:e:c(?gnition of the judicial power the duty to exhibit it. -.• I r the StatesslisVending to all laws Agains the States have delegated to if the United States, ainr requisition the Federal Government the power 'f obedience on , the _part n' t 5 !... a .!' to imprison its citizens, in certain Judges to all the laws of the United cases, but in none other. So far, then States, provided they are made in pur as that Government acts upon tlt, nuance of the Constitution of the Uni power thus delegated, the States cl' ted States. • not interfere to protect its citize,i This view is strongly fortified by but in every other case, they not o' the historical fact that various attempts have the power, but it is their sole' Were made to create and establish one duty to interpose their - authority. -s ultimate, sole - tribunal which should the power by which the Federal N- finally decide upon all questiOns which ernment can impris(m, is a delee• might arise in the course-of Federal power, it is bound to show, in .rY and State Administration, in regard case where it imprisons, that it ict - to the exercise or claim of delegated inglapou some power delegatt It powers in the Federal Government must be "nominated in the bot on the one band, orreserve • d powers The ConStitution of the kited in she States on the other. - States•sed. But the 17 the deed of grant, eis . project was found to 'be by written charter, of all thewers impracticable in the - then posture of 1 delegated to the Federal G-oinents affairs, and the attempt was abandoned; i The States severally retain i'e of the Convention. preferring rather to sovereignty limited only by local . incur the hazard of, collision, trusting Constitutions prescribed b . f pen - to the good sense,. patriotism, and for- , bearance of the two G • overnments, and pie of each. .• ' Therefore, to me it Wl', that the people, to meet • and' provide for when the Federal Govi nt . at- . such emergencies as there might arise, tempts to act in a givi! i e s its Is than to create one sole ; ultimate tribu- bound to exhibit a - casi‘Cliin its nal, which might, either abstract from P prescribed powers; for s . other- and destroy the efficiency of the one, wise, it would t sumption or absorb all the powers of the oth • involve a . other; of inherent powers, an ;:scen its leave the one a mete - league, or -the' baiter. er• oth mere dependent colonies of a ted, and . As the States 1.1 t ,_ consolidated . Government, accordingly the Federal Governni n‘ power, as direction or bias niight chance to be t snswerable given it by temporary. • .• . . the latter is at all _ .. _ exigencies ma to the former, and nil vq?i!ed. to. dent to the commencement Of a new exhibit the deed by ''t claims - to and untried System. - do, or refuses tep:th primaryany given It is clear, therefore, that the Fed act, act, when so regain eral Government can only, operate mar -ed original authority. - th Unitedwithin the prescribed spherek - In the Constitut e out by the Constitution of the United . . red the in- States sound poll% States; that, that Government is at all il y which the times answer corporation et „ . able to- the States, so far , d, might be. as to b • Government, t ' ul be enabledbring their action. within the such in fact, arulY • to charter: that the judicial power of the . . ,3.11 of the cre- Union is as much• . circumscribed by the apt upon individ ignties. This Constitution ative eonstituett - as' every other depart ,s. lsned by the merit of the could onlY ,---:. partment, Federal ' Government: creation of a jr - P .•.. an- . that an Act: of Congress without the ~:nt within its Constitutional sphere; would be no preme and Itsolose process law:that . prescribed s y citizen. But out should .extend • the. ' Censtitutionarsphere, would , element of sov- he no in giving up, a ' fii , re u y guarded that of th judgment, sentence,- or decree"; ereignty, tne. e acts of .Congress the State with provisions Judiciary it, hedged '• d . • are bound to_ judge, when.- , s e were inTas- ever . which it - vv1•1 : i • • . are brought before . it, so ia . sable. Th., t e its exica jn to ascertain'• .. whether such arts are , selected, whose made• - words rtio e . . • mi on in pursuance - 'sof tharConstittn; ly be staken, ti on," import cet ~ because that judiciary "is bound was supposed no thereby." and bey on • . . DEVOTED TO THE PRINPIPLES.OF DEMOCRACY, AND THE DISSEMINATION OF MORALITY'LITERATURE, AND NEWS COUDERSPORT, POTTER- COUNTY, PA., FEBRUARY 23, 1855. venturesome mind would rush. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity, arising. under thii Constitution, the laws and treaties made, or which titian be made under their authority," &c. The words "ex tend to" might, perhaps, upon the the ory of liberal construction, be held to be exclusive in, their import, were it not for another provision of that in strument which will presently be no ticed. But the very selection of ,the words "extend to," when we consider the extreme. caution observed by the . The States never yielded . . to the judgments and decrees are made and Federal Government the guardianship pronounced by the peaceful and con of the libel ties of their people. In .a stitutional masses, which they bad the few carefully specified instances, they wisdom and foresight to provide in the delegated to the Federal Government organization of the Government. Col thepower to punish, and so far, and - lisions of this kind - are by no means so far only, withdrew their protection. new in. this Government. They'have I In all else they reserved the power occurred froin time to. time, as the and continued the obligation And duty supposed exigencies of the country upon themselves to secure the rights' hare called into exercise new powers, of their citizens, declared to be in- or seemed to require the adoption of alienable, viz.; "life, liberty ; and the new measures. But such . collisions pursuit of happiness." •- have all along our history found their Itivill readily be conceded that the' appropriate. remedy, in the awaken provision which the people have made rug of inquiry, in a recurrence to pri in their government, for the protection wary and fundameutal principles, and of thrise rights in,thern individually, is in riretnrn to the constitutional sphere. founiV in ~ the . Judicial department. And so it will ever be; until one or the Thatts the arm of sovereignty which• other shall rashly or madly rush on to they "evoke when these rights are in- extremities in defiance Of constite diviaally invaded. Every citizen has tional remedies. - 'a riglii to appeal to the fundamental, The State Judges and Courts are as eharacterof both sovereigntiesto which much bound to support the Constitu he is :object, to test the validity ofthe tine and laws of the United Stater, as , authority by which his-right to liberty are the Federal Courts and Judges. is dened. It follows, therefore, that I cannot yield to the assumption that the - Over which he has a right to theformer will be less mindful of their invokeln his behalf, nust profess the oaths and 'obligations than the -latter, right - 4 inquire into the conformity though I can readily perceive why the with !le authority set up over his State Judges. may be naturally more natural, rights, with the fundamental I mindful of the exact line of demarka- 1 law. As a State JudiCiary is the only don bet Ween delegated and reserved 1 pover to which the guardianship of, powers, because they are under the i individual liberty is iutrusted, it fol- additional obligation to support the I lovs that it must have the right to Constitution and rights of the States, inqvre into such conformity. - If these views be correct, bow stands It would seem obvious that this the present easel It is clearly our potr to inquire has never been sur- - duty to grant this writ, to inquire into ren red by the States. It is reserved the cause of the prisoners' capture and to dim and the people thereof. Hence detention. - The return of the re- ' it is higinal in. the States. If original, spondent sets out such cause. Our then ire appropriate means and instru- next duty is to inquire into this return, i mentides incident to its exercise, are in order to. ascertain whether the I 1 alike served and original. Among prisoner is held by any legal authority. i such iytrumentalities, the writ of ha- 'lt will be conceded that the only right- I beas ca-pus is espedially recognized ful authority by which he can be im in the (onstitution, and a positive' ex- prisoned must be exercised either by 1 hibition upon the power' of Congress the Government of this State, or by to intecere with its scope and func- that of the United States. No other tions, accept in specified cases, is- earthly power can rightfu4y interfere carefully inserted. As if it were not with his right to . libeity.. But it is con enough to restrict the Federal Govern- ceded that he is not held by the author ment to the specifically delegated ity of this State., The. - next step. in , powers,'but to render the power of the the inquiry is to ascertain whether he ! States more conspicuous, certain, and is heldi by any constitutional authority 1 efficacious, for the protection of indi- of the Federal Government. What vidual liberty, all power on•the part of ever such authority may be, to be of I 1 Ccngress,to suspend even, isexpresily any validity whatever, it must clearly ' denied: . • appear to be within the powers dele . Therefiire, so far as the proceeding gated by the Constitution and the laws under this writ- is concerned, it is of the United States made in pursuance I original, and, from the necessity of the thereof. Any other power attempted case, the jurisdiction of it is original i to be exercised by any department of I in the State; and, as Congress cannot I the Federal GOvernment would he a I suspend its benefits, it cannot abridge I manifest usurpation', and of no binding- I the power and jurisdiction of the State I validity.. -The National Convention : judiciary;• it follows that it can grant I that framed the Constitution was ex- . to no one exemption- from the obliga-ceedingly cautious about conferring ! I tion of obedience to its mandates. criminal jurisdiction upon the Federal And it as clearly follows that' every I Government; so much so, that an individual within the State, no matter I enumeration of•the crimes for which 1 . . what authority he may claim to act, punishment could be provided was 4 i s r 1;(..;;;i1; o — O l b e 2 y lz; t he 11 e"" .: l i ' v st ; e -1, 1 : n - li q a - ci, - his p tr .l i eir obligation o. sometimes le earth timo ef eau a os r ba r i eaddb, s.t b .ee: ec lo a i . rn use t z o !: e a7fl . illy made. Congress has, how -I '' - I.i• ever, provrded for the definition and • / i , •:—., , T-1, : of numerous other cri.r. this writ is pumshrn-- , eessarily inel../?.liv: ' and offenses, a5 . ...4 . ... , .. 1 for_l7," ~ , \,, z -...%:e- . .i;'isi in, the nature .of a writ of error,. to the due execution o powers expressly review the proceedings of an inferior granted. But all - aeree that the Fed court or magistrate; This is some- eral Courts can exercise no criminal times true.- But without stopping here jurisdiction,. except in cases specifi to inquire, whether for the purposes Of tally prescribed by act of Congress. thiS writ, the inferior United States for E m ine b r i y a -a t ct of t Congress must be con authority, t c u p t s i s o s n r , y t l t i o a tt the :, ant Courts bo i:i tbye; as s r b e regards not the inferioro ffie e t to r S t t a h r e e either the exercise of some power writ in a proceeding like this, it can expressly hardly partake of the nature of a writ goranhteed,e°cn execbution of some express power. i o . c o c r a s c i o o n n a g. i t teem swap of error.' Every sovereign power has j t e tn a r d ir t e be in a to uth tl o ra ri c ty on o d r ition of to I sho av w e o th n a a t ri t iht e he a r n i n ts ri st i b l causesproved September 18,1850 commonly of their imprisonment. This writis called the Fugitive Slave - A ct,wasnet the appropriate means of this inquiry, within the Constitutional power of When the State uses it to inquire Congress. Congress. 1 haire no time now to en whether the citizen is imprisoned by large upon the views there, presented. virtue of a power which it has dole- But I may be permitted to say, that' gated to another Government, it does after careful research, and much re not bring the proceedings of that flection, I have not been able to p Government info review; it only seeks ceive any reason.to recede from the toinquire whether the case falls with- positions then taken, but on the con its the own )p e reserved fo p r o m w e e t r , s i . t .I. y f i a . lwdis to contrary traly, it is-clear to my mind, that the sovereignty tr a n nd destructive iendtoeptebnedepnecaeneof and helped r t a o rn r o e u s n t. t a i ti r th n o o r t i t , y it ridl i r s i c p l o r s i e t s has oN of States, the subject matter according to its own harmony of the .Union, and ultimately subversive of the very and 13tit l d end and aim forTmbs ofe obligationsa a n n e o m t p di a s t n e b a . z. b e y e t m h y a t d e u n t a y ctment. I procednre, of the State - aFeeidi,aedratloGboaverarnumtneanits and d e h r e a r aip ein rn p n e a r l: affirming- the conchrsions to which I The one to abstain from interference, then arrived: I cannot hang m yr y ith c o o u n: whenever it perceives the Subject .or,n science d upon the suggestions or opin sdnilitaaottwitoenrattosort b tt I h e t: i a v ou i t t th h he i o n r 1, a - i t h t e a 0 dictated must dbyt judgeheco and nsClenCes. of y n and I l i h t d a nh ed t bi other ta j ia u i r i m s to others. Imhars. They aet for' theselves. - -So must I. It be to exercise is within the powers dele- faithful to my, trust, as others, n i d u O doubt gated, s b t l y, - gated, and which. it may rightfully less, are to theirs. But believing, exercise. .There is little daneer of d a o, s that . Congress had, no power -to troublesome collision so long as ° each apnds obligations act 'of 1850, that the dutier shall be- Willing to measure its func- ion i f gations declared by the Con donsto ultimate sil,nog b i dyfs: thesubmission bonnn ri s isas t ios a ni n ono d n,f a so r an d : l atbcphrsaeeilo,utenetreed. hand b anii y nquali . i t e h iisf e ; ,s s t t . i t t ut ' in s that respect, by the 3d Sates, t c laus eutioon; w e e c r . 9 2, of act 4of the Con- I and all poiivinerpionserdelatinopnonthetrhen--`' am conitrelled to rtienqnu'isite, and on the. other a perfect to, reserved to the Slates andthe hold immunity to claim and usurp all power, pie, - : nneonstttutional and void, and to be the Sole and ultimate judge wn claims, then act is can confer no authority upon the Fed collision of the • validity of its, n collision is ..the_ preferable. akernaiive, eral Courts becamienollision invokes the arbitra- .-This doet , rine'ioes to' the jurisdic merit of the ultimate source. of all lion of the Court power, the people themselves , . :- -' —ourt which attempted - to whose try and sentence tiiii petitioner, which. • jurisdiction is always subject to inqui ry and decision in any other Court in which its procecding may come in question, collaterally or otherwise. This is true of. Courts of general ju risdiction, and much more is it true in regard to the jurisdiction of Courts o r inferior special and limited jinis diction. The 2nd clause of the Ith section of the Ist article of the, Constitution of the United States provides : " The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when, in case of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it." The inzertion of this clause in the Consti tution, clearly indicates the extreme caution which was exercised by the members of the National Convention, and also. the apprehension which they felt lest the power of the'States might prove too much for that of the Fede ral Government. White, on the one hand, they obviously intended to leave tothe State Governments the jurisdic tion and control of this high preroga tive • writ, in all ordinary.circumstan ceS; and on all ordinary occasions,. on the other they granted to Congress the power to suspend its privileges whenever they should manifest an open rebellion against .the Federal authority, or an invasion of the na tional or state territory. The suspen sion of the privileges of the writ, here referied to, could not be held as applying only to the power of. the United States Courts to issue it, be;- cause such - power could be made c to extend to but few cases,. and, Mora palpably, because it could hardly be conceived that the national Judiciary would ever be found disposed to use the writ in aid 'of the subversion of the very authority upon the existence of which their own functions depended. Hence it is apparent that the inhibi tion and the exceptions therefrom have reference to the State function aries, and the clause must be regarded as restrictive upon the power of Con gress to interfere with the authority of the State Judges to issue, hear and determine the writ. This clause, then, may be regarded in two aspects, the one as an express reservation to the States of the power and jurisdiction over the writ of ha beas corpus in all cases whatsoever, except in cases of rebellion or inva sion; when the public safety might require its suspension, and in such -cases, as an absolute grant of power to the Congress to suspend its -privi leges. But these cases must be de clared by Congress before any sus pension can be ordered. All this goes to show that the framers of thenia in- 0. • stitution not only - rec.r,---• , I.l' • -con •. States the gener.;),.o°,.'..io n ea in the the wr , r p it .... .:= l ;:i z e• lr lN: il i :r 2..dtso - lu a te control of , VIII by the provisions cited, ez teiy required obedience to it, • on all occasions, and by all persons land functionaries, whether State or Federal, unless -Congress should de clare the existence of the emergencies, wherein it might and should suspend its privileges. I Iu view of this remarkable'provision of the Constitution, it is not a little surprising that a claim is lately set up in behalf of Federal Officers, even of the lowest grade; of entire immunity from any obligation to regard the writ when emanating ,from State !I authority, and thatjurisdiction of this writ is pertly quest . ioned by inferior ministerial officers, even when issued from the highest judicial tribunal of a sovereign State. However regard. less a people may be encroachments upon the power to which alone they have confided their liberties, it would seem that such pretensions, from such_ sources, could. hardly fail to invite: . inquiry in regard not only to the rights of sovereignty originally re served, but • in regard to what yet. remain, nut yet frittered 'away by thoughtless acquiescence on the ono . hand, or voluntary surrender on the other. But it seems to me unnecessary to pur,ue this subject further. The whole tenor and scope of the Federal Constitution, indicate most clearly that the State Judges, and indeed all State officers, are essential to its main tenance and support, and accordingly the very last clahse in the instrument requires such officers to be bdund by oath or affirmation to support it. Yet the course of reasoning sometimes resorted to, in order to oust the State Judiciary of jurisdiction of a consti sutional question, is based upon the assumption that State Judges must necessarily be reckless of such obliga tion, and that fidelity to official duty is only to be expected from Federal officers. But this assumption goes too far. his a weapon with a double edge. The same hypothesis presup poses that Federal Judges are utterly unmindful of the restrictions which the Constitution imposes upon Federal power, and that they for` • the sake of " uniformity," to admin. NO. 40.