the writings-5-第75章

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I　would　invite　special　attention　to　the　recommendation　of　the

Secretary　for　a　more　perfect　organization　of　the　navy　by　introducing

additional　grades　in　the　service。



The　present　organization　is　defective　and　unsatisfactory；　and　the

suggestions　submitted　by　the　department　will；　it　is　believed；　if

adopted；　obviate　the　difficulties　alluded　to；　promote　harmony；　and

increase　the　efficiency　of　the　navy。



There　are　three　vacancies　on　the　bench　of　the　Supreme　Courttwo　by

the　decease　of　Justices　Daniel　and　McLean　and　one　by　the　resignation

of　Justice　Campbell。　　I　have　so　far　forborne　making　nominations　to

fill　these　vacancies　for　reasons　which　I　will　now　state。　　Two　of　the

outgoing　judges　resided　within　the　States　now　overrun　by　revolt；　so

that　if　successors　were　appointed　in　the　same　localities　they　could

not　now　serve　upon　their　circuits；　and　many　of　the　most　competent　men

there　probably　would　not　take　the　personal　hazard　of　accepting　to

serve；　even　here；　upon　the　Supreme　bench。　　I　have　been　unwilling　to

throw　all　the　appointments　north…ward；　thus　disabling　myself　from

doing　justice　to　the　South　on　the　return　of　peace；　although　I　may

remark　that　to　transfer　to　the　North　one　which　has　heretofore　been　in

the　South　would　not；　with　reference　to　territory　and　population；　be

unjust。



During　the　long　and　brilliant　judicial　career　of　Judge　McLean　his

circuit　grew　into　an　empire…altogether　too　large　for　any　one　judge　to

give　the　courts　therein　more　than　a　nominal　attendancerising　in

population　from　1；470；018　in　1830　to　6；151；405　in　1860。



Besides　this；　the　country　generally　has　outgrown　our　present　judicial

system。　　If　uniformity　was　at　all　intended；　the　system　requires　that

all　the　States　shall　be　accommodated　with　circuit　courts；　attended　by

Supreme　judges；　while；　in　fact；　Wisconsin；　Minnesota；　Iowa；　Kansas；

Florida；　Texas；　California；　and　Oregon　have　never　had　any　such

courts。　　Nor　can　this　well　be　remedied　without　a　change　in　the

system；　because　the　adding　of　judges　to　the　Supreme　Court；　enough　for

the　accommodation　of　all　parts　of　the　country　with　circuit　courts；

would　create　a　court　altogether　too　numerous　for　a　judicial　body　of

any　sort。　　And　the　evil；　if　it　be　one；　will　increase　as　new　States

come　into　the　Union。　　Circuit　courts　are　useful　or　they　are　not

useful。　　If　useful；　no　State　should　be　denied　them；　if　not　useful；　no

State　should　have　them。　　Let　them　be　provided　for　all　or　abolished　as

to　all。



Three　modifications　occur　to　me；　either　of　which；　I　think；　would　be

an　improvement　upon　our　present　system。　　Let　the　Supreme　Court　be　of

convenient　number　in　every　event；　then；　first；　let　the　whole　country

be　divided　into　circuits　of　convenient　size；　the　Supreme　judges　to

serve　in　a　number　of　them　corresponding　to　their　own　number；　and

independent　circuit　judges　be　provided　for　all　the　rest；　or；

secondly；　let　the　Supreme　judges　be　relieved　from　circuit　duties　and

circuit　judges　provided　for　all　the　circuits；　or；　thirdly；　dispense

with　circuit　courts　altogether；　leaving　the　judicial　functions　wholly

to　the　district　courts　and　an　independent　Supreme　Court。



I　respectfully　recommend　to　the　consideration　of　Congress　the　present

condition　of　the　statute　laws；　with　the　hope　that　Congress　will　be

able　to　find　an　easy　remedy　for　many　of　the　inconveniences　and　evils

which　constantly　embarrass　those　engaged　in　the　practical

administration　of　them。　　Since　the　Organization　of　the　government；

Congress　has　enacted　some　5000　acts　and　joint　resolutions；　which　fill

more　than　6000　closely　printed　pages　and　are　scattered　through　many

volumes。　　Many　of　these　acts　have　been　drawn　in　haste　and　without

sufficient　caution；　so　that　their　provisions　are　often　obscure　in

themselves　or　in　conflict　with　each　other；　or　at　least　so　doubtful　as

to　render　it　very　difficult　for　even　the　best…informed　persons　to

ascertain　precisely　what　the　statute　law　really　is。



It　seems　to　me　very　important　that　the　statute　laws　should　be　made　as

plain　and　intelligible　as　possible；　and　be　reduced　to　as　small　a

compass　as　may　consist　with　the　fullness　and　precision　of　the　will　of

the　Legislature　and　the　perspicuity　of　its　language。　　This　well　done

would；　I　think；　greatly　facilitate　the　labors　of　those　whose　duty　it

is　to　assist　in　the　administration　of　the　laws；　and　would　be　a

lasting　benefit　to　the　people；　by　placing　before　them　in　a　more

accessible　and　intelligible　form　the　laws　which　so　deeply　concern

their　interests　arid　their　duties。



I　am　informed　by　some　whose　opinions　I　respect　that　all　the　acts　of

Congress　now　in　force　and　of　a　permanent　and　general　nature　might　be

revised　and　rewritten　so　as　to　be　embraced　in　one　volume　（or　at　most

two　volumes）　of　ordinary　and　convenient　size；　and　I　respectfully

recommend　to　Congress　to　consider　of　the　subject；　and　if　my

suggestion　be　approved　to　devise　such　plan　as　to　their　wisdom　shall

seem　most　proper　for　the　attainment　of　the　end　proposed。



One　of　the　unavoidable　consequences　of　the　present　insurrection　is

the　entire　suppression　in　many　places　of　all　the　ordinary　means　of

administering　civil　justice　by　the　officers　and　in　the　forms　of

existing　law。　　This　is　the　case；　in　whole　or　in　part；　in　all　the

insurgent　States；　and　as　our　armies　advance　upon　and　take　possession

of　parts　of　those　States　the　practical　evil　becomes　more　apparent。

There　are　no　courts　or　officers　to　whom　the　citizens　of　other　States

may　apply　for　the　enforcement　of　their　lawful　claims　against　citizens

of　the　insurgent　States；　and　there　is　a　vast　amount　of　debt

constituting　such　claims。　　Some　have　estimated　it　as　high　as

200；000；000；　due　in　large　part　from　insurgents　in　open　rebellion　to

loyal　citizens　who　are　even　now　making　great　sacrifices　in　the

discharge　of　their　patriotic　duty　to　support　the　government。





Under　these　circumstances　I　have　been　urgently　solicited　to

establish；　by　military　power；　courts　to　administer　summary　justice　in

such　cases。　　I　have　thus　far　declined　to　do　it；　not　because　I　had　any

doubt　that　the　end　proposedthe　collection　of　the　debtswas　just

and　right　in　itself；　but　because　I　have　been　unwilling　to　go　beyond

the　pressure　of　necessity　in　the　unusual　exercise　of　power。　　But　the

powers　of　Congress；　I　suppose；　are　equal　to　the　anomalous　occasion；

and　therefore　I　refer　the　whole　matter　to　Congress；　with　the　hope

that　a　plan　maybe　devised　for　the　administration　of　justice　in　all

such　parts　of　the　insurgent　States　and　Territories　as　may　be　under

the　control　of　this　government；　whether　by　a　voluntary　return　to

allegiance　and　order　or　by　the　power　of　our　arms；　this；　however；　not

to　be　a　permanent　institution；　but　a　temporary　substitute；　and　to

cease　as　soon　as　the　ordinary　courts　can　be　reestablished　in　peace。



It　is　important　that　some　more　convenient　means　should　be　provided；

if　possible；　for　the　adjustment　of　claims　against　the　government；

especially　in　view　of　their　increased　number　by　reason　of　the　war。

It　is　as　much　the　duty　of　government　to　render　prompt　justice　against

itself　in　favor　of　citizens　as　it　is　to　administer　the　same　between

private　individuals。　　The　investigation　and　adjudication　of　claims　in

their　nature　belong　to　the　judicial　department。　　Besides；　it　is

apparent　that　the　attention　of　Congress　will　be　more　than　usually

engaged　for　some　time　to　come　with　great　national　questions。　　It　was

intended　by　the　organization　of　the　Court　of　Claims　mainly　to　remove

this　branch　of　business　from　the　halls　of　Congress；　but；　while　the

court　has　proved　to　be　an　effective　and　valuable　means　of

investigation；　it　in　great　degree　fails　to　effect　the　object　of　its

creation　for　want　of　power　to　make　its　judgments　final。



Fully　aware　of　the　delicacy；　not　to　say　the　danger　of　the　subject；　I

commend　to　your　careful　consideration　whether　this　power　of　making

judgments　final　may　not　properly　be　given　to　the　court；　reserving　the

right　of　appeal　on　questions　of　law　to　t