Page:The Supreme Court in United States History vol 1.djvu/249

Rh was shown in letters from numerous correspondents.* One wrote that the Federal Circuit Court system would "operate more mischievously than anywhere else, by jeopardizing those principles upon which our Courts have hitherto proceeded in settling their lands", and he hoped that "these aristocratic Judges may be left to graze in their own pastures.'^ Another hoped that Breckenridge would " never quit the ground till the Fed- eral Courts and the Excise Law are both laid low in the grave with old Johnny Adams." Another wrote that he would "rejoice to see the Federal Government re- duced to the purposes of mere general and National concern and. . . the State Sovereignties completely reestablished. . . . They are the true and proper guardians of our all. We can certainly so regulate them as to render any interference of the General Gov- ernment almost unnecessary. Our State Courts are safe and proper tribimals for every species of con- troversy between man and man; and I see no reason why the General Government would not receive the same measure of justice from those Courts as from Federal Courts. This eternal clashing of Courts with concurrent jurisdiction is to me absurd and dangerous. But the greatest evil arising from the Federal plan of Courts is the awful appeal to the Supreme Federal Court." And another asked : "Are we [never to get dear of a Federal Court in this State? " and said : "K nothing else can be done» pray recommend to the States to amend the Constitution. This Court will ruin this State unless we can get clear of it." That these fears had some justification was seen, twenty years later, when the Supreme Court of the United States in Green

1 Breckenridge Papers M8S, letters of James Barbour, Feb. 22, 1802, Samuel Hopkins, Nov. 21, 1801, G. Thompson, Feb. 6, 1802, Jan. 20, 180S, John Collin, Jan. 4. 1802.