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Does "high-handed" here mean "given to haughty disregard of others"?

 
 
Reply Sat 27 Apr, 2013 10:37 pm
If yes, "others" refers to "other things," not "other people."
Do you agree with me?

Context:
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.
ITS JUDGES AND JURISDICTION.

THE late renovation in the constitution of this august body, by the creation of seven of its nine members under the auspices of the present democratic ascendency, may be regarded as the closing of an old, and the opening of a new, era in its history. And certainly to those who have looked on, for so many a weary year, in sorrow and almost in despair, at the career of high-handed judicial legislation, which it was so proudly pursuing, this correction - salutary, however tardy - of the antidemocratic tone of principle...

More:
http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=usde&cc=usde&idno=usde0001-2&node=usde0001-2%3A1&view=image&seq=149&size=100
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Type: Question • Score: 5 • Views: 1,044 • Replies: 9
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View best answer, chosen by oristarA
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sat 27 Apr, 2013 11:59 pm
Where is "others" in that piece?
oralloy
  Selected Answer
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 12:50 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
Does "high-handed" here mean "given to haughty disregard of others"?


I believe so.



oristarA wrote:
If yes, "others" refers to "other things," not "other people."
Do you agree with me?


I would think other people, specifically those people who disagree with the court rulings that the article denounces.

If I understand the article, it is a publication by an adherent of Jacksonian democracy, and it is lauding the end of the Marshall Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonian_democracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Court

The author did not like the past court's rulings, and is calling them high-handed for having done something that he dislikes.

A more accurate answer might come from someone who is more familiar with the history of that era.
oristarA
 
  2  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 12:52 am
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

Where is "others" in that piece?



In the title:
Does "high-handed" here mean "given to haughty disregard of others"?

The definition "given to haughty disregard of others" comes from my EE dictionary.
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 12:55 am
@oralloy,
oralloy wrote:

oristarA wrote:
Does "high-handed" here mean "given to haughty disregard of others"?


I believe so.



oristarA wrote:
If yes, "others" refers to "other things," not "other people."
Do you agree with me?


I would think other people, specifically those people who disagree with the court rulings that the article denounces.

If I understand the article, it is a publication by an adherent of Jacksonian democracy, and it is lauding the end of the Marshall Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonian_democracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Court

The author did not like the past court's rulings, and is calling them high-handed for having done something that he dislikes.

A more accurate answer might come from someone who is more familiar with the history of that era.


I think my understanding improved after reading your reply. However, not very clearly. If the piece being rewritten in plain English, it will be a great help.
oralloy
 
  0  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 01:54 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
If the piece being rewritten in plain English, it will be a great help.

This might be better done by someone with a greater understanding of the history of the era, but I'll try.



Quote:
THE late renovation in the constitution of this august body, by the creation of seven of its nine members

The author is referring to the fact that seven of the nine members of the Supreme Court are now members of his own faction.


Quote:
under the auspices of the present democratic ascendency,

The author is referring to the rise of his faction as democratic ascendency (suggesting that those who oppose him are against democracy).


Quote:
may be regarded as the closing of an old, and the opening of a new, era in its history.

Since the court is now under the control of his own faction, the time when the court did things that he didn't like is at an end. Now there will be a new era, when the court will do things that he agrees with.


Quote:
And certainly to those who have looked on, for so many a weary year, in sorrow and almost in despair, at the career of high-handed judicial legislation, which it was so proudly pursuing,

The author is saying that the past years, when the court did things that his faction didn't like, were horrific.


Quote:
this correction - salutary, however tardy -

The author is saying that the new direction of the court is admirable, but it would have been nice if this had happened much sooner.


Quote:
of the antidemocratic tone of principle...

Since the author feels that his faction represents democracy, and since the old court did things that his faction disliked, he is calling the old court anti-democratic.
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 02:53 am
@oristarA,
When a person or group of people (such as the members of the 1838 US Supreme Court) are said to behave in a way that displays a human attitude or attribute such as usefulness, friendliness, haughtiness, helpfulness, cruelty, kindness, condescension, comradeliness, etc to "others" then those "others" are other people.
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 05:04 am
@oristarA,

Quote:
The definition "given to haughty disregard of others" comes from my EE dictionary.


I wouldn't quibble about that.

Why do you seem not to trust the dictionary? Btw do you ever dip into a thesaurus? That's always instructive.
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 08:23 am
@McTag,
McTag wrote:


Quote:
The definition "given to haughty disregard of others" comes from my EE dictionary.


I wouldn't quibble about that.

Why do you seem not to trust the dictionary? Btw do you ever dip into a thesaurus? That's always instructive.


Well, does Wikipedia count? That's my thesaurus at hand and loves it very much.
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sun 28 Apr, 2013 08:24 am
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

When a person or group of people (such as the members of the 1838 US Supreme Court) are said to behave in a way that displays a human attitude or attribute such as usefulness, friendliness, haughtiness, helpfulness, cruelty, kindness, condescension, comradeliness, etc to "others" then those "others" are other people.


Cool and useful.
Thanks.
0 Replies
 
 

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