@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.