*2^  Maine  Rep.  522,  Now,  if  this  case  had  been  under  the
S-'ith  s4*ction,  and  the  suit  had  been  in  the  admiralty,  this
ol'j»ction,  which  was  fatal  in  a  court  of  common  law,  would
not  have  existed.  For  the  law,  having  in  its  effect  and  opera-
tion inatle  the  thing  itself  a  principal  debtor,  the  admiralty
proceeds  directly  against  it,  as  a  party,  by  a  libel  in  rem,  and
the  decree  ii?  executed  upon  it  without  touching  the  general
assets  of  the  estate.  And  if  the  law  gives  to  the  lien  creditor
this  preference,  he  ought  not  to  be  deprived  of  it  merely  be-
cause one  tribunal  cannot  consistently  with  the  law,  which
governs  the  action  of  that  court,  give  the  remedy,  provided
another  court,  to  which  he  is  authorized  to  apply,  can  give  it
And  this  result  is  no  novelty,  but  is  familiar  to  the  jurispru-
dence of  the  State.  When  a  party  has  rights,  which  are
guaranteed  by  the  general  law  of  the  State,  and  a  court  of
common  law  cannot,  consistently  with  its  own  peculiar  juris-
prudence and  its  forms  and  modes  of  proceeding,  give  a  rem-
edy, he  is  turned  over  to  a  court  of  equity.
