Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-03-19
Thursday Morning, March 10, 1851
Most Important Decision Of the
Supreme Court.

Supreme IGHrt.
The Supreme Court of the United
States has just made the most impor-
tant decision, accompanied by the
most learned and interesting opinion,
in the bred Scott case, that has prob
ably ever emanated from that tribu-
nal.
The substance of the decision of.
the court is as follows:
That the rsstrietive law of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, With reference to
slavery, is unconstitutional aud void.
That a Territorial Government can
not make enactm iits r.lltive to the
personal properly of citizens of the
United States in Federal Territory
which are beyond the powers that
Congress itself possesses by virtue of
the Constitution.
That the legal title TO slave prop
erty in the .Stlte in which it is held
is not affected by the temporary So.
journ of slave in any other State.
Such are the great and important
principles established by the highest
judicial tribunal known to the laws Of
our country. The positions hereto
fogs taken by the South on this ques-
ton are fully established, The wis
dom of the. Kansas Nebraska act, in
expressly referring the controverted
point touching the powers of the Ter
ritorial Governments to the judiciary
and in declaring the Missouri, Com
promise to be void, is ample and tri-
pmpbantly Yihdicated BY this decis-
ion. '
It is enough that the Territorial
Governments are declared to have no
more power over the personal prop
erly of their inhabitants than Con
gress itself possesses, under the Con-
stitution, because Congress cannot
delegate power that the Constitution
does not confer upon it. II is suffi-
cient, because the opinion is also
enlphatically given that Congress ex-
ceeded its powers when it undertook,
by the Missouri Compromise, to ex-
clude slavery from portion OF the
Territories and to confer freedom and
citizenship TO another portion.
= Here we have first the decision
that Congress possesses no constitu-
tional power to exclude negro slavery
from the Territories OF the United
States; and, second, that no terrific
rid government eau make enactments
relative to the personal property Of
its Inhabitants that exceeds the power
of Congress to do. The "Squatter
Sovereignty at which the entire
know nothing party Was so terribly
alarmed is thus dissipated and dissolv-
ed by the Supreme Court, to which
the Democracy had trusted the whole
question. The Constitutional rights
Of the South are thus indicated, elu-
.cidated and authoritatively enforced
by the only tribunal which could set
tie. the question permanently and
satisfactorily to the great mass of
The people. The i'll Judged policy Of
logging into a political canvass a ques-
ton Of such vital moment is also ex-
posed. And the Democratic party is
sustained and historically nationaliz-
ed in that, by the Kapsas-Nebraska
act, it initiated the efficient move
ment which will tranquilize the coun-
try.remoye most dangerous and agi-
tating controversy and establish the
constitutional rights Of the South up-l
on firm and enduring basis. Black
Republicanism and Abolitionism may
assail the Supreme Court with its Vi
Imperative batteries, but every shot
that it fires henceforth viii recoil and |
prove fatal to itself Like Its attacks I
upon the Bible, its assaults upon the
Constitution viii only eternize its ID
fanny. 49,.