New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-08

The decision of The Supreme Court in the Lennon
cate il precisely such decision as night have been
expected from a NeW-YoIk tribunal. The Court
stands ,tesdlly by the sovereignty and humanity Of
the State, both CT which they place upon nVincble
grounds. They hold that the act Of 1S4l, BY 70.
peapg the exceptions contained in the act Of 1917
establishes the doctrine that no person can be
brous BIT tito this State or held here slaves and
that every per,on brought into the State, matter
for what purpose or for however short time, be-
comes thereby free.
TIE idea that any doctrine of comfy can be
sppl ed to case Of this sort s veV eheciuay dis
posed Of. Comfy never can require State to
extend to strangers n,thiog beyond the rights aad
privileges which it allows TO its own citizens
The laws Of New York do not ALLOW the citizens OF
New-York to employ the territory Of this State as
conyfriepcs for carrying On either the foreign or
ire domestic slave. trade, or to hold slaves within
ttis Stae for the shortest moment CT time. No
citizen Of New York has tie privilege Of buying
slaves in the market of Baltimore or Richmond and
bringing them here for shipment TO Nsw-Oreans
Or Texas not even for the purpose Of stocking plan
tstions he may own there. What the State docs
not ALLOW its owe citizens TO do, it cannot reason
ably be expected to sustain strangers In dong.
Nor does the clause in the Constitution OF the Uni
ted States which gives to the citizens Of each ate
the privileges and inmuOities Of citizens in all the
S.atts, 90 the least ,tep beyond this reasonable
init.
TIE point most relied Upon BY the counsel for
tie appellants was that, ~ the slaves in this case
csme hi.her by sea- aud were to sail hence for
Texas, they were, during their stay here, not
within the jurisdiction of the State Of New York,
bat within the jurisdiction Of Congress, by virtue
of the commercial power conferred upon it BY the
Federal Constitution. But tie Court deny that
this commercial power gives to Congress any au-
.hority to determine the status Of persons within
tue territory Of any of the States. That authority
remains complete and entire to the State, as well
over persons temporarily passing through it as over
those permanently resident in it. Tois power to
regulate commerce extends, within the jurisdiction
of any of the States, to merchandise oaly. Toe
power Of Cor gress to legsl.te in respect 70 passen
gers csn only extend to those passengers while
they are on the high seas and out Of the jursdic-
ton of any particular State.
Even on the ground that slaves were merchan-
die, the power to prohibit their being brought into
the State would still come within that right Of e.
tablisbiog police regulations which is conceded to
the States ard the settled legislation Of this STATE
shows that the holding Of slaves within the State
for any purpose is regarded inconsistent with the
public peace and welfare.
From this opinion, cencurred in by Judges
Mitchell Clerie, Davies and Peabody, Judge
Roosevelt dissened; we shall know one of these
days on what grounds. This decision Of the So
prewe Court, however, is but one step to ward ear
ryiDg this csse forward to Washington, where the
State Of Virginia, tie actual appellant 10 the case,
la. g,eat confidence Of getting decision in her
favor. .