Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-03-27

acter of black Republicanism is most
fully developed in the following expose,
by the Washington Union, of the conduct
of two of the Judges of the Supreme
Court, in respect to the publication of
their opinions upon the points involved
in the bred Scott case. The facts de-
tailod exhibit the depth of degradation
to which this detcstablc system drags
down its most prominent votaries. Every
American citizen should be made ac-
quainted with the truths brought to light
by the subjoined extract, that he may
form just estimate of the spirit that
prompted Greeley and his abolition satel-
lites to pounce so numerically upon the
unanswerable reasonings of the majority
of that august tribunal:
1.-The business in the Supreme Court
Of writing out, reading, and filing opin-
ions, and furnishing them to the public,
as we'll as to those specially interested,
has long had settled course, known to
those connected with its proceedings =
The judges have never given peculiar
prominence to one case over another,
nor sought to obtrude their opinions upon
the public. Everything has been left to
tho usual course sanctioned by the prac-
tice .. years. The majority in the bred
Scott case had every reason to believe
th.t no new one would be now pursued
,heir opinions were written out, read,
aal lied, as in other cases, and they
were left to find their way to the public
in The accustomed mode, without any
50 'cial agency or act of theirs. They
did not seek, nor even assent, that their
opinions should be rushed before the
public for political effect, or to crafty a
morbid or feverish appetite for something
new. They have maintained their own
dignity, as well as that of the court of
which they are members. We wish we
could include the dissenting judges,
Mclean and Curtis, in this category
Yielding to the pressure of political agi
tators, both stepped aside from the usual
course, and caused, or allowed, copies of
their opinions to be taken and ushered
to the world through the partizan presses.
These copies must have been furnished
before the opinions were Delivered
Why did they submit to this2 Can
there be doubt? Their political friends
desired to fOrestall pub e.o?inion, and
break the force and effect of the opinions
of the majority. Had all the opinions
gone out together, the public would have
Judged of the relative force of the facts
and arguments presented but by hur-
rying the minority opinions before the
public, and misrepresenting those of the
majority, and distorting their meaning.
political advantage could be gained. -
The agitators counted upon the benefit
that they could derive from this course.
They understood how difficult it is to
eradicate error when once deep-rooted in
the popular mind But one side is heard,
while the other is most grossly misrepre-
sented. The great jury Of the Ameri-
can people are called upon to determine
an important cause upon hearing the ar
guments upon one side only. Their
verdict is demanded without the other
side being listened to. A trial thus con-
Quoted, instead of resulting in truth,
must mislcad and point to error. a good
cause needs no such undue advantages
to sustain it. When the people fully
understand this attempt to mislcad, they
will look upon the authors of it with
suspicion. and refuse them their conf
dencc. Had the dissenting judges filed
their opinions in the usual manner, with
out furnishing partisan papers with copies
the public would not have been subjec'
to the dcceptions which such papers
practiccd, and the majority of the courI
would have escaped being traduced BY
unscrupulous editors and heated parti
sans. How these minority judges car
reconcile their course with fairness t.
their brethren is not easily imagined
except upon the assumption that they
did not understand and appreciate Tho
reckless unfairness of their friends, tt
whom they intrusted their opinions, MOI
the effect of their own acts.
1.-The course of the opposition in thu
matter demonstrates one position, to wit
that they kecnly felt the necessity o
some new element of agitation to rally
and keep up their thinning ranks. They
had seen thousands Of misled democrats
leaving their standard and returning Il
their old friends. Some means OF check
ing further loss was much needed to pre-
serve the show of strength. This may
answer temporary purpose but will
soon recoil upon them. Truth, thougl
slow in its progress, is faithful in it