The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-07-01

United States. Suppose Chief Justice Tauey
and his associates had thus remanded Dred
Scott and his children back 10 slavery OF a
plea in statement, or any mere technical
point not touching the merits of The question,
and without deciding whether under the
Constitution and laws, as applied to the facts
[ IN tho case, Dred Scott was free man or
slave, would they not have been denounced
with increased virulence and bitterness, on
the charge of having remanded Dred Scott
TO perpetual slavery without first examining
the merits OF the case and ascerlainins
whether he was slave or not2
If the case had been disposed of in that
way, who can doubt that such would have
been the character Of the deuuncia,ions
which would have been hurried upon the de-
voted heads of those illusirnus judges, with
much more plausibili,y and show of fairness
Than they are now denounced for having de-
cidsd the case fairly aud honestly upon lis
merits?
The material and controlling points in the
case--,hose which have been made the sub
sct OF unmessured abuse and denunciaton,
may be thus stated:
Ist. The court decided that upder the con-
stitulion of The United States negro de-
scended from slave parents is not, and can
not be citizen Of the United States.
I'd. That the act of the 9th Of March,
1920, commonly called the Missouri COM
promise act, was unconstitutional and void
before it vac repealed by the Nebraska act,
and consequently did not and could not
have the legal efIec, of exlIugushins mas
| ter's right to his slaves in that Territory
While the right continues in full Iorce under
the guarantees OF the constitution, and can.
not be d,vested or alisnated by an &C, OF
Congress-, It necessarily remains a barren and
a worthless right, unless sustained, projected
and enforced by appropriate police resula-
lions and local Legislation, prescribing ade.
quate remedies for it's violation. These reg
nlations aud remedies mus, necessarily de-
pend entirely upon the will and wishes Of
the people of the territory as they can only
he prescribed by ,be local legisaIures.--
Hence ,he yrea, principles of popular sover-
eighty aud sf.government is sustained aud
firmly established by the authority Of This
decision. Thus il appears that the only sin
involved in the passage of The Kansas Ne.
braska act, consists in the fact that il re-.
moved from the statute book an act Of Con-
gress which was unauthorized by the Con-
s,tution Of the United States, and void be-
| eau Sc passed without constitutional authority
and substituted in lieu of il that great tnnda-
mental principle OF self-govemment which
recog pizes the right of The people of each
State and territory to form and regulate their
domestic institutions and internal affairs TO
suit themselves, in accordance with the con
stiluGon. [Aprlause.1 The wisdom and
proprely Of the measure have been sustain
ed by The decision Of the highest judicial
tribunal on earth, and ratified and approved
by the voice of the American people in the
election of James Buchanan 10 the Presiden-
ey of the United States upon that naked and
distinct issue. am willing TO res, the vindi.
cation of the measure and my action in
connection with i, upon tha, decision and
that verdict of the American people. Tim.
mense applause.
Passing from this, will proceed TO the dis
cussiou Of the main proposition decided by
the court, which is, that under The Constiiu.
ton oil the United States negro descended
from slave parents imported from Africa is
not and cannot be a citizen OF The United
States.
We are told by the leaders OF the Repub.
lican or Abolition party that this proposition
is cruel, lnhu,nan and infamous, and should
not be respected nor obeyed by any good
citizen. In wha, does the objection consist !
Wherein is the cruelty, the inhnmani'y, the
infamy? /, is supposed 10 consist iu depriv.
ing the negro Of citizenship, and consequent.
ly excluding him from the exercise of those
rights and privileges which are enjoyed in
common, and on terms Of entire equality,
by all American citizens. whether naive
born or naturalized. They quote The Decla-
ration OF Independence, which says: owe
hold these truths 10 be self -evident, that all
men were CREATED EQUAL" and insist that
this language referred 10 and was intended
10 include negroes as we'll as white men; that
it was not intended TO apply only to the white
race, bu, that it included the negroes and all
other inferior races. and placed them on
footing of entire and absolute equality with
white men, and that the battles of the Revo.
luton were fought in defence Of the princi-
pie and the foundations of this glorious Re-
public were firmly planted on the immova-
BILE basis of The perfect equality of the races.
Hence they argue that any law or regulation,
whether under The authority of the State gov
eminent or that Of The Uliled States, in vio.
lalion OF this fundamental principle OF negro
equality with white men, is moi only cruel,
inhuman and Infamous, but is subverSive oi
the foundations of The government itself,
and therefore ough, not to be respected or
obeyed by any good citizen. lfwegtant the
ruth of their premises it would be vain TO
resist The force Of their reasoning or the cor.