Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-03-16
GBs 9arlp Spp,
MONDAY. mARCH 1e, lss7.


Democratic Doctrine
Whatever may be the backwardness Of the
Northern Democracy in coming up to the mark
in approval Of che decision Of the Supreme Court
in the Dred Scott case, there can be no question
as to their ultimate full endorsement of the dla-
bOlicsl doctrins prepared fol them to swallow Oy
the five Southern :" sectional ncnmoehts OF
the Supreme Bench. Already the washington
U,.ion, the organ Of the administration mas pro-
muleated the decree, and we shall soon see the
Northern sdberents Of the party, through their
presses and leading orators extcling this decision
as the fundamental basis of princip es of the ma
tional Democracy" Just read one little extract
from the Onion =
ssThcre was but one thing needed to give to
the result in the Presidential contest the force OF
an absolute and final settlement of the sectional
issue. That thing was the Judgment Of the SUI
preme Court in confirmation OF the democratic
doctrines which had received the popular en-
dorsement. The decision in The bred Scott case
has furnished the closing and clinching confirm
alton needed
That is, the naturalization of slavery BY its ex
tension into the territories, and the right to hold
slaves in the free States in spite of State laws is
hereafter to be deemed the test OF = Democratic
doctrine . in the future.
1t matters not that the Court went out Of its
way 70 give extra, judicial opinions on questions
not properly arising for adjudication in the ease
before it its decision is to be hailed the very
Shibboleih of " sound Democracy hereafter
What occasinn was there for the, Court, in order
to decide the jurisdiction of the Court below, 10
wander over so much grouud, and expatiate upon
subjects not immediately before it, unless it
to have the five Southern Democratic Judges
seize the occasion TO manufacture partizan opin-
ions to send forth to the world under the judi
cial nnction, in order to dignity with respecta-
bllity, and add supreme authority to, the obnox
ious doctrines Of the Cincinnati platform
It was for this reason that Mr.. Buchanan, in
HIS inaugural, pointed to the forthcoming edict
from the Supreme Bench (of the exact purport of
which he was fully coguizant1 as the true Demo.
cratic doctrine, to be endoTsedby himself and par
ty, as soon as announced.
But the great curiosity Of the whole affair is, to
see the views Of the sectional majority on the
Supreme Bench, the five Southern Judges who
alone eoincided on all the points in the bred
Scott case, alluded to by the Presidents organ,
in the extract above, as having made " and abso-
lutte and FINAL settlement Of the sectional issue
between the North and South on the slavery
question: AS If fancy, Campbell, Wayne, Dan
iel, and Catron, were gifted with especial attri-
butes of infallibility, merely because they live
South of Mason & Dixons line, and are "sound
on the goose" and therefore their opinions to
be imperatiyely endorsed by the adherents of the
administration, in all sections of the Union, as
the true national Democratic" faith on the
matter involved!
Let us look little into this claim Of infallibil-
ity, as considered by Chief Justice fancy senior
ssocate, Judge Mclean, who has been upon the
Bench nearly thirty years, seven years longer
than the Chief Justice himself and must there
fore be presumed to be g authority as good, to
say the. least, as the government organ at Wash
ington, on the matter of the " final settlement
of questions of this important nature. In his
mastery argument, dissenting from the majority
of the Court, Judge Mclean says -
SIN this case, majority Of the Court have
said that a slave may be taken by his master into
a territory Of the United States, the same as
horse or any other kind of property. 1t is true
this was said by the Court, as also many other
things, aclsich are of no authority. Nothing that
has been said by them, 9cich has not direct bear
ing on the jurisdiction Of the Court against aohsch
tsey decided, can be considered as authority. l
shall certainly not regard 1t as such. The ques-
ton of jurisdiction, being before the Court, was
decided by them authoritatiyely, but nothing be-
yo1,d that question"
q The five Southern Judges who have united to
echo the ediet of the slave pow er all, profess
edly, Democratic in full partizan fellowship
with the Buchanan administration To the adj
vocates Of their recent decision, we commend
the following extract from the sentiments of
Thomas Jefferson, (once considered sound Dem
oeratic authority,) expressed IN 1920, in letter
to a conservative friend;-
a You seem to consider the Judges as the ul-
innate arbiters Of all constitutional questions;
very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which
would place US under the despotism OF an olgar-
chy. Our Judges are as honest as other men,
and no more so. They have, with others, the
same passions for party, for power, and the privi-
.lege of their corps. Their maxim is, BoniJudi-
Gus est ampliare iurisdctionem' and their power
the more dangerous as they are in Office for life,
and not responsible, the other fuuctionaries
are, to the elective control.
The Constitution has created no such single
tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands conf
ded, with the corruption OF time and party, its
members would become despots. 1t has, more
wisely, made all the departments co-equal andco-
sovereign within themselves.
The recent dictum from the Supreme Court is
apt illustration Of the tendency, stated above,
Of that tribunal to usurp its authority. Were Mr..
Jefferson now alive, he would spurn the recent
decision Of the Court with as much contempt as
did Gen. Jackson its decision affirming the con-
sttutionality Of the National Bank, in his time
In the words Of the great father Of Democracy,
quoted above, to bow in submission to the late
opinion Of the five slayeholding Justices in the
eDred Scott case, would be " very dangerous doc
trine, indeed, and one which would place us
under the despotism Of an Olgarchy . of slave.
AenoldeTs. sGaea a1Has
sth An Insulting Document.
We copy below a remonstrance from that +" in.
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