Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-03-12
Important Decision.


In another part of our paper will be
found a synopsis of the decision of the
Supreme Court in the bred Scott case,
which is a very important political item.
The Court of last resort, remarks the
Cincinnati Enquirer, (which has juris-
diction over questions appertaining to
the powers of the Federal Government,
decided that Congress has no power I'M
der the Constitution to legislate upon
slavery in the Territories, and that all
such Legislation as the so-called Missou-
ri Compromise, which undertook to do
so, is null and void. This is a COM
plete vindication of the doctrine of the
Nebraska Bill, which now, it is judici-
ally determined, only swept an illegal
and unconstitutional measure from the
statute-book. To the friends of the
"Wilmot Proviso" and the Abolition
legislation for the Territories this deci-
sion of the Supreme Court will be most
crushing and annihilating. Hereafter
they have no pretense whatever for
keeping Congress and the country in a
turmoil on that subject, as it would be
no use for Congress to pass laws on a
subject which the Supreme Court would
Immediately annul, in accordance with
this decision. The whole question of
slavery, in its judicial aspect, has been
argued by the best lawyers before the
Court, which, after mature and long de-
Liberation, have come to the conclusion
announced above. The influence Of
their action upon the country must nee
e~ssarily be immense. The whole peo-
pie, without distinction of party, have
confidence in that august tribunal, the
Supreme Court of the United States,
which, by virtue of the age, eminent le-
gal attainments of its members, their life
tenure, which places them beyond the
influence of party feeling, have no mo-
tive whatever in the world to bias and
corrupt their decision.
Additional force will be given it when
it is known that the bench, composed of
Northern and Southern members, was
nearly unanimous on the main point,
there being but two disscnters out OF
the nine Justices who compose the
Court. One of them, Judge Mclean,
had previously volunteered an opinion
on the subject years ago, before it was
argued or came before him judicially;
and, sustaining this unfortunate posi-
ton, his dissent was naturally anticipa-
ted. 1t is to be regretted HAT he should
thus have unnecessarily committed him
self OIL a point that he was liable to be
called upon to determine as a Judge.
While thus anticipating a general ac-
guiescencc in the decision of the Su-
preme Court, it would be too much to
expect that it will escape attack and cen
sure from disappointed and embittered
partisans, whose political capital and
hope of Office will wither before it. They
will doubtless BLACKBOARD and assail the
Court: but it will still further weaken
their cause among sober and intelligent
men, who will never countenance their
foray upon an honest aud Intelligent
judiciary. The men who aided in the
passage of the Nebraska Bill of 1854,
and sustained it against an unrcasoning
and infatuated opposition, will, by this
decision, be placed in an enviable atti-
tude before the country, and will have a
good position assigned them in history.
Coming after the result of the late cleo
ton and the new Presidents inaugural,
it is the last of a series of triumphs, po-
litical and Judicial, to which hereafter
they will ever refer with pleasure and
pride.