Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-05-15


such high authority, has cceasioned no lit
tie surprise, and caused much inquiry TO be
made into the reasons on which the doc
triEe Is based. In the argument Of this
point, Chief Justice fancy says:
'.It is difficult at this day to realize the
state of public opinion respecting that un !.
fortunate class tnegroes) with the civilized
and enlightened portion of the world, at
the time of tha Declaration of Indepen-
denee and the adoption of the Constitution;
but history shows they have for more than
century been regarded as beings of an
inferior order, and unfit associates for the
white race, either socially or politically,
and had no rights which white men were
bonnd to respect; and the black man might
be reduced 10 slayery-bought and sold,
and treated as an ordinary article OF mcr-
ehandise. The doctrine of which We have
spoken, was strikingly enforced by the De-
claration of Independence. 1t begins thas:
sWhen in the course Of human events 1t
becomes necessary for one people TO dis
solve the political bonds which have con-
nectcd them with another, and 10 assume
among the pawers Of the earth the sepa-
rate and equal station to which the laws of
nature and of natures God entitle them, a
decent respect to the opinions Of mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation and
proceeds: we hold these truths TO be self
evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among these
are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happi-
ness; that to secure these rights, govern
ments are instituted among men, deriving
their just po,uers from tie consent Of the
gorernsd.'
In the opinion of your committee, this
frst position taken by the Court was at
best most questionable one, and the evi-
dence by which the Chief Justice thus en-
deavors to support it, is much more ques
tio1able- Our venera:ion for old age, and
cur respect for the Court from which the
opinion ernana:ed, preclude the suppOsitior
that the abnve quotations thus made by the
Chief Justice we're intended ia P ickwick-
ian sense; and there being no such logic in
the books, wo are therefore reluctantly
driven to the humiliafing acknowledgement
that we cannot comprehend how it is that
said quotatious prove, or can in any way
be tortured into the support Of the doc
trine, that colored person cannot be a
sitizen Of any State, or of the United
States, or that still moro uonsrous doctTiae
that this "unfortunate class" ''has no rights
which white men are bound 10 respect"
Thomas Jefferson is the admitted author
of the Declaration CT Independence, and
be has left on record abundant evidence
that be entertained views entirely different
from Judge Tancy 10 relation to this "un-
fortunate class" He considered colored
persons citizens, and so his writings, both
| historical aud official, abundantly show
In his celebrated work called Notes on the
State of Virginia, lchapter 1871 in speak
ing Of the demoralizing influences of slave
ry in his native State, be says: Sand with
what execraticn should she statesman be
loaded, who, permitting one half the citi-
GEMS thus 10 tramPle on ths rights Of the
Other, transforms those into despots, aud
these into enemies, destroys the morals Of
the one part, and the amor patria of the
other" The same idea also was even more
clearly proclaimed in his proclamation as
President Of the United States, in refeF-
ence to the famous outrage perpetrated BY
the British man Of war, Leopard, upon the
frigate Chesapeake. To understand the
full force of the expressions usel, it must
be recollected that of the four seameu ta-
ken from the Chesapeake on the claim of
desertion from the British service, the only
two born in the United States were two
colored men, natives Of Maryland. The
passage referred to in Jeferson's proclama-
ton, is as follows:
s'This cnormity was not only without pro-
vocation or justi6able cause, but was COM
mitted with the avowed purpose of taking
BY force from ship of war Of the United
States . part of her crew; and that no cir
cumstance might be wanting to mark its
character, it had been previously ascertain
ed that tho seamen demanded we're native
born eitiEens Of the United States"
Negroes are also recognized as citizens
b. numerous acts Of Congress; and among
others BY the act of 2sth February, 1903,
| tDunlop'a Dig. Lava Of NJ, P. 324,l
which says
aThat FROM and after the Grst day of
April next, no mister or captain Of any
ship or vessel, or any other person, shall
| import or bring, or cause to be Imported
or brought, any negro, mulstto. or other
person OF color, not being q native, citi-