The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-12-26
!; 81 Il, Boston pai,v Ad,cv,.~.r.
Attempt 10 make the Country Believe
WHAT Il knows 10 be False.

u" F:,~,..s.' has ;aice atiira!,i-a,cc
IL Slime: .,,..c. :,,. again with >ocr:,:.;
IN - N,>>.,-v.-,. l.>;':c,.ou> error. ,il
tn, itwat i'...ie:al.y settled in the nr,,, Scot
decision Ia; slavery cXi>;> In the ,,rr;:uyit
by Virtue a.: the Constitution. and consequent
\. that !; cannot hH prohibited there y AZ
oi Congress. Inc same t,.il,.c.ou> >:..;y!at:.
i trumpt;ed y The administration pari, VI.
hr"Icn t:.raa, IN every quarter Of the cr,.r
Try. The, Know we'll the virtue there : :.
thc frequent and conflen; rci,cralom OF :
thing: TINS alone has >addlci many an crro.
upon the Id. |: IS one Of the stronghold.
ot error. for men have natural tcndvuc,
which it is quite safe 10 rely on and VERY harI
to withstand. TO believe that which is trc
quci.i. !. anU clamoyoU>iy affirmed for truth
hy those who ought to kl.ow.
The President and his party see very clear
~. that i Their assertion bc once established
rs ic;lc. the a:Eumcn: is most plausible that
Congress inu>t hold itself bound bv the d.
c:>on O! tie Supreme Court. and must cease
attempting ia Interfere with slavery in the
territories. This would drive the opponents
Of slavery III 4 large degree from their foot
hold upon the tcor o. Congress. where the,
have stood effectively ever since the day of
the Ordinance of l.>., and would compel an
almost exclusive resort in their resistance 10
slavery extension. to that alliance with the
natural laws regulating emigration.
winch proved so successful as employed
hy the Emisra::. AID Company in the case of
Kansas.
But let rs not be deceived or COMPOUNDED
by an error so rcrricious and at the same
time so PLAIN. although a>Scyeratcd 4 hun
drcd times lv the President and his official
cohort. and reiterated by every man in his
party. The assertion is false: nothing can
he more 50. The Supreme Court never has
decided by any binding opinion that slavery
exists in the territories in virtue of the Cen
s!iiution. nor anything like it. That cour,
did indeed essay to decide this. in the bred
Scott decision. but did not succeed judge
Mclean IN his opinion in that case denied
what is now asserted b. the President. and a
.lurist of the capacity and prudence of Mr..
Justice Curtis. distinctly and percmptoriiv
denied il.
1t has been proved in these columns and
elsewhere. over and over again. on legal prin-
ciplts universally admitted to be true, that
the point in question was not decided IN the
bred Scott decision. There is net ,i;s,,as-
sionatc jiuri>t OF any name or character upon
earth. who would not agree with Justices Cur
It's and Mclean in their position upon this
question.
No amount of reitcration frcm the exccu-
tive chair or by pettifogging statesmen in au-
thority. or by the united hosts of the Admin
istration party, can make the Presidents as
scrtion true. The fact is OTHERWISE: the
point in question is still Omen: It : net dc
cide,'. And it bctovcs IL: opponents of
slavery extension carefully TO exclude this
fake assertion from eXt:c;cing an Influence
over 'hrir minds or rasaiyxins their cxcr-
tons. and especially t. watch ana see 10 :
that 1t lie not suffered to creep. as point Is
sumod and granted, into the legislation of
congress.
- James Gordon Bcnnstt is spoken of rs
candidate for the vacant gLbernatorial chat;
of Kansas. and his appointment is urged b,
many of his friends both from, the North