Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-07-22

principle Of law while the question is pend
ing before the tribunal; but when the decis-
ion is made nv private eppinion. your op-
inion. all other opinions must yield to
maj of that authoritative Adjudication.
] wish you to bear in mind tina. this involv-
IS a great principle. Upon which our rights
and our liberty. and all our property de-
pend. What security Lave you Tor your
property. and personal ri, hts. ifthe courts
are not upheld. and their decisions respect
ed when once firmly rendered by the high
est tribunal known tn the Constitution?
do not choose. therefore. TO 90 int" and ar
gument with Mr. Lincoln in reviewing the
various decisions which the Supreme Cour.
has made. either upon the bred Scott case.
or any cthsr. have no idea of appealing
from tie decision OF the Supreme Courl
upon a constitutional question to the decis-
ion Of tumultuous town meeting. am
aware that once an eminent lawyer Of this
City, now no more. slid that the State of
Illinois had the most perfect judicial svs-
TEN in The world. subject to but one ex-
cep,ion. which which could be cured by a
sli yht amendment. and the amendment wa
To 50 change the law az to allow an appeal
from the decision of the Supreme Court OF
Illinois. on all constitutional ques ion. To
two Justices of the peace. My friend. NJ :.
Lincoln. who sits behind me that that prop
osiiinn was made when | was Judge of
the Supreme Curt. Bs that as it may.
do not thik that fact adds any great weight
or authority to the suggestion. II matters
not with me who was on the bench. wheth-
CIR Mr.. Lincoln or myself. whether Lock-
vol or Smith. r.,,y or Marshall:the
drcisnn to the highest tribunal known to
the C'nsIitu'ion of the country mus, be e.
n,l un:il il has been reversed by an equal
ly high authority. Hence an opposed
10 this doctrine Of Mr.. Lincoln. by which
r. proposes to take au appeal from the de-
cisi ~ Of tie Supreme Court of the U. S.
up ~ these high constitutional questions
to R'prbie.n caucus 81 tins in the coun-
try. Yes. nr to- a1v other caucus or town
m Iii :. whs h.ri b, Republican. Amer.
ian. or D.nmr ic. respect the !.ecis
in IF that Al. CAST tribunal: ! shall aiwsys
bow il Differences % them. | an, law
obi iiis msa. | will sustain The onns.i.u-
Il IN of our country as our fathers have
made 1t. | will yield obedience to tho
laws. whether like them or not, rs | find
them on the sta. ute book | will sustain
che Judicial tribunals and cons ituted au-
thori las in all matters within the pale of
th~is jaris iir,inn. as defined by the consri-
tuli'n. BIZ | am equally free to say that
the reason assigned by Mr.. Lincoln for re-
sistiny the decision of the Supreme Court
in the bred Scott case does not i'll itse' {
meet my appreciation. He objeb;s t" it
because that decision declared that negro
descended from African parents who were
brought here and sold as slaves is not. and
cannot be il citizen of the United Safes
lie says 1t Is wrong, bee" use it deprives
the negro Of the benefits of that clause Of
the co 'stitution which says that cilizens OF
one State shall enj y all the privileges and
immunities IT 81 liens Of the several States;
in other wnr1s. h. thinks it wrong because
II deprives the negro Of The privileges. i'm
mum leg. and lights Of citiz .nship. which
pertain. accordins to that derisinn. only to
white msn | am free TO say to YOU
that III my opinion this government of ours
is founded or the viii . basis. II VISA
male by the white man. for the benefit of
the white man. to be administered by white
men. IN such manner As they should de-
termae. l. IS also true that negro, an
Indian. or any other man Of at inferior race
to while nun. should be permitted to en-
joy. and humanity requires that he should
have I'll TIE rights. privile res and immuni-
ties which hei' capable ofexer cising con-
sistent with the safety of society. I would
give him every right and every privilege
which his rapaci Y would enable him to en-
Joy. consistent with the COOL Of the society
in which he lived.
But you may ask me what are these
rights and these privileges. Ny answer is
that each State mus. decile for itself the
nature and ex'ent Of these rights lii
nois has decided for herself. We have
decidei that the negro shall not be slave,
anil We have at the same tine decided that
he shall not vote. or serve on juriss. or
enjoy political privileges. am content
with that system of policy which we have
adopted for ourselves. deny the right
Of any other State to cnn plain of our pol
icy IN that respect, or to interfere with il,
or to attempt to change it. On the other
han1 the State of NJ ,ine has deci led thu,
IN that State negro may vote on sn equal
ity with the white man The sovereign
power Of N sine had the ri sht to prescribe
that power far herself Illinois has no
n git 10 comDla;n ef Maine f,r conferriny
Tho 5ht upon negro sufrase. nor has
NJ lie anv ri tht to interfere with or com.
plai, ~ illinri- because she has denied ne
gro suffrage. The Sac Of N. Y. has decid.
ed by her C,nsiin;irn that negro may
Vote. prnvilsl that he owns 1851 worth Of
property. but not otherwise. The rich ne
gro can vote. bu. til. poor one cannot
Although that distinction does not COM
mend itselfto my juigment. vet | assert
that the sovereign power Of N. Y. had a
right TO prescribe that form of the elective
franchise. XIV. Va. and other States have
proyi led that nAyrues. OF q certain class in
those States shall be slaves. having neither
civil OF political rights. Without endors-
ing wisdom Of that decision, assert tha.
fir Finia has tha sauna nOwer nv y,rtua Of