Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-08-23
MORNING LEADER.
Senator Trumbun on the bred Scott Deci
sion.-A Tscr-un Of The Africnn Drnnocrncr

Senator Trumbun on the bred scott Deei-
siOn--A User-uP Of the African Democracy.
I Senator TsuHnULL, Of Illinois, made speech
at Chicago few days ago that is full Of points,
and which put the " Little Clint in 4 tower
ing passion. His truths were barbed, and
pierced the African Demoeracy in numerous
vulnerable places. His dissection Of the Dred
Scott decision is ore Of the most satisfactory
operations uPoa that extra Judicial proceeding
which we have vet seen. The reader will
notice specially the Tetort which the Senator
made upon the hand headed individual who
called him '' a riggcr," There are thousands
OF blaekguarls who find their principal aryu-
menis against he Republican party, in the use
Of just such talk asd Aings about niggers" as
this Illinois man was eXeoriated for rcsorting to-
The whole extract we give is rich and readable,
and should be passed round in the ncighbOr-
hood.
/ Now what did this party design by the policy
| inauguTatcd in 1851 l have shown you how
they have gone on step by step advancing first
| one opinion, then another, and then another
until they have got slavery into Kansas; deny
/ ing first the power Of Congress to exclude it,
then denying the power of the people Of Ter
/ ritory, while in Territorial condition, to ex-
clude it. Next, they will deny the power Of
| the people when they form ! State constitution
| TO exclude it; aud that such is the next step to
be taken is manifest from the Dred Scott deei-
sion. l wish, fellov citizens, to get before
/ YOU if can, clear idea Of that Dred Scott de
cision, and what it decided in that case. The
case was this A man by the name Of Dred
/ Scott brought n suit for his freedom in the
/ United States Court in Missouri, on the ground
/ that he had been taken by his master to Rock
/ Island in this State, and there held for some
| time, and afterwards taken to Fort Smelling,
| Minnesota, which was then a Territory and a
/ part of the Louisiana purchase, from which
slavery was excluded by the Missouri compfo-
mise. and he insisted TINT by virtue Of the laws
of Illinois and the laws Of the Territory in
which he was at Fort Smelling, he was Il free
man. The defence set up this plea: That Dred
/ Scott was a negro, descended from parents who
were imported from Africa, aud held as slaves,
and being such negro he had no authority to
/ sue in the United States courts, and, therefore,
the court had no jurisdiction over the case
/ Now, the defendant didn't set up that Dred
Scott was i slave, mind you. He said he was
! 4 negro, descended from slave parents.
/ a NoIcE-That's ! nigger up there, too
| Mr. TRUNBULL-I presume the person that
made that remark belongs 10 the African dem
ocracy, and is in the habit Of calling out mig
ger" to everybody else while he is hugging
niger under each arm. (GrIat cheers and
| laughter) / have heard of just such men be-
fore, and they are in the habit Of calling out
''wOolly head, = " abolitionist,' p nigger," such
epithets being the only arguments they have.
| Now, / want to expose that man
Another VoIcE-He's not a man-let him
be.
Mr. TRUNBUIL-I want TO hold him up BE-
fore this audience, and in doing so will expose
a numerous class like him. He is one OF our
Douglas men, take it. | will hold him up
hc-e, and let you see him with the wOoly heads
around him I will expose him in all his na-
kedness This is Just as good place TO ex-
pose the hypocrisy of that class of men as
anywhere See if do not state him fairly.
He is one Of those who believe in the Dred
Scott doctrine, the right TO take slaves into a
Territory, and cries out at the same time
| popular sovereignty" " (CheeTs and laughter
He goes down in Mississippi and North Caro-
lima, where he owns a number Of negroes, and
marches up to Kansas. He is going to emf
crate there, ami some Of his negroes are as
/ black as the African, with fat noses, thick
lips and woolly heads; and some are a little
whittier, daughter and some are mulattOes, and
some of them are so white you could hardly
distinguish the negro blOCd in them. (Laugh-
teri Well, he marches up to Kansas, and
when he gets up to the line, the free white men
Of Kansas meet him and say, we DO not want
you to bring these niggers here-we don't
want that population here in Kansas, and have
resolved It shall not come here" But he an
swers, 4" am for popular sovereignty and the
Dred Scott decision, and will introduce my
negroes. You are woOlly heads-Claughter)- -
you are abolitionists; you are negro worship
| pers" And here he has his whole drove OF
negroes of all sorts of blood around him, and
/ calls free white men, who DO not want anything
to do with negroes, wOolly heads Pretty sub
ject, he, surrounded by negroes, with every kind
| Of blood in their veins, TO talk about amalga-
nation Laughter) He wants to introduce
them in among free white men, and they say
they will have none Of his negrOes. Talk about
popular sovcreignty and negro worshippers,
when every free white man in Kansas stands on
the border, and says you cannot come in here
with your negroes You shout popular sove-
reignty, squatter sovereignty" and under Dred
Scottish, declare you will force your mixed
breeds into the Territory in spite Of It's inhabi-
tants. Laughter) That is the position your
class Of men occupy. That is the kind of argu-
ment that our opponents have. (He's used up }
l have done with you sir, and will now turn to
the d red Scott decision. (VOciferOus applause
| was abuut to explain TO you what the plea
set up was What did the Supreme Court de-
cidei They decided that person Of the char
aeter described in the plea had no authority to
bring a suit in the United States CouIt, and
they dismissed the case for want of jurisdiction
stating the Court had no authority 20 enter auy
/ iudpment in the case, because negro had no
riph: to sue in that court Now, was not n It
i the esd of the case! 1t ought 10 have been the
end of it; but for political reasons the Judges
90 on and give their opinions separately upon
the authority of Congress to exclude slavery
from the country in which Fort Smelling was
located-which was unnecessary 10 the deci-
sion The result OF the case did not determine
whether Dred Scot was slave or a freeman,
and the question Of the authority Of Congress
to pass the law excluding slavery from the ter
ritory north of Sc deg. 80 min. was not involv-
ed because if the negro could have derived his
freedom from being in q region Of country " here
slavery was prohibited by law, he had il by re-
siding at Rock Island. The State Of Illinois
had abolished slavery, and if the fact Of his hav-
ing been brought within free Jurisdiction gave
him his freedom. he had it by res ding in this
State But the Judges, for political purposes,
20 on and express their opinions concerning the
authority Of Congress and Territorial Legis-
lsture to pass laws excluding slavery from a
Territory; such opinions are extra Judicial and
of no binding force. I stale this for the benefit
Of that class of citizens who are very much dis
inclined to make any attack upon the decision
of the court. These are the opinions of the
Judges. separately given upon questions not
before them, and are they not to be censured for
going out of the case to express such opinions
fsYes Yes y There Is no irnDOrtauce in fhesa
opinions, as Judicial decisions az all, and they
are only important in this respectfully have
been adopted by the great democratic party. so
caiiej, ,as part Of its creed, and Mr. Buchanan
says that slavery exists in Kansas and Nebraska
.s .lI.cln.l liz. a. y an.s IN sanln C-rnl.na md