The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-11-04
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Frvn the Syracuse DLiiy Journal
Death OF 81 Thsng.n

hC9tH ga y shsH0'
"a thing" died il St. Louis oP Friday
tzst l. lore the form Of man---had
head. srms, hands, trunk, legs, feet and
features Ike the rest of us, but il lad a
black skin, aj4d therefore vas not human
IT breathea, walked, ate, talked, slept as
Ne d.; it was capable Of emotions of pleas
are aad gain; it was qualified to judge
betweeu the right and the wrong; II was
regarded ~ tbe Great Creator as moral
ngeut, hpt fqr I'll this it was hing, aud
not being, At lest, So said the high
est tribunal ia the land-a tribunal from
whose decision there is no appeal
The history of this thing is familiar to
every reader. For the sake ot distin-
guishipg il from other things, it vas call
ed DIED gGOTT--just as horses are
called "J4ek Rossiter," aud Ethan NJ
len," or as AplIs gre called Washington"
and "Wellipgton." OF itself, it was an
humble and modest thing, that never
expected notice. much less notoricty, and
that noprted neither. 1t laborcd hard in
It's day and gaueratio4. though itreceivcd
no compensation for It's labors beyond a
sufficient amount Of food to keep it from
starving, and just enough of raiment TO
cover its nakedness. It endured buffet
incs without an answer. It was beaten
with many stripes, yet il did not rebel.
Its flesh was often torn aud lacerated by
the cruel whip, bat no murmurS were
mingled with its groans 1t lived a weak
and patient thing, and 50 it died.
We said there was 10 appeal from the
decision of that tribunal by which this
thing, so like the rest of us, was divested
of its humanity. We recall the assertion,
and acknowledge our error, No appeal :.
There are tgo-One to the People, whose
hearts aps eyeF with the outraged and the
oppressed, the other to Him in whose
sight the judgments CT men are as lub-
bles on the sea and as yapors in the air.
Before the kindly tribunal Of fpubhc SYM
pathy shall this thing called DEED SCoTT
be confessed as Il man and Il citizen,
while in the impartial Court Of Heaven it
fhall gain verdict even more liberal,
rights even mare glorious.
The MANS of DRFD SCoTT is one that
will be immortal. Upon the same page
that chronicles the il!ustrious deeds of
WAsHINGToN, the heroic death Of WAR
REN, the fervid cloquencc Of WEBSTER,
the rocket-fights of CALHOUN, upon the
same page where these are chronicled
Will be written, that in tho person Of an
humble negro called DRED SCOTT, the
most exalted tribunal of the Confederacy
whose foundations were laid BY the PHI
grim Fathers, decided that anegrois neith-
er man nor a citizen, nor has he aGy
rights which white man is bound to re-
spect! The medium through which this
ptrocious principle was established was
innocent of any attempt at distinction,
IIe did not seek to become famous at the
expense of our national reputation He
did not desire that, through him. tho fcre-
head of the radiant Goddess of Liberty
should receive stain Of infamy. 1t is
through no agency of his own that he is
TO be remembered But so long as the
American Government shall stand, so long
ps its annals are preserved, SO long RS it
shall live in the memory or exist b tr;,-
dltion, so long shall the name of DRIED
ScorT be a familiar name. His poor
body, which has already commenced to
naoulder in the grave, will be turned into
dust, but there is no oblivion for him.
From this time forward will DReD SCOTT
stand as class of people whom God made
rational, sentient, accountable, but whom
man has wantonly driven even beyond the
pale of humanity,
There should be monument at the
grave of the lowly negro whom Death has
now relieved. Some kind hand should
attend to this last duty-the last that poor
DRIED will ever claim. Let, at least, a
modest stone be fashioned, and let it bear
these words: "Here lies one who was
neither a man nor a citizen, aud who had
no rights that white man was bound to
respect" And then let the dead be left
With his God and with the future