Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-23
CLEVELAND, MONDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1860

I
along the whole border, the Democrats are res
ponsible for it by reason Of their avowals and
their acts; but the Republicans are not re-
pudiate the charge, and appeal to the country
| Tor a verdict.
tbs vIoE PRESIDENTS ALLEGATIONS.
Gentlemen, having said so much preliminary
and in explanation, come TO the declaration
of the Vice President of the United States
as formally put forth by him, sent me under
his own hand, but which speech am told is
very distinctly different from that he made in
this State House.
You will pardon me for the length Of this
argument, if It may be so called, embarrassed as
l am by the difficulty Of my pOsition here. 1t
is rather more desultoTy than l had intended it
| should be, but the importance of the questions
to be discussed will think, plead my justi-
ication.
The Vice President of the United States
makes against the Republican party ten formal
allegations He says:
II charge that the present and ulteriOr IrO-
poses of the Republican party are: .H. ..
"TO introduce the doctrine of negro equality
into American politics, and to make it the
ground of positive legislation, hostils to the
Southern States.
ITO exclude the slave property Of the South
from all territory now in the Union or which
may hereafter be acquired;
ITO prevent the admission, in any latitude,
Ofanother slsve-holding State;
ITO repeal the Fugitive Slave Law, and
practically refuse to obey the Constitution on
that subject
ITO refuse to prevent or punish, by State
action, the spoliation of Slave property, but on
the contrary to make it criminal ofense 10
their citizens to obey the laws Of the Union,
in so far as they protect property in African
slaves,
ITO abolish Slavery in the District of Co.
lumbia;
'To abOlishit it in the Forts, ArsenaIs, Dock
Yards and other places in the South where
Congress has exclusive jurisdiction;
''TO abolish the international and coastwise
trade;
"To limit, harrass and frown upon the in
stitutiOn in ever mode Of political action, and
by every form of public opinion;
"And finally, by the Executive, by Congress,
by the postal service, the press, and in all other
accessible modes to agitate without ceasing,
until the Southern States, without sympathy OF
brotherhood in the Union-worn down by the
unequal struggle; shall be compelled to sur
render ignominously, and emancipate their
Slaves"
Now gentlemen, these are allegations for
mally put forth. It is not for me to question the
motives of the man whO makes them but / take
the allegations as find them, and 1 shall at
tempt to answer them in detail. First of ali, /
appeal to the country and history; standing
here upon our recorded action, aad the integri
of our previous character, plead not guilty OF
the chargesi not guilty on every count except
one; and to that Iplead guilty.
NEGRO EQUALITY SET At REST
First, we are not guilty of the purpose "to
introduce the doctrine OF negro equality into
American politics, and to make it the ground of
positive legislation, hostile to the Southern
States" Mark, the crime is here, that we have
been guilty Of introducing" Now it is well
known, so far as common rumor goes-we can
not always Judge of the motives of men-that
the Dred Scott case was gotten up by agree
ment, in advance oflegislation, but subsequent
TO the declaration of the power of the Demo.
cratic party, to take possessin of Kansas We
did not want any such subject introduced into
politics. Why! BscauFe there was already
Odium enough attached to US as being the de.
tenders Of the rights Of the negro against the
white man. We were called already 'negro
lovers" and it was not our interest to get up
an issue of this kind if we desired so to do :
But an agreed case was made, as is reported in
HOwards reports. The case came up TO the
Supreme Court of the United States from the
U. S. District Court of Missouri, and although
1 am a follower of the plough, and although
he has perhaps studied law all bis life, declare
that Beriah Magoffin does not know anything
about the case; there is not conmonl yuOng
lawyer that is not better posted up in this mat
ter. Gov. Magofhn does not profess to know
anything about it--that honorable and high
toned gentleman has never made it his study
any man can see that who reads his inaugural
address. John g. Breckenridge does under
stand it. or be is great hypocrite. He is ig-
norant Of the question at issue, or he is hyp-
Ocrite. He isignorant ofthe question ct issue,
or he is hyPocIite and intended determinedly
to deceive the people Of the United States, but
of course in consequence of the respect have
for him, believe that he is utterly ignorant of
the questions at issue in the case. think
can present them so that q man of the COM
monest understanding can comprehend the
case.
! will state the substance of the thing. 1t
was suit brought by q man Of color, called
Dred Scott, first, believe in the State Courts
of Missouri, where it was decided that Scott was
free, then going up, 1 think to the Supreme
Court of Missouri. where the decision was re-
versed and sent back. 1t was taken to the !
Circuit Court; the pleadings were made to this |
extent, that plea of ahatement was made
Dred Scott bringing an action declaring that |
Vi ct armis, one Sandford bad assaulted him, as
also Harriet Scott his wife, and children, To |
this, Sanford who is also upon the record and |
admitted to be, ! know not if in reality, citi-
zen of New York, pleaded in abatement, that |
Dred Scott and his wife and children were his |
slaves, and that bsisg slaves, or rather to use
the language as used in the pleadings, that he |
was the descendant Of African slaves, man of |
color, negro, and therefore he could not be |
citizen Of the United States; and Sandford cal |
led uponthe Court to throw the case out of |
Court, that they had no jurisdiction, and th at |
he, (Sandford) should hold as master, Dred |
Scott
So far as the Dred Scott decision became a |
law of the United States, it is simply thus |
that after the case was tWire argued in the |
Supreme Court of the United States, major.
ity standing seven to two of the Justices, decid
ed that man Of African blood, descended from |
parents once slaves, could not be citizen of |
the United States, and therefore could not sue
in the Courts of the United States, and there
fore the Court having no Jurisdiction, it was re-
turned, with instructions to sustain the Circuit
Court. That is what they decided. Now !
desire to state that, in my humble judgment,
Dred Scott was not the slave of SaDdforJ, and |
being free man and man of color, accord
in to the Constitution of the United States
when it was made, he had right to sue and |
had rightto be relieved from this existence of
vi ct armis, and THAT was the opinion of Justices
Mclean and Curtis; and every layer thathas read
the decision of the Court in Howard's Reports,
that have spoken to upon the subject, he
invariably said to me that the opinion Of JUS
tice Curtis is the most conclusive piece of ju.
dieial logic ever presented in all the books of
Judicial decisions. have it at home, and l
declare that in my judgment there is no prop
osition in Euclid more clearly demonstrated
than that Not that Dred Scott had rights to
citizenship, to hold Office and vote, right which
many white persons, as for instance women,
have not, but that he had right to the protee-
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