The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-08-17
The Cousier on the Dred Scott Decis-
ion--Ah0nt rs Accurate as Usual.

The Courier on the Dred Scott Decis
ien--.Abont rs Accurate rs Usual.
'.fhe Republican press and Republican
sfumpeis blow of large smount OF useles.
and honseusical gas about the decision o
the United States Supreme Court in tn,
"Dred Scott case"
Nothing under the Heavens was decided
BY the Court and declared TO be law in ihi.
esse except that A NEGRO is NOT A
WHITE MAN."-tHancock Courier.
1t 10 quite important for an indi-
vidual who undertakes to misstate
facts, to have a faithful memory. -
II tue Editor will refer back to the
flee of his paper of 1887, he will
end the Platform, adopted by the
Democratic State Convention, and
he will End, also, that the party here,
In their County Convention, fully
endorsed that Platform, and that he
himsslf approved of i! and com
mended il in the highest terms
Well, here is one of the resolutions
Of that Platform:
"s. Rssoirsd, That while We look to no au.
thority but reason for our political opinions,
We deem u proper to express DEEP GRAFT
HICATION, at the CONCURRENCE Of the Supreme
Css6 d ns United STATE, in IL, DOCTRINES
ssifA regard 10 the CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS and
roLivicAL NIGHTS of the STATES and TER
RlT0RIES. srhsch t1re been maintained by the
Deaoera,ie party and formally auo'red BY II by
Arss National Conventions
Now, il the Court made no decis-
ion, except what related to the citi-
senship OF the black man, why so
fally--so pointedly endorse the de-
cision Of the Court, in reference to
the political rights Of tie territoriesi
The Editor is rather too swift wit.
ness. An intelligent public will
hardly be willing to excuse him on
the ground Of lis exceeding prone
ness to blunder. They will hardly
believe that man capable OF reading,
and comprehending tho plainest Ian.
guage, could 30 misunderstood the
case.
But let us hear what Douglas him.
self says on this point. On the l2tl
Of June, 1877. about two months
before tho Olio Democratic State
Convention adopted the above reso-
luton, Douglas made speech in
Springfield. Illinois, in which he
remarked in regard 10 the Dred
Scott decision:
"tIpon this statement OF facts, TWO i'm
pOrtant and MATERIAL questions arose, be-
sides several incidental and minor ones,
which it was INCUMBENT upon the Court to
take notice OF and DECIDE. The Court did
not attempt to avoid RESPONSIBILITY by DIS
posing OF the case upon technical points
without the merits, nor did they 80 out Of
their way to decide questions not properly
before them and directly presented by the
record. Like honest and conscientious
Judges, as they are, they met aud DrcIDFD
each point as It arose, and faithfully per.
fosmed their whole duty TO the country by
determining all the questions in the case,
and nothing but what was essential to the
decision OF the case upon its merits"
In his speech in Memphis, Ter
nessee, he specified one Of these ma
terial questions, decided by the Su
preme Court. He said:
by the decision in the Dred Scott case, il
viii be found by reading Chief Justice Ia
ney's decision that slaves are decided to be
property. on an equal footing with other
property, and that consequently the owners
Of that species Of property HAVE THE SAINT
RIGHT to take il into a territory as the own
srs Of any other species of property. [Cries
Of good" and immense applause.1 The
Illinois Democracy accept that decision as
the authoritative exposition Of the Consti.
tuition, snd ON THAT POINT coscrR.'
Tho Editor OF the Courier, makes
the very positive and frivolous de-
claration that "nothing under the
ueavens was decided, by the Court
and declared to be law, in this case,
except that negro is not white
man." Douglas, the champion OF
tho left wing of tho Democracy,
says, that "too important and ma
terial questions" "besijes several
incidental and minor ones" were
decided, by the Court" Which
shall we bclieves He says, more
over, that the "Court did not attempt
to avoid responsibility by disposing
Of the case on technical points.
without the merits, nor did they 90
sss u their suay to decide questions
~et P~cperly before them, and direct
" presented by tho record" Oh
serve the language. All the ques
tions passed upon, were proper ques
tions for them to consider. They
did not travel out Of their way, says
Douglas. to decide irrelevant ques
iiouss Now let us SEQ what the
Court die decide. In regard to the
pcliticsa rights Of territories, it is
hsld by tia, Court as follows.
"rtp territory being s.psit OF the United
o>1trA ~ government and the citizen both
sStSe V esder the authority OF the Consti,
$500 wtsA thsir respective rights defined
- n0eeA vstS asd the Federal Govern.
0s4 - e{elciss no power over his person
- yettSa6 .eeyond whst that instrumen M
sssss1s ner lawfully deay any right which
% hoD1unDeyeds 80
The pepsu over peuon and property Of
vaieA w speak, arc not only not granted 70