, 1865-02-11
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Dred Scott Decision EurIed In the
supreme s:ouFt-A Negro Luyg-
yer Admitted BIZ Chief
Justice Ch1se,

Correspondence Of the n 7. Tribune.l
| WASHINGTON, Feb. i, 1865.
oh, nugustly simple funeral cortege-oh,
| dead: wrapped In the cercments that the dl-
| augustly exciting in your stormy birth, tran
| ecer,dently mfsclevous in your little life
Senator Charles Sumner and Negro lawyer
John ). Rock, the pall:bearers-the room Of
the Supreme Court Of the United States the
Potter s Fiela-the corpse the Dsed Scott de-
| cision!
Through the door that was too narrow TO
freely let out the bearers that bore Charles
Summers tnaninaatc form from the Senate
chamber, where be had been stricken down
Sumner today marched back, fcading negro
by the hand, and standing upon upon the
verJ spot that had been stained with his
blood for demanding freedom and eqallty for
prcnc Court OF the United States to enroll
among its members m African LAWYER, and
to license him to practice at Its bar.
The llack man was admitted. Jet-black,
pleasure Of fsaying By purpose aud with pre-
meditation, Of an nggrayating "kink'-un-.
quali1edly, obttusively, dedantly "Niggcr''
with no palliation Of complexion, no let
down in lip, no compromise in nose, no abate-
mcDt whatever in any facial, crarial, osteolog-
humanity lrutally set up in our politics and
In our judicatory BY the Drcl Scott decision,
! this inIy-hucd African stood in the mou-
1rclical power Of recognized American man
hood and American citizenship, within the
bar Of the Court which had solemnly pro-
nounccd that black men had no rights which
white men were bound to respect, stood there
q recognized member Of 1t, professionally the
brother Of the distinguished counsclors On its
| long rolls, in rights their equal, In the stand
Ing which rank gives their peer. By Jupiter
tho sight WIS grand.
Twas dramatic, too. At three minutes
before II o'clock in the morning. Charles
| Sumner entered the courtroom followed BY
the ncgo applicant tor admission, and sat
down within The bar. At eleven the process
Chief Justice Chase at their head. The spec
tators and the lawyers in attendance rose re-
| spcctfully Oh their coming. The Associate
| Justices seated themselves nearly at once, IS
| is their courteous custom Of waiting upon
each others movements. The Chief Justice
nfty to the bur, and took his seat with a great
presence immediately the Senator from
| Massachusetts arose, and in composed man
rer and quiet tone said ''May 1t please the
court, move that John S. Rock, q member
! Of the Supreme Court Of the State Of Massa-
| Of this court.'
| The grave to bury the Drcd Scott decision
was in that one sentence dns, and it yawned
there, wide open, under the very eyes pf some
u }5ic Juu|C5 VIII Q.lQ paTt1C1pIlCu Ill Lut iu-
ridfcal crime against democracy and hntnan-
| ity. The a6senling nod Of the great head Of
the Chief Justice tumbled in the corsc and
| filled up the pit, and the black counselor Of
| the Supreme Court got on to it and stamped
| 1t down, and smoothcd the earth to his walk
to the rolls Of the court.
| Boutwell, of Massachusetts was by, drink
| Ing in the spectacle with bis blazing eyes, and
| Wilson Of Iowa stood at his side, measuring
| the big fact and welcoming it. 4 New York
representative who yesterday voted against
| the Constitutional amendment to abolish s1a-
| very, carried his abdomen with obtrusiye
| vanity about the bar, and giggled at spec
] tac1e which be had not the sense to apprtci-
| ate nor the heart to feel. 4 few lawyers Of
! tue old regime looked on. stunned somewhat,
but rapidly growing IN wisdom and mixing
6eferenco TO destiny with their Instructive re-
luctancc to this revolutionary intrusion.
These, and three journalists, and two sight
| ecers struggled In from their weary aversion
to the tawdry ornamentation OF the new cap
itol wing, and Middleton, the Clerk Of tie
| Court, especially appointed BY Taney's ur-
| grncy and vote, these were aIl the spectators
Of the noteworthy scene. SelEpossession
and the insecurity OF his tenure Of his val
liable place, constrained the semi-secc5h Clerk
the first negro lawyer upon the rolls IN his
and bis soul evidently longed for the resur-
rcction Of his old Chief, Tancy, and the palmy
| elaye~driying days Of the Attorney -Geucrnf~
| ship Of Black. But they are al gone, md the
| revolution which Is waehins off the continent
slavery, aEistocracy, caste and privilege,
| CAME up with Salmon P. Chase into the Su-
| pEemc Court Of the United States and is al
| tice, and in the chairs Of the lawyers who ar-
cue Mt its bnr.