Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-06-03
Mr.. sumner on Judge Tansy.

In the debate in the Senate, On ,he bill
introduced by Mr.. Trumbnll, of Illinois,
pi ov idiug for bust of the lale Chief Jus.
tice Taney, to be placed in tie Supreme
Court Room of the United States, NJ.
Sumner made the foIlosing remarks =
ljecied TO this joint resolution some
days ago, hen it was reported ly he Sen.
ator from Illinois, Mr.. Trumbul1 aud be
was disposed TO hurry it at once upon the
Seuate, TO the exclusion OF importer, bust
ness ! objected to it again 10 day, but il
was from no disposition TO discuss it.
" | know well .he trivial apology which
may lie made for this proposition, and The
Senator from Maryland Mr. johnson
has already shown something Of the ha,dI
hood itb which it may be defended. But
IN he performance of public duty, l am in
dffe' ent to both
"The apology is 100 obvious. Moth.
ing hut good OF the dead This is fami
lar saying, which, to certain cx ent, may
be acknoT Tledged. But il is entirely uappl
cable when statues and busts are proposed
in honor Of the dead. Then, at least,
truth must prevail
" If man has done evil during life, be
must not he commemora'ed in marble -
And if indiscreelly it is proposed TO decree
such a sigual honor, The evil he has
done must be exposed nor shall any false
deicacy seal my lips. Il is not enough
hat he held high place, that be e,joyed
worldly honors or was eudow ed with ia
teIlccl G fits.
'Who wickedy is wise or madly brave
IL but the more u fool, the more o kuaye'
What is he Cffiee Of Chief Justice, If
it has been used to betray human rights {?
The cline is g. eat according to the position
of the criminal.
IF you were ask d, sir, to mention the
incident of our history previous to the re-
belion, which WAS in all reSpec most wor-
Thy Of condemnation m oSt calculated to
cause the blush of shame and most deadly
in its const quenccs, / do rot doubt that
you would say the Dred Scot decision, and
especially the wicked opiuion of the Chief
Justice on that occasion. | say this with
pain. l do not seek this debate. But
when proposition is made to honor the
.uthor of this wckeduess with comm III.
era,ive bust, at he expense Of the country,
l am obliged o speak plainly.
am not aware that tie English
judges who decided contrary to liberty in
The case Of shio-mouey, and thus sustained
the KING Ia those p elensions which ended
in civil war; have ever been commumorat ed
in marble. l Gm not aware that Jeffries
Chief Justice and Chancellor of England.
famous for bis tel nts as for his crimes, has
found any niche in Westminster Hall. No,
sir. They have been left to The judgment
of history, and there insist that Taney
shall lie left in sympathetic ompanionship.
Each was the tool of unjust power. But
the Power which Taney served was none
other than that Slave Power which has in.
volved the country 10 war.
Il speak what cannot be denied when
declare that lhe opinion of The Chief
Justice 10 The case OF Dred Scott was more
thoroughly abomiuable than anything Of
the kind in the history of courts. Judicial
baseness reached its lowest point on that
occasion. Y,u have pot forgotten lha'
terrible decision wBere most unrighteouS
Judgment was sustained by falsilication
| OF his ory. OF course the Constitution, of
The United States and every principle of
Liberty was falsi6ed, but historical truth
was falsifed also. l have here The authen-
tic report of the case, from which it ap.
pears that the Chief Justice while enfogc
ing his unjust conclusion, which was 10
blast whole race, used The following laD-
guage = a zH
"' 1t is difficult at this day to real re
the state of public opinion in relation TO
that unfortunate race, which prevailed u
the civilized aud enlightened portions Of
the world at the time Of the declaration Of
Independence, and when be Constitution
of the United States sas framed and
adopted. But the public history OF every
European nation displays it in manner too
plain , be mistaken.
a. These had for more than century
before been regarded as beings of an inieri
or order, and al oseiher unit 10 associate
with the white race, either ia social or po
litical relations and SO far inferior that
they had no rights which the white man
was bound 10 respect, and that The negro
might justly and lawfully be reduced 10
slavery Tor his benefit
10 Hoioard's reports, 407
In these words, solemDly and auihori,
taiively uttered by the Chief Justice Of the
United States, humanity and truth were
set at naught, aud the whole country was
bnmhled Then won and I and ali nf m q