The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-02-13
ABOUT 4 DE4D ISSUE.

There has been so much misrepresen-
tation about the matter referred to below.
that we commend our readers to the fol-
lowing reply of the Hartford Times TO
correspondent inquiring whether .Chef
Justice Taney, in his famous Dred Scott
decision, declared that negro has no
rights which a white man is bound TO re-
spect."
The Times says: He never did. But he
stated that public opinion in the civilized
portions Of the world, ut the timeof our
declaration of independence, REGARDED the
race as 50 inferior that ''they had no right
which the white man was bound to re-
spect. Judge fancy stated historical
TACT. 1t was not declaration Of his own
OPINION. Dred Scott, a slave. had been
earned INTO territory, and being on free
soil, 1t was claimed that he was free. \
case was prepared for him, to test the dis
puted question whether slave-owUeY
could take slave into a territory and
there hold him to involuntary scrvitUdc.
The case was made up to sssnre a legal
decision upon thc then 1850 hotly con
tested issue as to the right of the siave-
owner to his property, when he removed
his slave 10 a free territory. The District
Court ruled out Dred Scott on the ground
that he was still slave, in .he territory,
and that a slave was not "a citizen,n but !
property, and did not possess the legal !
rights Of citizens. The case was appealed, !
q. the Supreme Court of the United |
States sustained the decision of the lower |
court. The following IS that part Of Chief (
Justice Ianey's decision to which our cor /,
respondent alludcs. 1t will be seen that :
JudgeTaney, in using the words in question,
was reciting history.
1T is diBicuH at this day II realize the I
state of public opinion in relation to that
unfortunate race, tcAich preruiIed in the .
civilized and enlightened portions Of the
word at the time Cf the Declaration Of IN
dependence, and when the Constitution of
the United States was framed and adnpt- |
ed But tie puJlic hi&tojy of ecery Euro- |
p6dH aatl0R displays it in a manner too /
plain to be mistaken. They had fo3 more /
than 4 century before been regarded as be- [
irgS Of an inferior order. and altogether
unfit to associate with the white race,
either in social or political relations and
50 tdr rJert0r MGt they hud no 7tQktS
3ohlch tie snhae man sCa2 6o1tnd 10 respect
and that the negro might justly and law
fully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.
lie was bought and sold, and treated as
an ordinary article Of merchandise and
I tatfic, whenever a profit could be made by
1t. This opinion was at that time fixed
and universal among the civilized portion of
the white race"
We have in our answer covered more
ground than the question of our correspon-
dent required. But as there has Jeen~a
great deal of Misrepresentation in regard
to Judge fancy. and as there is no longer
any slavery in this country all persons be-
ing citizens" and entitled to an eaualitv
IN the courts, the truth may ROW lie ac
cepted by all parties, without preiudice.-
We will only add that the Dred Scott de-
cision, which cut off any appeal. to the
Courts (which "A slave mignS make when
nhdihg himself in free territory, embit-
tered the 'irrcpressiLle conflict, and has
Tened the conflict Of arms, which, entirely
destroyed slavery III this country.