Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-08-30
Aug. a. lsss

SAe PAottSt WA@t ~ @&SS4uy kucsa S441t
when Mr.. Hammond, democrat, NOV
ed to strike out the enacting clause Of
the Bastardy Bill. but four democrat
10 members opposed the motion. while
every republican member. voted
against it. The House Journal set
ties this beyond . peradventure. What
is nos settled, however. and what Is
still open for adjustment Is. how, when
the enacting clause of this measure
was stricken out and the bill killed,
it afterwards appeared among the
printed Statutes Of the State. As Mr..
Graves seems still doubtful as to
whether or not this DILL can be found
among the printed laws. we refer him
to Acts Of 1882. Chap. $50. page $50,
to relieve his uncertainty. He states
positively that the bill never bscame
law in open session, and he init
mates, If it passed 1T all. the demo-
cratic majority passed it in caucus SEES
sion "at their hotels" or that "demo-
cratic officials smuggled it through
latter the adjournment Of the Legis-
lature." As was to have been ex-
pected Of DIR. Graves, he produces not
q scintilla Of evidence to sustain this
charge. Besides, and unhappily for
Mr.. Graves, be appears to have for
gotten that he had represented the
democrats as opposed to this meas
ure and all the republicans as in faUor
Of it. What is the natural and logi-
cal sequence from this state Of facts ?
Mr.. Graves appears to think the Sc
queNce is. that the party opposed to
the bill, and not the party which fa-
Uored its passage were the guilty fell
lows that struggled the bill through
and put it on the Statute Book But
we hasten on 10 the highest democratic
authority" in the land who decided
"that the negro had no rights which
the white man was bound to respect. +"
Mr.. Graves, Of course, means to point
out Judge fancy AID the bred Scott
case by this refereace. and he means
that Judge fancy in this case used
this sentence, not a. an historical
illustration applicable to our ances-
tors years and even centuries before,
but as a legal proposition then pre-
sent before him to determine snd as a
personal conviction of his own. Mr..
Graves either means this or he means
nothing. It Is true, he greatly modi-
eshisoriginal assertion on thissubiect.
He now contends for nothing more
than that this sentence "may be found
incorporated in Judge Taney's opin-
ion ia the bred Scott case, which no
no man who has ever read the opin-
ion has ever denied Or Thought Of de-
nying, but which il q very different
thing from his FIRST assertion that the
highest democratic authority in the
land (meaning Judge Taney) had de-
cided that the NEGRO had no rights
which the white man was bound 70 re-
sPect" To settle this question, how
ever. once for all, and to dismiss il
from intelligent discussion hereafter,
we quote from the Dred Scott decis-
ION (page lot. Appleton EditiOn) the
paragraph which has reference to this
subject:
SIS h difzcult At fkis day (is56l 70 realize
the state ol public opinion in relntion 10 that
ngfestnnaas race 1ths NegEol wkieh prevailed
"a the c.yiilzed and enlighsened portions OF
the Norid q tAe sime Of the Declaration 81 In
dependence. and wAen the Constitution az the
United States vFas framed and adopted. But
the public histclry Of every Earopean xation
displays u In q manner too plain 20 he mis-
taken. They lthe Negrol Rsd fer r,oref 1an 4
ernfRFs eefsrs teea Tegandef as beings Of IA In
icxioE order, and altogether nnsE 10 associate
VITA .ne MHite taces either "a social or polite
eA relations; and 50 Car inferior that thev
hsd no rights Which the white man was bound
70 respect and thai the negro might Justly
and lawfully he reduced Is alaxsrv s..r ~
oenena. tie WAs bQnght end sold, and treat
81 - an ordinary article "a merchmnaise and
g Nc, whenever profit could - made hr Il.
Tais opinion u'as e eh1 sims 6xed and uni
vrFssl III TIE civilized nsrtipn 81 thn vvh;s,
.gace .
The personal asluaionsof Mr. Graves
10 tho BEACON We shall treat Is nm
worthy Of notice until he names the
issue Of our paper IN which We de-
clared "that the white republicans 81
s.. Marys are persons Of spotted pri-
vake character and the issue in which
We represented mr.. Graves sand gen
slemen like him, = distinct species
Of humanity and As such. inferior ID