The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-02-01
THE DRED SCOTT DECISION.
A Lie Well Told and stuck to, will
I'm Time become to be believed
AR TRme

as True.
The death of Associate Justice Lamar. and an
editorial in the Cleveland World. commenting
on the character and ability of those who have
held that most honorable position Oh ief Justice
Of the United States Court. recalls once more to
mind the aboYe named famous decision. that
did as much as any one event to precipitate the
Civil war.
Considering the high terms that the World
speaks of Chief Justice Taney. who announced
this decision. we know that it meant to be Just
to this eminent judge and the Court, yet it has
fallen into an error that does great injustice to
both. That part of the editorial to which we
except is as follows: while it seems terrible
to have the highest court in the land announce
somemnly that the Negroes have no rights
which the white man is.bound to respect" etc
Now the Supreme Court never announced any
such doctrine One of the questions that this
court was trying to solve when it used the above
historical expression-not by any means as
views of its own-was. whether or not, free
negro Of the African race. whose ancestors were
brought into this country and sold as slaves
was q citizen of the United States. within the
meaning of the Constitution. In order to solve
this question the Court made brief historical
review of the political status of the Negro race,
prior to. and at the time of the adoption of the
Constitution On page 4oz of Roward's Report
of the December term of 1856. the CHIEF JusrIce
says: :" 1t lie difficult at this day to realize the
state of public opinion in relation to that un-
fortunate race which prevailed in the civilized
and enlightened portions of the world at the
time of the Declaration OF Independence. and
when the Constitution of the United States was
framed and adopted But public history of
every European nation displays it in manner
too plain to be mistaken. They had for more
than century before been regarded as beings
of an inferior order. and altogether unfit to
associate with the white race. either in social
or political relations, and SO far Inferior, that
they had no rights which white man was
bound to respect; and that the negro might
justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for
his benefit. He was bought and sold and treat
ed as an ordinary article of merchandise and
traffic whenever profit could be made by it.
This opinion was at that time fixed and uniEer-
sal in the civilized portion Of the white race"
(The italics are ours, In order to call attention
to the fact that Chief Justice Taney, instead of
announcing what was his opinion or the opin
ion of the Court. was only stating in what rela.
tion the negro race was held by the civilized
world hundred years prior to the adoption of
the constitution Yet this statement SO plainly
made that there was no excuse for misunder
standing or misinterpreting, was SO ingeniously
and wropgiully misconstrued by the politicians
OF thirty odd years ago that it become to be
generally believed by the people OF the North
and is still believed and enunciatsd as horri
BILE decision, by those whose love of the truth
should have taught them to rely on personal in
vestigatations. instead of rumors and tradi-
tions. o. s.