The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-18
The Chicago Express.


The following article, containing ex-
tracts of a speech delivered by the immor
tai Lincoln and touching on questions
which are vital today, is contributed by
Allen Henry Smith, of this city, founder
of the Worlds Union and publisher Of
quarterly magazine devoted to the
cause of humanity.
The burning words of truth spoken by
the great emancipation almost half CEN
tury ago, portrayed with unerring accur-
acy, the iniquities of the supreme court
and it's usurpation of power which later
years have only proven more and more
dangerous; even threatening the very
foundations of our government.
Every charge which Lincoln made
against the supreme court for its deter
limitations to sustain the slave power Of
the past, applies with equal force against
this body in its efforts to rivet more Sc
curely the shackles of slavery on the
laboring millions of America today.
Lincolns attitude on the question is
well outlined in this article:
Social problems in the United States
are taking form quite similar in many
to the civil war. Many of the actors
on the present political stage are very
much like those of 40 years ago. One
of the principal factors then as today,
was the supreme court. Hence it is of
more than passing interest to know how
Lincoln, the successful champion Of lib
erty, considered it.
OF necessity, to keep the length of
this article within bounds, 1t is in great
part, confined to Lincoln's declarations
and deductions If any advocate of the
infallibility, great superiority or pure pa
triotism of the supreme court Is inclined
to question the findings, he may be sat.
isfied by an appeal to the speeches.
In his speech in the senatorial cam
paign, delivered in Springfield, ILL.,, June
16, 1858, Lincoln said:
Let anyone who doubts, carefully con-
template that now almost complete legal
combination-piece of machinery, so to
speak-compounded of the Nebraskaydoc-
trine and the Dred Scott decision. Let
him consider not only what work the
machinery is adapted to do, and how
we'll adapted, but also let him study the
history of it's conception, and trace, if he
can or rather fail if he can to trace the
evidence Of design and concert of action
among it's chief architects from the be-
ginning
When, after exposing much of the de-
tail of the interminable web of trick
cry and deception, he continues:
What the constitution had to do with
it, outsiders could not then see. Plain
enough now; it was an exactly fitted
niche, for the Dred Scott decision to
afterward come in. and declare the per-
feet freedom Of the people to be just no
freedom at all. Why was the amend
ment expressly declaring the right of the
people voted down? Plain enough now,
the adoption of 1t would have spoiled the
niche for the Dred Scott decision Why
was the court decision held up? Why
even a senator's individual opinion with
held till after the presidential election?
Plain enough now; the speaking out
then would have damaged the perfect
ly free argument upon which the elec-
tion was to be carried. Why the out
going presidents felicitation on the
Endorsement Why the incoming presi
dents advance exhortation in favor of
the decision? These things look like
the cautious patting and petting of a
spirited horse preparatory to mount
ing him. when it is dreaded that he
may give the rider fall.
I'VE cannot absolutely know that all
these exact adaptations are the result OF
preconcert. But when we see lot
of framed timbers, different portions of
which we know have been gotten out
at different times and places and by
different wOrkmen, and when