Secession Era Editorials Project
The Issue Forced Upon Us.
York, Evening Journal [Republican]
(9 March 1857)
The three hundred and forty-seven thousand five hundred and twenty-five
Slaveholders in the Republic, accomplished day before yesterday a great success
-- as shallow men estimate success.
They converted the Supreme Court of Law and Equity of the United
States of America into a propagandist of human Slavery.
Fatal day for a judiciary made reputable throughout the world, and reliable
to all in this nation, by the learning and the virtues of Jay,
Rutledge, Ellsworth, Marshall and
The conspiracy is nearly completed.
The Legislation of the Republic is in the hands of this handfull of Slaveholders.
The United States Senate assures it to them.
The Executive power of the Government is theirs.
Buchanan took the oath of fealty to them on the steps of the
Capitol last Wednesday.
The body which gives the supreme law of the land, has just acceded to their
demands, and dared to declare that under the charter of the Nation, men of African descent are not citizens of the United States
and can not be -- that the Ordinance of 1787 was void -- that human
Slavery is not a local thing, but pursues its victims to free soil, clings to
them wherever they go, and returns with them -- that the American Congress has no power to prevent the enslavement of men
in the National Territories -- that the inhabitants themselves of the
Territories have no power to exclude human bondage from their midst -- and that
men of color can not be suitors for justice in the Courts of the United
The Lemmon Case is on its way to this corrupt fountain of
Arrived there, a new shackle for the North will be handed to
the servile Supreme Court, to rivet upon us.
A decision of that case is expected which shall complete the disgraceful
labors of the Federal Judiciary in behalf of Slavery -- a decision that slaves
can lawfully be held in free States, and Slavery be fully maintained here in
New York through the sanctions of "property"
contained in the Constitution.
That decision will be rendered.
The Slave breeders will celebrate it as the crowning success of a complete
But how they will reckon without their hosts!
Beneath Courts and Congresses and Presidents is the great PEOPLE. They love liberty -- they love justice -- they love
Till they affirm the decisions of Law embruting man's divine nature, and
till they approve of legislation which defies God, and till they
order Executives to execute iniquity, this conspiracy of the Oligarchy is
That consent will forever and ever be wanting.
But one thing will not be wanting -- the resolute purpose of the humane,
the just and the free men of the Free
States, to meet the close issue forced upon them through the
decision of the case of Dred, squarely and fairly, and never to
abate their efforts to recover the entire administration of the Republic away
from Slavery and back again to Freedom.
All who love Republican institutions and who hate Aristocracy, compact
yourselves together for the struggle which threatens your liberty and will test
This document was produced as part of a document analysis project
by Lloyd Benson, Department of History, Furman University.
(Proofing info: Lloyd Benson.)
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