This historic Dred Scott case...
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May 30, 1857
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., May 30 and June 2, 1857
* Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
* Dred Scott
Although the historic Dred Scott decision was handed down on March 6 and reported by most newspapers within a few days, those reports were just a brief summation of the lengthy rulings by the court, the most significant being that by Chief Justice Taney who wrote for the majority opinion.
Few if any newspapers of the day printed the complete text of Taney's opinion due to its extreme length, but perhaps logically this newspaper from Washington, which was the official "mouthpiece" of the government, does just that in these two issues. The report is prefaced with a page 1 editorial headed "The Supreme Court" and which states: "...we seek to gratify the demands of such among our readers as naturally look to us for a report of the decision made in this celebrated case, and if we have hitherto delayed a compliance with their wishes it has only been because the opinions in question were not until a late day given to the public in an authentic form..." with much more on the decision, taking over 3/4 of the first column. The actual report begins on the ftpg. of the May 30 issue under the head: "THE DRED SCOTT CASE--Supreme Court of the United States--The Official Report" & takes over half of the ftpg., most of page 2, and carries over to take most of the bkpg. of the June 2 issue. In its entirety this report takes an incredible 301 1/2 column inches!
Near the conclusion Taney gets to the meat of the decision, as seen in the photos below.
You get both issues, each complete in 4 pages, and in nice condition with just a bit of irregularity at the blank spine margin. A very rare opportunity for the only such printing of this landmark court case we have seen in a newspaper.
* Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
* Dred Scott
Although the historic Dred Scott decision was handed down on March 6 and reported by most newspapers within a few days, those reports were just a brief summation of the lengthy rulings by the court, the most significant being that by Chief Justice Taney who wrote for the majority opinion.
Few if any newspapers of the day printed the complete text of Taney's opinion due to its extreme length, but perhaps logically this newspaper from Washington, which was the official "mouthpiece" of the government, does just that in these two issues. The report is prefaced with a page 1 editorial headed "The Supreme Court" and which states: "...we seek to gratify the demands of such among our readers as naturally look to us for a report of the decision made in this celebrated case, and if we have hitherto delayed a compliance with their wishes it has only been because the opinions in question were not until a late day given to the public in an authentic form..." with much more on the decision, taking over 3/4 of the first column. The actual report begins on the ftpg. of the May 30 issue under the head: "THE DRED SCOTT CASE--Supreme Court of the United States--The Official Report" & takes over half of the ftpg., most of page 2, and carries over to take most of the bkpg. of the June 2 issue. In its entirety this report takes an incredible 301 1/2 column inches!
Near the conclusion Taney gets to the meat of the decision, as seen in the photos below.
You get both issues, each complete in 4 pages, and in nice condition with just a bit of irregularity at the blank spine margin. A very rare opportunity for the only such printing of this landmark court case we have seen in a newspaper.
Category: Pre-Civil War
