Museum presents play about Dred Scott 

Court decision riled Lincoln

By Stephen Anderson

A drama about the 1857 Dred Scott decision titled "No Land's Man: A Chapter in the Lives of Dred and Harriet Scott" will be performed this month at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

Actors from Black Rep of St. Louis will take the Union Theater stage at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26. Their one-hour presentations are suitable for all ages, but especially for students in 5th through 8th grade.

Museum admission is required for the early performance. Admission to the evening performance is free, but reservations must be made by calling (217) 558-8934.

Lincoln opposed ruling

Early in his campaign against Stephen A. Douglas for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln decried the Dred Scott decision in a June 26, 1857, speech in Springfield.

He pointed out that a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "a negro cannot sue in the U.S. Courts" and that "Congress cannot prohibit slavery in the Territories."

He explained to his audience that judicial decisions have two uses: "First, to absolutely determine the case decided, and secondly, to indicate to the public how other similar cases will be decided when they arise," as precedents and authorities.

"But we think the Dred Scott decision is erroneous," Lincoln said. "We know the court that made it, has often over-ruled its own decisions, and we shall do what we can to have it over-rule this."

He posited that the authors of the Declaration of Independence "did not intend to declare all men equal in all respects (such as) color, size, intellect, moral development, or social capacity."

However, "They defined with tolerable distinctness, in what respects they did consider all men created equal – equal in 'certain inalienable rights, among which are life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' This they said, and this meant."

Identifying the issues

Lincoln concluded his speech: "The Republicans inculcate, with whatever of ability they can, that the negro is a man; that his bondage is cruelly wrong, and that the field of his oppression ought not to be enlarged.

"The Democrats may deny his manhood; deny, or dwarf to insignificance, the wrong of his bondage; so far as possible, crush all sympathy for him, and cultivate and excite hatred and disgust for him."

In December 1857, Lincoln began drafting the historic speech he was to give June 16, 1858, during the state Republican Convention in Springfield.

Its clarion was: "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free."

The party responded with unanimous support for Lincoln's Senate campaign, which continued a century ago in a series of debates with Douglas on these issues.

He lost that election on Nov. 2. Although Lincoln received more of the popular vote than Douglas did, the legislative districts had been gerrymandered to his disadvantage.

Two years later – Nov. 6, 1860 – Abraham Lincoln was elected president over three other candidates.

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