Robert C. Grier: Jacksonian Unionist Thomas Richard Kline Lehigh University
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Lehigh University Lehigh Preserve Theses and Dissertations 1971 "Nothing but the Law of the Land" Robert C. Grier: jacksonian unionist Thomas Richard Kline Lehigh University Follow this and additional works at: https://preserve.lehigh.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Kline, Thomas Richard, ""Nothing but the Law of the Land" Robert C. Grier: jacksonian unionist" (1971). Theses and Dissertations. 3896. https://preserve.lehigh.edu/etd/3896 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Lehigh Preserve. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Lehigh Preserve. For more information, please contact [email protected]. - - ~ .._ - , 1 •, ~· fl., , - -,----....---~ -- . ' . ' .. - . !'NO'lHING BUT THE LAW OP ....TBE... LAND'' . ~ , .. ROBERT C. GRIER: JACKSONIAN UNIONIST .-, I . by~ ·.. --1,' • -, ,. -::-· . ' ... - . Thomae Richard .. nine .. ;:-.: ~ :;..i .. -:-_ - ... #_ ,. ABSTRACT .. tl i . { ' ' From 1846 to 1870, Robert Cooper Grier, a P~nnsylvania Jacksonian. · I, Democrat, served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme. ··" Court and Third Circuit Court Justice. As a judge during this tu~bulent · : ¥ period, he followed a. philosophy of Unionism, rooted in the heritage e~ ··. ·'.,,. -) ~ . - 1 • ; , • I ~ . 'l I.' pressed by Andrew Jackson during-the Nullification Controversy of 1832. ~- . In judicial opinions and decisions and in personal and political corre- spondence, he expressed an unyielding commitment to the preservation of •· the Union. I In response to the .Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, ~ ~ Justice Grier revealed hi,s views on the most explosive national polit- ical issue of the ante-bellum period--slavery. In the fugitive slave . ~· .'(, , ...._ ~ - .. - - -.---·--------·- .. :: __ cases of Ex Parte Garnett (1850), Ex Parte Jenkins (1853), Van Metre·· !• Mitchell (1853), and Oliver et al. !• Kauffman et al. (1853), he . , . "' expressed his opinions concerning the controversial legislation. He gained national prominence for his participation in the United States ~ !• Hanway (1851), the1 famous treason trial which followed the Christiana to the jucy, the Justice rejected a plea ., Riot. In his crucial charge · by·- the Whig prosecution to convict a number of Christiana residents of. treason agai,nst"" the United States; however., he emphasized that the Con ... ·. stitution bound the conscience and conduct of -every individual. Subse- .· .. · quently, in a Supreme Court majority -opinion, Moore·--- v. Illinois, he rejected p·ersonal liberty laws passed by many state legislatures. ' . ,. ' - ..·---··-· - . ' . ..... ·.:. ·.· .l ', ' '• 4 ~ ,,., • " ,_ .·-, • «1l:,. ·, · •• ··:· ' • ..! > - . ' . .... .• ·, f.i . ' : '· . -:--·'--·'··,.--. ' ' ~--, ,' .. ~ ,.· .. _.. l' • L ' ~• . :. •.. '. , . ' - ... ' . .·. ,·- ·: ' - ~, .. --,~ -· . --·· ' :. ' •. I •· :·:; • - ·, ----- • • .. \ .. ·, . :, ·-~ ' - _. ,• c,~.--_:_-,·-' ., .. "- ... ' .. ', , 'f • 2 . ,. ',; . ..•'.''• 't ,. I ' . I ' ilo . } When the threat of ·disunion became a reality, Grier broke with 1: ,, • _.; ,_ ~-.• :I l [ ·,, the Buchanan administration, which he supported in the Dred Scott case, ' and proceeded to advocate the policies of President Lin.coln. In the .' .• United -----States v. William Smith, he.refused to· recognize the Confederacy ,as a soverei·gn power, and regarded the rebels as traitors. The Prize -Cases, his most important Supreme Court majority opinion, upheld Lin coln I s blockade of the :_Southern ports. His decision carried through the determination he had shown in the past decade to preserve the Union. - .• . ;; . .. '4: • .... :- .. ~ -~ ...,;·· :. ;-: i . ' - .. --c·_-_.- ..-. -=-. ~~ ~- ' ; . ·;.·.: \ .. \.·,. ' . ,, , >... ·:· . ' •"' .. '\ - ,,. o. ..( ' -\, .' ~-· ............. .. \. .. ' -~·· • I ·-· - . •.' , -~· . ~-.; ., . •: - ' 'r- - .... ' 1\ ..... .• -__., ~- • ••• :,...-.·~·- ••,;a ...... "· ·~··.·'" • . ' i ,, l . ' .r: ,.,:' . ·, . ) . ~ . : .,· ..... ,•." '···' . " ~ ' . -··' ,., -·· -. '· ' " ---- ·-"'~ . ,, ,· .... '~ ,_ -;;.I,_. ,/ .'7' ,";'· _.,_,., __ ,.._._, __ , I ' •°"! /-. -- 1 ,,r., I l I 1 ,, l f • ! '\ .. ":~ -~ .. i: 11 /' "NOTHING BUT THE LAW OF' THE LAND" i ·!· ....... ~·· ROBERT C. GRIER: JACKSONIAN UNIONIST ... l l . ~ 1 ' • l I .. .,\ I l. by ) Thomas Richard· Kline ,, :...,, I l ( l '!! j ·~ I l .,, ·f A Thesis Presented to the Gr~ate Cammi ttee of Lehigh University. in candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts .. ih ,.,- ···-·: ,. .:.I..;. ...:i!,.·• .. .. :':<·. ., .... ~ •, I,, -·~.:.. l' r -~ ,_ I r ··1el1igh Univers-ity__ . l' '" . ' . ·, ........ 1970 " -·~,,. ., . ;, .... ,L'' . ' " '·' .. ..,... -·: ~ . ..::.:~., . .· ", ,. '·" . ~- ,. J'J --..... J- , ;, ·., .. -~ ·.1-. •· ,. ·.·.· .. ·.. ·:.··.. ·.. ,,s. - • th· es1.s .:.L- . act:~.epted and -approvfed in partial fulfillment of -~. f' ' ·/. •"';f.·o···r· .: . degre-e of Mast~r of Arts. '"' I- G'- 7/ (date) ' Professor l.Il• Charge ( I ··< Chainnan of ,, '1., .r ..... -. ., ... .. -! I ·,::i-· l /, -":· I j i ! •·. l l ' \. ~ --: -::-----' : . ...- .•... , ' 1.1..- .·-·. ,._ .. '; ,-'·.--':'" "· ' l ' ·' ·" ·- ... ,· \ ·-- ·t .. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -··· . ' The rescue: of ·the important judicial· career of Robert C. Grier r ~ r·~om. a century of oblivion has required the aid_ of numerous individ- -~- .uals. -I am particularly indebted to Dr. Willi~m G. Shade of Lehigh University, for his guidance, assistance, and encouragement of this project. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Ray M·eManus of the Federal Records Center in Philadelphia and Mr. Edward E. Hill of the Washington National Records Center in obtaining valuable papers and court records. Than'ks .goefs to Mrs. Made~e-ine Warlow who . I . .. .. made ava.ilab·1:e th_e· "Spe"C:i.al Go·llectiontr of Robert Grier's letters in. ttie, Morns R·oom of Di(Jkins·.qn :Qolle:ge_ 1$ library. Also, I am grateful ~- . ·fo·,r the help.· giyen t_o me, in the p·re_paratf.on of the final manuscript !' • . by rey- sister Lois, Valerie V:anBilliard of tne _Mart Library, and Grace Lamarca, my excellent typist. Finally, I wish. t-o recognize Mr. Howard R. Whitcomb of Lehigh University, who serveg_~~s, a second reader for ., this thesis. ,. -·-· ... ~ ---· -.a ----·- -- .-,,.. .. <f,'. ___ , __ .. ._. 11: . __ .'·-· f. ' . II-·,·-. .. • .. ··;,,.· ··11-1·.• -··- .. ·~-----_. .. ' ' . ...... i;., ........I • ' - ,. - - ,,.~:. .·. r···_.....--~ . ·' ·, .. ·• -~ . ...: ..: .... ·, - '" ....... ' ':, ; r t '• 1 - ' ' \ - ·- ,-~ ,., ' • J ,, ___,, . .,.. - -' • , ' . -. ............ ··-~_._.~, • ,..... _. ''d, --~-<"-••='l"-'/"·-·,,-c. ... ,. .• . ' .. .. .~ .~. ... ' - ,1 ' -··-·· •'(I:.•. ' TABLE ·OF ·CONTENTS · Chapter Page / •....... ., .. I.· A JACKSONIAN UNIONIST. ~ ._,. • • • • • • • • • . .....~ . 3 ·-, ...... The significance of Robert Grier's judicial career. The Jacksonian Democrats and the Nullification Con troversy. Grier as a Jacksonian jurist. Biograph ical Information. Service on the Allegheny County .. ..t .--· Court. Apf)ointment to the United States Supreme Court. Grie·r's role as Associate Justice. ·-· II. PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 Circuit Court duties. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Correspondence concerning the Act. -Ex: Parte~ Garnett. -Ex: Parte Jenkins. III. CHRISTIANA: THE TRIAL OF, A JUDGE. .. ,r. • • • • • • • • • • 37 ' ' The Christiana Riot. Political conflict in the aftennath of the Riot. Grier's role in United States !.. • Hanway. Particulars of the charge to the jury. Condemnation of Abolitionism. Personal Liberty Laws and Moore v. Illinois. Final verdict ...-· - of the jury. Praise and assaults upon Grier. IV. "HAR:OOURING AND CONCEALING" • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 60 Van Metre v. Mitchell: Negroes in Indiana, Pennsyl- vania. The- Jewish Code. Constitutional obligations of-citizens. Reaffirmation of the Moore doctrine. The two major questions of "notice" and "harboring," .and the Jones v. Van Zandt precedent. Final verdict of the jury.--- Oliver v. Kauffman et al·.: Escape of the slaves and plaintiffs'- charges. Clarification .- and further explanation of past issues. Denunciation . '. or~ slavery and extremists. The jury deadlock. The Dred Scott Case. •····· .,~ . - v. THE TRIUMPH OF UNIONISM~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Dissatisfaction with the course of the Union. United .. ~....::.· ~· ... States v. William Smith.· The Prize Cases. The Con- tribution- of Grier. .·_!:I • •. ... ·( . ' . ::LV . - ,i,', !• ...... ,< , ·• ·"" . -,,,~·' . .:,...~i ' .· . -:. ~ .1 ' ~ \ ' . -~-- - ' • -:;. I' ~- . '._ . - • .. ,. •• :-~:, • • ··: •,;_'· > :·· •.• ,. ... ·· ''.' .. ,,. ·~·-·· .. ,~--:- . --, -~-D . .·l:: "'.°~ I .. , • 1.1rrllH• • . .. , ..... , , . .! ' ' •. .,,, Page '-'..; ~ APPENDICES • • • • • • 94 ...__ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • [~. BIBLIOGRAPHY. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 115 VITA. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • '. • • • 123. • .... •-.-·. ··.:_, . ~ . \ '{ ~- ;.·. ·~, J .b· r.. ~ '· .• '· " "· " !I V ,, ,> _,·i-: ;,,, c· 'r,/o" ·..--;-·- ,· ·~··-· ____ _., -- :>f '!.,.HJT""""- \ • • -• ' t--L" - • 0 ! '• - • • 0 • ~h - • o V , . ' ,. - :}• . I ,', -- . ':' ,., " )' .- .. ,.-,.. ... ·, ' - . :~~· ,. : -I: . -- _, •,' '... , i; ABSTRACT ...... From 1846 to 1870, Robert Cooper Grier, a -P:ent1sylyclb.ia .. Ja-cksonian - ·pemocra:t, served as: ari Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and Third G'ircui t Court