Lad #14

The Supreme Court's decision on the Scott vs Sanford case took a lot of deliberation before making the final ruling. When the Court first met, in favored a more moderate decision which ruled in favor of Sanford however this decision avoided large and controversial issues concerning Negro citizenship and the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney became the writer of the decision because the former writer, Justice Nelson, only seemed to write the opinion of himself and not of the majority of the court. President Buchanan announced during his inauguration that he would fully support the decision of the court whatever it may be. Chief Justice Taney dismissed the case due to a lack of jurisdiction and sent it to a lower court along with instructions ruling in favor of Sanford. Taney ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because slaves are considered property and one should be able to take their property wherever they want. Furthermore Taney stated that Scott did not even thave the right to sue because he was not considered a citizen in the state of Missouri.