Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-07-21
SOUTHERN ARGUS.
COLUMBUS, TUESDAY, JULY d.
THE NEGRO WITNESSES.

THE NEGRO WITNESSES. /;
On the first page ofto. duys paper viii
be found, the proceedings in the case of
LIEUT.. HOOE and the NEGRO WIT
NESSES, upon whose testimony that gal
LIANT officer was convicted, and dismissed
from the Navy Of the United States.
The monstrous outrage IN this case'
consists, first, in the fact that the laws OF
the Territory within the bounds of whose
jurisdiction he was tried, forbid such teS-.
timony in any case whatever, and secondly,
that Mr.. Van Buren,, when appealed TO to
interpose his prerogative, said
"THE PRESIDENT FINDS MOTH
ING IN THE PROCEEDINGS in
THE CASE Of LIEUT. HOOE, WHICH
REQ UIRES HIS INTERFERENCE"
The prosecutor of Lieut.. Hooe was
Commander Levy, and the witnesses TWO
| NEGROES, servants of his.
Thus it will be seen, that not only was
the testimony such as is forbidden by the
laws ofthe Territory of Florida, and all
Slave holding States, but the nrosecnienr!,
was for the Zine being, the owner of the
/ witnesses in his behalf! And yet Mr.. Van
Buren, says that be "fnds nothing in the
case of Lieut.. Hooe, which requires his
interference" I'm consequence of which,
the decision of the Court goes unreversed,
and the accused, has to suffer the penalty,
is dismissed and disgraced upon negro
testimony, which Mr.. :" an Buren, approves.
! But to carry this thing little further and
apply the principle, Of this species oftes-
, timony, which has been sanctioned by the
President: Suppose the nature of the ac'
cusaton preferred against Lieut.. Hooe,
had been such that upon conviction, &C
cording TO the Army and Navy discipline
would require him 10 be SHOT! the
Gaze would stand precisely in the sarlc
light: For if negro testimony is sufficient
to cause an officer to be dismissed from
the Navy. 1t is also sufficient TO cause him
to be shot, no matter how procured, nor
by whom-and the lives, of our most use
, full and valuable citizens are at the mercy
Of this class of our population, when serv-
: ing their country in the army or navy.
But the case assumes another feature no
less startling and obnoxious TO every
southern man-it is, that. the President,
in refusing to act in this case, has done
more for Abolition than the acts of ali
other abolitionists combined would amount
.o-He has virtually pronounced that the
, negro is the equal of the white man, for
, what clearer proofs there required Of il
than that the testimony Of one, is sufficient
i. to convict the other, not in states where
he may have some privileges, but in Ter
ritory where no such privilege is allowed
him. Nor in the further consideration o.
this case does it matter about the nature o
: the offence ofwhich HooE was accused
He was a white man and free citizen
the evidence brought to bear against hin
was such as is not admissible in any ofou
, courts of Justice or law, and never can BIZ
whilst that distinction exists betwixt thu
white and colored race, which our Legis
lators have deemed expedient to interpos'
,fI for the public welfare. Where has an in
e stance ever occurred before in Southern
+ State or Territory, where negro testimon.
: has been allowed under any circumstan
s cesl And what must be the feelings Q
d our fellow citizens, many of whose son
e arc annually entering the army and Nav.
IS when they reflect that DIRE consequence
e may befaIl them, in a thousand dlfieren
u ways through the blind fundamentally Q
deluded or vicious creatures, whose ser
vices 10 commit evil may be procured i
= quite as many forms-and who it is We
known, aroused scruple at nothing. w
shall conclude the present article with th
e. following,
ID From the Richmond Whig.
A. THE NEGRO WITNESSES.
of The Feds are still struggling to ex
s. tricate ''the Northern man with South
Sc ern feelings from the odium of sane
a. tioning the introduction of negro test
at mony against an officer of the Navy
he We cannot discover that all their exer
tons avail anything. On the contrary
the more they strive, and the more tn
&C. matter is investigated, the worse doe
n it appear for the advocate Of free negr
" suffrage. A feature ofthe affair not "
81 adverted to, or at least not dwelt upo
ne as its importance deserves, is, tn;
AN there exists no law on the subjectwha
no ever, aud that consequently, the Pre-:
ne ident had full and entire discretion I
act as he might choose. No law a,
;s- thorizes the admission Of negro test
oil mony against white men, and theI
.s- never has a case occurred within ii
a. waters of the United States. This