Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-07-07

mission, IL not deemed Of the least consequences; since
!, il pre.spcd his object in bringing the case peio,e
Conoress was 10 elicit all The information, aho az ue
connected with the SUBJECT
CASE OF LIEUTENANT iooE.
Having shown in our preceding articles under this
Lo,d that The question in regard TO the competency oi
certain witnesses objected to by Lieutenant iiooe' III IN
-, some nm for the decision Of the President, we WAL
axe this opportunity to offer a few remarks susSes'So
: the occasion. .od anil.
n tho r s. navy. is coeval with It's exisience; ana
IN, easons which induced Congress ana tne - =
mi The testimony of these colored Sailors y" !. "a 80
e ne $ on ship board, must be obvious 10 every Ic "eets
mind. Were they debarred from g'v'ns w"
on courts martial, t is easy TO predict the consequences
ho,h 10 the guilty and the innocent, who may DC uIsuS
90 ,Ln commission of crime. We have been toid oy an
old and experienced officer OF the navy, laat IN SUI"
ern ATTITUDES it was his custom to have TWO o"a's I"s
one composed exclusively of blacks, VINO were elhpi"s
al ~ occasions where exposure to the neat ana sun
I'D haze been danrerous to white men. suppose
that while absent from the ship, engaged IN "aeins'
or in any other pursuit, some offence, ho"t'ei -
"a led, were committed by an othcer III cidige Vi w
nartv. in the presence of no other witnesses d ne .
blacks. and the officer brought to a court iha'tai ."
~ Inc shin 10 which he belonged: BY excluding
Inc only witnesses TO the TRANSACTION, me ohehuc'
would escape, and the crime 20 unpun'sHca' ~ ~" III
nile number OF analogous cases might W - :.
no;nr TO show that the only alternative iclt' Is tnne'
to exclude free blacks anu otntI o"tSa
ro,bor from the service, or to admit their tcsil'hnhy ~
courts martial, as that of other seamen IS rertl'eu.I s
law of Congress as it at present stands hah'ns u" va %
qualification of any sailor as witness, acco'a'"e -
all the decisions of the courts. ~
This is the case which is now brought before the pup
lie by MIR. Bolts, and this the question 10 De ue'ioeu ~
conrress. Itcannot be settled too soon, ana we again
call ON TINT gentleman promptly to place The SUBJECT III
the hands of the Judiciary Committee. by so uo'hs'
he will take the only proper and direct mode Tor reinoS,
;nr all future doubts oil a matter oil extreme ueH'd'iS
aud IMPORTANCE, and at the same time release h'Hs.H
from every imputation on the sincerity OF ms sympathy
N behalf of Lieut.. Hooc, az well as ms so.cItuue -.
the sanc,iiy OF the local laws OF the South, We i.PIn
again, that in adopting this course, he wiii uhuou'tru.!
he sustained by his friends and telIow-!aooreIs, hessr :
Slade, Peck, Hunt, Fillmore, and the rest d 's tp"'
ton champions, whose alliance is so Cherished oy u.
| WING leaders of the South, and who are equally VIII
himselft the devotecs of log cabins and hard cider
We will take this opportunity TO state q iact Mn,.'
has come TO our knowledge in the course OF TINS discus
sion. We have been furnished with the copy OF =
circular issued from the Navy Department, having q
rect reference to this subject, which it appears hae a.
ready attracted the attention of the Secretary oi ~
NAVY. who, we understand, had been struck by oDseiV
mo the number of black and mulatto seaulen on oo"to
our public vessels. The letter IS signed by c"hih'o
dore Chauncey, acting i'll pursuance OF an lht'hat.1'
from the head OF the Department, then absent from ''
seat Of Governmn nj: