Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-08-01
From the Lor Cabin Hero.

PROCEEDINGS OF A COURT MAR rlAL IN
WHICH NEGROES WERE ADMITTED AS
WITNESSES AGAINST AN OFFICER IN
THE NAVY.
In our last number we called the attention of the
people of Missouri TO the facts of the case. We
now recur to the subject, with determination, that
as far as our efforts can effect it, thuse facts shall
he made known in every habtatIon where man |
resides who has been bred in slave-holdlng state
We consider Of the first Importance that so clear
and conclusive demonstration OF the Presidents
views on the equality Of The negro toith the phtte |
man, should be familiar TO every one who lives in |
slave-holdng state, or who opposes the dangerous
and malignant schemes of fanatcal abolitionists.
Every man should know that Mr.. VAN buren,, "a
northern man with southern principles, as he is
called by his friends, has, by his action, as Presi-
dent of the United States, in so many words de-
clared, that he ".fnds nothing" IN the admission
before Court Martial Of negro Stsoard and ne
gro Cook to testify against Lieutenant in the
Navy--a free white citizen OF the United States
"tha. requires his interference" That MIR VAN
3UREN has SO declared, and has, thereby, sane |
toned the principle of swearing negroes wit |
pesses against white men, should be proclaimed in
every neighborhood and house in the slave-hoding
states of the Union. Had Gen. HARRISON done |
such a thing, the four winds would have been
loaded with denunciations of him as an abolition
ist and the people would have been required to
vent their maledictions on his head, until his
ingenuity could not have devised way for his es-
cape from the outpourngs Of bitterness that would
have been let loose upon him. nor have conrived
a course of reasoning which could have proved hirn
70 his opponents to be any thing but the chief OF
abolitionists.
We are determined that Mr.. VAN buren, shall
be fearlessy, fully, and infinitely exhibited be-
fore the people, as the most important auxiliary
abolition has erer had in this country. No one
has ever done an act which gives 50 powerful and
corent sanction to the doctrines of the abolition
lists as Mr. VAN buren, has done in this matter -
nor have those fanatics ever had so great
"a triumph in the spread Of their principles now
when the President of the United States, the very
head Of official dignity and power, gives solemn
official sanction to the admission Of NEGROES as
competent WITNESSES against wh1te man; and in
that act declares his acquiescence in the great fun
damental principle of aboiion-the equality Of the
black ,cith the phite man.
Before proceeding, however, with further re-
marks, we desire to recapitulate the facts of the
case; in order that those who see this, and may
not have seen the former statement may not be ig-
norant IF them. We premise by declaring, in the
most solemn and emphatic manner, that the facts
we state are, in euery particular, true and that
no denial Of them has been or can be made with
out be who makes it KNOWING that he utters will
full and deliberate or ignorant falsehood. WeS say
this because it is the pulley of our opponents to
declare every charge brought against the Admins.
unequulied pertinacity, even in the face OF unan-
swerable and overwhelming proof.
But to the facts. Lieutenant GEORGE M. HooE,
Of the Navy, was arraigned before Court Mar
tal, on charge, preferred against him by Com
mander URIAH P. LEVY. On the trial, Clpsin
LEVY brought forward witnesses against Lieu
tenant HooE, TWO NEGROES. One OF them
was the serard, the other the cook and prtuate SER
rant of Captain LEVY. Lieutenant HooE Instantly
objected to the examination of the negroes but
this objection overrued by the Court, and the
examination Of them proceeded; and Mr.. Hoof
then offered the following protest, as 10 the tcst
tnony Of the steward, which was, at his request
spread upon the record
1.-THE accused begs leave to state to the Court
most distinctly, that he soemnly protests agains
the evidence of this witness being received and re
corded II is far from the wish Of the accused t
object 10 any evidence which the Court may deem
legal but the witness is colored man, and there
fore, in the opinion of the accused is not compe
tent witness, even before this tribunal
g. NJ. HOOE,
Lieutenant Of The u s. Nary"
After the evidence of this negro witness wa
taken Lieutenant HooE offered the following pa
per, which, at his request, was also spread upo
record:
The accused having protested against the ev
dence of this witness, on the ground that he con
ceives his testimony to be altogether illegal; tina
he knows it would be So considered before the civ
tribunals of this Territory, the forms end custom
OF which, he humbly thinks, should be as closely
followed by Martial Court possible there
fore asks to spread upon the record the fact that
cannot consent to, and has totally declined eros
examining this witness.
GEORGE MANN HOOE,
Lieutenant u s. Nary"
Mr.. HooE entered upon the record similar o'
lection to the reception Of the testimony Of III
Cook Notwithstanding all objections, howeve
the Court Martial proceeded TO pass judgment on u
accused, Of which the following is the conclusion
''And the Court, Their fore, hath and doth sci
tence the said Lieut.. GEORGE M. HooE to be di
missed from the West India Squadron, after Ina
ing been reprimanded in general orders by Il
honorable the Secretary of the Navy"
The proceedings Of the Court Nth Lieut.. Hoo
protests, are transmitted to the Secretary of Il
Navy, who endorses them, "APPRovED" Lieu
HooE then appeals directly to the President cor
planning of the irregularities OF the Court, gene
ally, and concluding with the following stat
ment:-
There is one other point in the proceedings
the Court COUGHING their iegolIty) 10 which, Il
vite the particular attention Of your Exceliency'
respects a matter to which all Southern men a
deeply sensitive-and if not overruled by your
ceency, will assuredly drive many valuable IN
from the Navy. In the progress OF the Proeeedln
of the Court, two negroes, one COOK, ana tue on
the private steward of Commander Levy were
troduced as witnesses against me- l protest
against their legal competency to be witnesses
the Territory OF Florida, on the ground that III
were negroes The Court dsregarded my exec
ton, and, rs the record shows, they were allow
10 be examined, and TO testify on my trial II
7 charge as u proceeding Illegal and erroneous