Southern shield., 1840-07-31
NUMBER XXVI.

deeply imbued with the split of Abolition ism, than any other which has come to our knowledge and in its practical effects, it goes farther to put the negro upon a foot | ing of equality with the white ran--ihe great object of the Abolitonists--than any thing ever achieved by Tappan or Garris- on. The social equality between the white afid black races, preached and prac- ticed by few fanatic women, such as Miss Grimke, Miss Abby Kelley, &c., and few designating hypocritical men has produced, and can produce no bad effects Exam ples set by such characters carry no weight and influence: they sonly serve to bring their authors into odiuin and contempt. But the affair assumes q very different as pect, when the first officer of the Govern. ment and the Minister of the Marine, sane ton principle, which reduces every gen. tleman in the American Navy to quasi level with free blacks. Here the elevated stations of those who set the example, and the high authority with which they are in- vested, conspire 10 attach importance to their precepts and practiced No man in the public service can disregard the one or dispute the other, with impunity. Their ipse dix;t is law to the Army and the Ma | adopt are imperative upon all connected with either of those important branches of the public service.
 It is in this light in which we regard the principle established in the case of Lieut. Hooe and which invests that decision with pervading and enduring importance. It is direct insult offered by the President and his Naval Minister, to the feelings of Q IIo. <,ttL tLo md slbiecting the conduct of Naval officers 10 the surveillance of the black servants of the commander, reduces them to state of degradation to which neither Northern nor Southern gentlemen can submit, This can not fail to exert most baneful influence upon that favorite arm of the National de- fence. Gentlemen of honor and senslbll- ty will, by degrees, be banished from the service and they will be succeeded by mean spirited generation, willing and mt instruments to do the bidding of master
 But there is another consequence re- su,ting from the principle here established of not less consequence., If negro testlmo- ny is admissible in the Navy, is it not also admissible in the Army, and even in the Federal Courts! We cannot tconceive Of a reason for distinction, and we presume there is none. An officer in the army may be cashiered upon the otfenglh ol ne 4o teStimpn,, since E Lieutenant m me I Navy has been replinanded and dismiss ed upon the testimony of two servants of Capt Uriah ?. Lery. And in the Feder
 al Court, any individual, if this principle be recognized may be prosecuted by the l government for breach of the Revenne or any other laws, and by the testimony of nu,n ant kc for example, the Government should ar raign citizen of Richmond upon the charge
 of smuggling English cheese, or any other
 article paying duty-The case comes be- fore Judge Peter V Daniel-Suppose the !, accused to be an incolrigible Whig his ser
 want or that of some other man is sum- moned 10 give testimony-conviction en- , sues. as matter of course-and his Hoh- or, the Judge, has the supreme felicity of passing sentence upon the political repro bate
 This is an impossibility is the legiti- mate consequence of the principle estab. iished in the case of Lieut. Hooe--i 6. tha. negroes are competent witness in cases in which the United States or any ether of it's officers are interested
 Since the facts in this extraordinary case were brought to light several efforts have been made by the understrappers of the
 Party to relieve the Administration of the odium. The Globe has put forth snndrv articles, distinguished much more for their I violence than respect for truth. The Enqui. Ter, always Charley at the hole, has lent helping hand. This worthy, in his other self as Editor of the Crisis" has procur- ed letter from Mir Paulding to exoner
 ate Mir. Van Buren from all blame in the premises. The design as in the case of MT. Ponsett and the Standing army, is de cidedly good; but here, as there, the execu- ton is decidedly bad. The Hon. Secretary hits wide of the mark and does not touch the true matter m issue In other words, he admits the offence charged, aud does not even offer matter in mitigation of dam. ages. He admits that negroes. and they the servants of Captain Uriah P. Levy. were introduced as witnesses against Lieu tenant Hooe This cannot be paIlated by any combination of circumstances, or be made palatable to whtte gentlemen either north or south. His apologies for appro- ving proceedings so novel and revoting, are: 1. The admission of the descriptiont of testimony objected to by Mir Hooc. is a universal practice on board our ships of war" So much the worse, if it be so, and the greater necessity for arresting such lpractce. But can another instance of the kind be adduced2 We never heard of one before ?. That decision was to doubt made on the ground that no disquah- hcatlon of legal nature, which could only l,x-, hxy I~,x, 4 ',