Macon intelligencer., 1840-08-15

AmRa
against him on bis trial before 4 sn,'ss .vsasnse
linl recently held at pcnsacola 1hsfsmA,. ANA.
nac exeminec lhe case most carefully IL
Wnieh \ Stems che Secretary of ths Ns..nn "
the Attorney General, and lhe pea 10y
the United kIales oil conenyred "a tsvl ortsssvsl
y struck me that the President haS .su' w
hepe been unisYepfessnlad. Tbls Ss.,lEI.r
involves Hl once the great prjneirIs' y.
which the South IL conIend,nc' sra ~ w
whichihe Presidents poouIayltv 4 fel'~asgTp @ "
therefore determined ic call On hin. arS
uilef few remarks In relation 10 tha - t,I0, s
Of Lieut. Hcce, Inquired OF him whs,h..s
he knew at tho Iimo he approved the '.' ss~'
seHce Of the court thAttw0 negroas ~ E
given testimony In the case1 40 wbish n
replied IN the affirmative, 1 chssvvsA ~ -
the President that, without eonne esnlsss.
iiOn other than that which I hsd ~" s."..
j would hsyea bad effect On the South ~
then observed that full explanation wonw
be pubIjshed by the House Of Reprsss,,,".
tives to-day. went 70 the Canitol and 4.
entering the Representative HaIl / forrS
the House engaged 10 the discussion 81 M ~
question, which resulted 10 the uostcom". 49,
ment oftbe printing ofthe documents tn.
day following hcwevertbe Globe gave what
the president deems a "full explanatory
Of the matter. After reading the explaps.
ton ofthe Globe, could not end satisIac.
tory explanation; but. on the contrary !,
appeared 10 me that the President had 4.
suncd The ground Of justification by con.
tending that i had been The usage Of tha
Navy 10 admit negro evidence on count
maTtiaIs
am aware that under ihe common law
there is no distinction known as % persons.
yet ] do contend that the President. 10 40.
proving the proceedings Of the court mar.
tial. ought 70 have expressed bis disacpvc.
baton Of negro evidence. With this ousI.
ification his pOlifiraI friends az least would
have been satisfied.
IL will not do 10 tell us that the President
had DO control Of the matter--shst II would
nod have been proper for him 10 have inter.
Tered. The case is within The recollection
Of many ofuc where, after the court mar.
tial bad decided, lhe General il command
reversed the decision, and ordered a new
sTiaI,
Now. if il be competent that subaltern
can reverse the decision Of court, Iprc-
snme thai no one will deny that the Com
mandef 10 CHIEF has The authority.
This Is a question of vital Importance 10
every man in the United States land il will
not do for the President to look with in
difference, moi 20 say with appreciation. up.
on il.
have watched this question through all
It's mutations The opposition will no
doubt, avail themselves Of this false step Of
the President TO promote their own poiili.
cal views.
This is strange indifference, total abb
sence on the part Of the President. Of that
watchful and ardenI sOIici:ude which the
very nature of the subject is calculated TO
inspire, and what il was bis province 10
guard and defend II is now said bv mem.
bers of Congress that they will pass Law
70 prohibit IN future the introduction OF ne-
gro testimony against white man. Il is
too late; the poison has been infused-aIl
the laws on earth cannot heal the deadly in.
flnence.
Tell me not Of your fanatics and aboli-
ilonisls, when the highest officer known to
your laws and your constitution admits the
fact that negro is competent witness
against white man. Ii this your North
ern man with Southern feelings2 And is
this the man we are to rely upon when the
day Of peril and ofdanger may Gomez
But it is contended that Lieut. Hooe was
convicted without the negro testimony
Then why introduce ito Was il 10 ieer
and taunt the feelings of the Eouth2 We
are not now trying Lieut.. Hooe. but testing
nm all-importans principle-one intimately
connected with our political and social re-
lations.
The principle ofthe admission Of negro
testimony at al is the question; not what
they did or did not prove. Andif il BE- q
fact, as stated. that the respondent was con.
victed without the negro evidence. then i
is gratuitous assault upon the policy and
institution oftheS South,
This case presents TO the mind the most
singular and extraordinary anomaly in re.
ference to that portion Of the Union auppO.
sedto have Northern feelingsand Npr.hern
on the subject Of slavery. 10
Pennsylvania, with her quaker population
always opposed 10 slavery in the abstract
she has declared that negro, within the
view Of the Constitution, is not entitled 10
alI theprivileges and immunities ofa white
man In Connecticut, Chief Justice Dag
re-, ~ fhn Vannnn naGrn erhn4i eaeA de-