The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-10-26
from the Detroit Advertissr.l

From the Detroit Advertiser.l
WORSE AND WoRsEl-Cass selling White
Men to Negroesl-The Ball and Cham added
TO Whipping and Impr iSonment! 1t is with hu-
initiation that we examine our old statute
books while Lewis Cass was Governor of Mich
igan Territory, and find some of the most God
dishonoring, oppressive, tyrannical, and out
rageous laws therein recorded that ever dis
graced the statutes of tyrannical monarch or
blood thirsty Nero. Without charging upon
the humiliating fact that man could be found
on the American continent who would give
countenance to such inhuman and barbarious
laws and see them executed upon his fellow
beings for the sake of exercising "li.tle brief
authority" we will give the enactments by
which Lewis Cass used TO govern the Terrific
ny of MICHIGAN:
An Act for the punishment of idle and disor-
Derby persons.
SEC. l. BE it enacted BY the Governor and
Judges of the Territory OF Michigan, that any
justice of the peace, on conviction. may sem
tence any vagrant, lewd, idle or disorderly
persons, stubborn servants, common drunk
ards, common night walkers, pilferers, or any
persons wanton or licentious in speech, indie
cent behavior, common railers or brawlers.
such as neglect their calling and employment,
misspend what they the earn and do not pro
vide for themselves or families, to be Whipped
not ercCcding ten stripes, or to be delivered
orer TO any constable, TO be employed in labor
not exceeding three months, by such consta-
bles to be hired out for the best lcagcs that can
be procured, The proceeds of which TO be ap-
piled to the use of the poor Of the country.
Made, adopted, and published at Detroit,
The 18th day of July, 1878.
Gov. of the Territory of Michigan.
There are highly respectable citizens now
living within the sound Of bugle of Detroit
whose SCARED backs, from wounds inflicted by
the CATO nine-tail, and this law of Lewis
Cass's, are living witnesses that the law was
most numerically and barbariously executed.
We ask the reader to look back and read the
law again, where white men, under the ap-
prevail of LeUis Cass, were actually horse
whipped for being poorii And even this, not
satisfying the unsatisfied gloating for an exer-
else of power over the people-after having
his bare back dreadfully lacerated by the CATO
nine-tail in the hand Of some revengeful OF
heartess half-breed constable, the unfortunate
man was subject 10 be sold into slavery to re-
deem his liberty by the sweat of his brow; and
in one case at least under the operation OF
Gen. Cass's humane white slavery law, q rhitc
of Michigan! This strange and horrible scene
was described to us day or two since by an
old resident as being the most heart rending
and awful that could be witnessed by human
leyes. The circumstance is well remembered
by the old residents here. The foregoing fact
is fully conoborated BY the following from
Niles's Register, published at the time:
A White Nan Sold to q Negro" The To-
bles Turned. this head we notice a
case that rece ntly occurred at Detroit. There
is law in this Territory that provides for the
selling of idle and dissolute persons at public
auction. AT one of these sales negro bought
a white man and ordered him TO follow his
master, and the order was obeyed. But the
poor black took his servant TO a steamboat,
and paid his passage and restored him to his
freedom-satisfied with sending him out of the
Territory.
| Every effort was made by the citizens to
prevent scene so disgusting TO the moral sen
siblities of freemen, but the rigor of Gen.
Cass's "edict" forbid it. But thanks TO the
better feelings of the "negro" who had just
emerged from bondage and began 10 know the
value OF H6crty-being more humane than the
law givers, set his bondsman "free," BY send
! ing him out of the reach of the law that SOLD
him into servitude. But there are other fea
lures in this law of Gen. Cass's that need tx.
animation. Ii will be discovered by reading
il again, that the poor "victim" was depripet
E of the trial by jury,' A right sacred TO ever,
f. American citizen-a right guaranteed bu tht
constitution, and sealed with the blood of on
revolutionary fathers.
U Our readers will think that tyrancal usur
g patton OF power could go no further; but w,
: are notyet through the chapter! The Law
which we have quoted above was made AM
: adopted by Lewis Cass, Governor of the terri
d tory of Michigan. in the year 1918. At as lat
v date as down to 1927 we find the same mon
S strous law in operation-during which time
y Gen. Cass had been receiving some So per da
in regular ard ertrG pay. for services no
borious as that Of his fellow citizens, who ba
e been publicly shipped for being "stu5bor
O SERVANTS"
: But to the end Of the chapter: In the yea
1927. when the broad mantle of civilization
i had spread over the Northwestern territory w
g find the old law revised and added TO, by al
n lowing the purchase" OF ''stubborn servants
TO put ball aud chain to their ankles, 10 con
y vert them into Submissive servants" w
will only add the provisions of the law as gre
i'll vised:"
&c Sec /. That such as neglect to provide, &
shall, on conviction before justice of tn
u ipedcc, be sentenced 10 the house of correc,io
L by such justice, TO be employed at hard labo,
or Whipped, not exceeding ten stripes, at tn
a discretion of The courti!!
Sec. 2 provides that, if there be no house c
correction ip the county. the justice may Sen
Dr. tence the offenders to be publicly sold TO til
= highest bidder, the proceeds to be paid TO tn