The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-02-10
NEW YORK, LOUISIANA, AND VIRGINIA. CASE
IN POINT

NEW YORK LOUISIANA, AND VIRGINIA. CASE
IN POINT
The DAILY Orieanian Of New Orleans la,
thinks the South very foolish for getting out of
temper ut the Lennon case. 1t insists that
Virginia has no more right to complain Of New
York than of louisiana and that the decision
of the Louisiana courts is ust as censurable rs
that of Judge Paine. In support of this decis-
ion, it details the particulars of II oasein which
several slaves brought into Louisiana merely
on their way to State beyond the boundaries
of the United States were seized by the author
tiles and discharged by judicial decision
We transfer the account to our columns
By an act of the General Assembly of vr-
gna, entitled An Act reducing into one, the
several acts concerning slaves, free negroes
and mulatoes," passed on the Cd day of March
1919, the convict slaves within the borders Of
said State were repreved for sale-the CON
dtion of the sale being suclrsas to oblige the
purchaser TO furnish bond and security to re-
move the slaves thus purchased beyond the
limits of the United States
BY virtue of the above-recited act William
II. Williams purchased of the State of Vir-
ginia certain slaves convicted Of capital often
ces, and entered into a contract to remove
them beyond the boundaries Of the United
States. On the 18th day of September, 1910,
bond was furnished to his Excelency
Thomas w. Gilmer then Governor of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, in the penal sum
Of one thousand dollars for each and every
slave so purchased, to secure the faithful per-
formance of the contract, to wit the removal
of said slaves beyond the boundaries of the
United States
| On the first day of November, 1870 William
| IL. Williams arrived with the slaUes at the lake
end of the Pontchartrain railroad An afiida-
Wit WAS made before Recorder George Y Bright,
by l.. n Serc, who dcposed to the fact that
William n Williams had brought into the
State convict slaves. Williams was arrested,
and the negroes seized. Proceedings were in
sttuted by the Attorney General under the
act of January %. 1877. aud after various I'M
successful attempts, William H. Williams WAS
finally found guilty. The negroes, twenty four
in number, were forfeited to the State, and
Williams sentenced to pay n fine Of twelve
thousand dollars.
This fine was paid by expiation of sentence
in the parish Jail, of one year. The slaves
whose presence upon the soil of Louisiana, the
|
it's purity, were employed upon her rivers in re-
moving snags and in the erection of that build
ing at the capital wherein her Legislators now
sit in conclave, and Williams at the time of his
arrest, was in tranSitu--was on his way to Texas
then a Republic beyond the boundaries OF
the United States
He brought these slaves from Alexandria to
Mobile in sailing vessel intending to take
the route uid New Orleans and Red River, Ia
Texas
He was taken on his way" passing through
New Orleans, his direct route, surely more
geographically direct route than from Norfolk
to the Sabine, pid the North river He was il
trdnatu--he WAS proceeding on what Mistress
Cora calls international highway cOmmuni-
cation" and he WAS taken and imprisoned, and
his negroes confscated by the authorities of the
State of Louisiana
No intent Of remaining any longer than time
enough to pass along was pretended Listen
to the letter of the Attorney General Roselius
who tells US this
ATTORNEY GENERALS LETTER
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE,
New Orleans June IL, Isll
DEAR SIR: In reply to your note of the sth
instant take pleasure in stating that, on the
trial OF Mr.. William Williams, IN the Criminal
Court of the first district for having brought
OF imported into this State certain slaves con
vcted OF capital crimes in the State of Virginia
no evidence whatever was offered that Mr.
Villains either sold or attempted to sell any
Of those slaves in the State of Louisiana 1t was
proved, on the contrary, by two witnesses that
when asked whether the slaves were for sale
MIR. Williams answered in the negative, and
said he was going to Texas with them took
the ground that the mere fact Of bringing such
slaves into the State was violation of the stat
uto and constituted the offence of which Mr.
Williams stood charged. This proposition was
sustained by the court Yours, very respect
fully, C. RosELIUs
John X Grimes, Esq, (Present)
Here you have it, MIR. Hans Yorkcl, under
tho signature of the high and honorable Chris.
tian Roselius, that the mere fact of bring ,ng
such slaves into the State was a violation OF the
(Stato) statute" and on this the court acted