The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-24
THE PETTY TYRANNY OF THE SLAVE
POWER.

POWER.
Notwithstanding the constant boastings he
the champions of Slavery of the kind indulgepc.
extended to the negro race in slaveholJin,
communities, how uniformly do facts disnroys
the truth of such boastings, and hold mn 3,
scorn the heartless exercise of power by the
fearful and consequently cruel oppressors q,
their fellow men. We, few weeks since con.
led from newspapers of this city an account os
the arrest of dozen or more negro men wb,
had, as was proved, assembled in room 3,
night, 1.-THE only time they probably could have
taken,) for the purpose of raising a suficiep,
fund, out of their own means, in good part "a
purchase the freedom of young woman whom
they wished to befriend and of their being De-
tanned in the watch-house all night and in III,
morning compelled to pay, to the Corporation
Of Washington, fines exceeding in the apgra
gate the amount of the fund they had collectel
for the noble purpose they had in view! We
now ask the attention of our readers to another
instance of municipal magnanimity in the Dis.
trict of Columbia, this neutral ground" over
which the General Government has entire con
troll. The Georgetown reporter or correspond
ent of the Washington "!Star," (some of whose
phrases We italicise,) on the 18th instant, wrote
as follows:
"GEoRGETowN, Nay H., 1855.
"a scene of confusion and uproar occurred
last night, about 10 o'clock, in and abont Fo-
rest Hall, which is, so far as our knowleda.
extends, without parallel in the HISTORY If
Georgetown. 1t appears that party of cd.
ored persons had rented Through a viii.
agent) the hall, for the purpose of having ball
for which permit had been obtained from n,
proper authorities. A magnificent supper f.-
the occasion had been prepared, and the guests
III great numbers, assembled; but to the,
great horror and dismay, just as they were
about to enter into the festivities of the occa.
sion, cry was heard, the Philstines be up5n
thee and lol some two to three hundred
white persons, mostly youths and boys from
different parts OF the town, entered the build.
ing, demolished the crockery, glass, &c. de-
stroyed all the viands, and caused the fright.
ened guests to flee in every direction. Such
disturbances are certainly very disreputable.
ana tne surest way to prevent recurrence Of
them IN the future will be TO refuse permits for
any more. They are certainly calculated to
engender a state OF feeling and stir up an OK.
element which might result in much more 80.
rious mischief than was done last night.
" Where the blame for this disturbance prop.
erty rests, tce are not prepared 10 say, but we
feel satisfied that every good citizen will agree
with us, that the renting of tie hall, and the
granting Of the permit, far such a purpose. was
in the first place decidedly wrong, and that
the failure on the part of the Corporation Off.
GERS to make some efforts to prevent the dis.
turbance, or restore order after it had been
commenced, was equally wrong, if not more
so.
$50 great was the uproar for an hour or
more, that several persons living in the imme.
date neighborhood, especially timid and delicate
females, became so terrified and alarmed as 10
be made quite sick. For the sake of morality
and good order, we sincerely hope that the
proper authorities WILL in future take de.
cided stand to prevent all such exhibitions. by
refusing all permits, let them come from what
source they may, or be recommended by what
party soever."
The Washington "Organ" also contains
statement of the affair, as follows:
"Quite breeze was created among the in
habltants OF our sister city, upon the news being
WV shShi eho1 a party vi COlOTtu lnulNIuuaE
were to give ball in Forrest Hall last night
A large number of white people entered the
hall before the time for the gaiety to commence.
and destroyed the refreshments and other ar.
and dishes, and caused general
among the blacks A meeting then
assembled, of citizens, and passed resolution
denunciatory of white man named Richard
Trunnel, who hired the hall of Mr. Forrest for
the negroes.
Three colored ,comen, belonging to Mr.. &.
Ridgely, who were on an errand, were met by
the crowd, and were most numerically beaten,
being suspected Of intending to go to the ball.
How the municipal authorities, who gave the
permit to the negroes, but dared not protect them
In the enjoyment Of ii, have sustained them.
selves after performing an act which the laws
authorize them to perform, we know not. The
owner of the hall (who, we think, is Northern
man. has been compelled to exonerate himself
by showing that he rented it in ignorance of the
fact that persons of color were to occupy it in the
enjoyment of a ball and festival gotten up at
their own expense, and by the special permis-
sion Of the municipal authorities and which
would no doubt have been conducted with quite
as much propriety as any entertainment Of like
character, in which the most refined Of the
white population of either Georgetown or Wash.
ington have participated during the past season.
The greatest regal tyrants the world has ever
seen, have usually desired to see the masses Of
the people forgetting their political oppression
in songs, and dances, and festivity, even CON,
handing them to sing the Songs of Zion but
the oppression of American Slavery is so fear
full and malignant in its nature, that the slave,
in the evening hour, when the labors Of the day
are past, may not feast upon the good things
he has bought, nor dance, nor be joyous, but
must crouch before the jealous and tyrannical
mob who rush in upon him, "demoish the
crockery, glass, &c, destroy the .viands, cause
the frightened guests to flee in every direction
and beat ,pomen numerically" whom they
of intending to 90 to the ball
How long will this Republic be disgraced by
he commission of such deeds, even at the very
portals of its Capitol?
An advertisement in the Washington Star
contains the following passages:
"When the company had assembled, and
we're about to commence their entertainment
arge number of white persons thrust themselves
INTO the rooms, insulted the women, beat the
men, and carried off the eatables and devOured
hem more like wild beasts than civilized beings.
Some of the women, to avoid Insult, locked
themselves up in room but the assailantS
awaited without for two hours, until they made
heir appearance, when was renewed the work
IF assault. The screams of these poor creatures
we're indeed terrible, and aroused many fam
ly from their peaceful slumbers. During the
irst part of this occurrence land nearly through
'ut) l observed a Waterman, with his mace,
standing quietly looking on, apparently ENJOY