The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-26


d a Mr.. Rice of New York, for passports tor
y number of persons of color who propose to vlS'
S Europe in the capacity Of 'sable MINISTRIES,
/, reaffirms the decision given by the department
n during Mr.. Fillmore's administration, that free
Y negroes are not citizens of the United States
= and therefore not entitled to passports. MIR
o Thomas says, that, in 1921 acontroversy arose
d as to whether persons of color were citizens
= the United States, within the intent and mean
y ing of the acts Of congress regulating foreign
o and coasting trade, so as 10 be disqualified tt
d command vessels; and Mr. Writ attorney gen
n eral, decided thai they were not, and moreover
e held that the words ''citizens of the United
+ States, were used in the acts of congress in the
t same sense as in the constitution. This view is
also fully sustained in recent opinion of attor-
: ney general Gushing. The judicial decisions
e of the country an to the same effect. In kents
: Commentaries, vol. 9, p. 277, it is stated that
in 1888 chief-jusice Dagget, of Connecticut,
held that free blacks are not ''citizens,' within
r the meaning of tie term as used in the consti-
tuition of the United States, and the supreme
, court of Tennessee, in the case of the State VS..
Claiborne, held tie same doctrine. He there
fore concludes that persons of color cannot be
regarded, when beyond the Jurisdiction of this
government, as entitled to the full rights of cit
liens; but adds that he is directed by secretary
Marcy to say, 'thRt though the department
pOuH ~ bnt eff
of the United States, yet if satisfied of the truth
of the facts, it would give certificate that they
were born in the United States, and free; and
that the government thereof would regard it to
be its duty to project them if wronged by for
eign government, while within its jurisdiction,
for legal and proper purpose" This is in
manner whipping the devil round the stump!'
BY granting passports to white persons, and
certifying that they are citizens of the United
States the general government merely intends
that they are to serve as projections in foreign
countries, and to give notice that the U. States
would regard it as its duty to protect them if
wronged by foreign country;' and the "cer
tifcate'' which secretary Marcy offers to the
free negroes guarantees to them the very same
rights and protection when abroad which the |
government accords to the American merchant
or planter while travelling in Europe. The gov
eminent has heretofore uniformly refused to
grant either passports or certificates of protec-
ton to tree negroes, except they be sailors, in
which case they are entitled to a seaman's pro-
lection, which they procure at the customhouse
The excitement in relation to silver coin pre-
walls IN Europe 10 as great an extent as it does
in this country. The London correspondent of
the New York Commercial Advertiser, in his
last letter, says:
The displacement of silver by gold, which is
now gong on with extraordinary rapidity in all
he principal countries is the engrossing topic on
change throughout the continent The move
nent has been progress ever since the dis
:overy of gold in California and Australia, al
hough 1t receives an additional impulse from t
xstlng circumstances The only remedy for !
will be the adoption of a silver coinage of de- t
BASED value; and this could not only be effect c
ID without difficulty, but it might be a source
II large profit to the French and other govern '
1ents. The margin, indeed, must NECESSARILY {
e large, since, ii 1t were less than 8@1O d
ent., there would be prospect Of another al
sraton becoming requisite at future period I
n England the silver coinage was originally c
y cent. below its nominal value as comnared j
18th gold; but, owing to the depreciation of o
Old, the difference is now only 8! % cent, a
nd there is, consequently, possibility that si'
afore long the inequality, even in this coun- V
y, may entirely disappear, so as to render a ri
wv debasement necessary in order to prevent P
from being sent out of the country. o
The question of the expediency of further u
basement of silver coin aside, it is apparent a.
at portion of the large capitalists in Europe A,
e ebeavoring to create panic in the money 81
arket, and it is to be hoped that their scheme N
i'll prove futile.
KENDALL AceU1TrED-The Gong pending case Sit
the United States VS.. VIM. G. Kendall, ex- er
'stmaster at New Orleans, accused of purloin- p
g valuable letters, (the Texas case,) was
ought to close on the 18th inst, the Jury dr.
ter an absence of only a few minutes return II
: verdict of not guilty. Tie prosecution on eli
E part Of the United States, was conducted bv -
+. Clack, I. S. district attorney, assisted by ca
lristan Roselius, esq. Kendall was defended cl5
Messrs. Randell Hunt and Robert Mott VIZ
e foretold the result of this trial months ago IL
VULGAR ERRoR5.-EnglisH travellers repre-
Mt the Americans as debiltated, degeners- WI
and sckly race, and the nonsense is reitera- thu
in this country BY those who ought to know wi
tier. 1t is a little singular that such an en- sla
bled race should have accomplished more ~
ysical labor in subdung an entire continent
less than two centuries than all the nations 1ss
Europe have effected for their own countries we
the same time Physically, morally and ted
ntally, there is no more vigorous race than um
American on the globe. They live as long, llal
as hardy and well developed, can endure
great an amount of fatigue, and accomplish ma
much labor, mentally and physically, as any gro
er people. They have peopled continent, abs
cultivated it till it produces abundance, Sta
re traversed it with railroads and telegraphs, the
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