New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-10-19
The Free Negroes Of Ten-arlle.
From the Alexandria American, loih ,ass.l

from the Alexandra American, 10Th instl
,Rapides will henceforth be known and stigmatzed
all over the Union as the spot where negroes are
placed on an equality with the white man. 7
n 1t has already been tauntingly proclaimed upon
the floor OF Congress by Lewis d. Campbell Of Ohio,
that there aprecinct somewhere in Louisiana, at
which free negroes were permitted to vote What
citizen OF Rapides, what Louisianian would not have
blushed with shame to have been present and heard
this damnng stigma proclaimed to the world I He
would have hung his head in utter confusion, and
cursed the vile partisan spirit that would thus desc
crate the character Of his parish perhaps the place
of his nativity. & '.'3
escutcheon this foul stain2 why not like freemen,
who knowing your rights, dare assert them and cali
upon those who are seeking your suffrages to ayow
themselves IN regard to this free negro yote2 Let
them say whether or not they believe these persons
to be free negroes and entitled to vote. This should
be made paramount question. We have placed :
before you incontestabe proof that they are free,
them to be white men, he utters that which you ali
know to be false, and he will deserve to be repudia-
ted by you And when aspirants for Office find that
this vote is thus condemned BY the masses Of the
Ten.Mile Bob (Robert A. Hnnter) when standing
among white men whose votes he was soliciting, and
far away from their hearing, in Madison parish &C.
!" frican blood in their ueins'-but since then and
in their presence proclaimed from the hustings that
he was proud to call them his fellow.citizens-
his doors were always open and his table spread for
reprobation, so should all be branded who concur
with him in upholdng these people in this accursed
prostitution Of the ballotbox.
1t is high time to rebuke party reckless in its
course and refuse any longer follow so blindly the
nominations ofthe dominant faction who uphold this
damnable prostitution of your dearest rights and
privileges.
We are told that the commission of one crime in.
variably leads to another. This is equally true in
morals and in politics. In 1884,, Mr. f. W. Brewer,
alias Pascal, then an especial pet of the Overton
,%,y bod
free negroes from jury duty. The reason for this was
the leaders of the dominant party did not want them
exhibited under their true coors and in all their
hideousness before the world, nor have them indig
nantly secuted from the presence of the Court for
they well knew at the same time that respectable
white man would ever stoop SO low as to sit on jury
with them.
This Brewer law still prevails in effect, for none of
these people ever serve jurors. This infamous and
unequal law was declared to be unconstitutional and
the next step to place their sacregious hands,
in 1856 upon the clause in the Constitution which
specifies the qualifications of voter, and tear from it
its essential requisite the words "free white"
The correction of all this awessness, white men of
Rapides devolves upon you. The peaceable remedy
of the ballobox before you, and while you yet have
the power, we call upon you to apply it.
1t is rdicsous to see how regardless of truth the
organ of the dominant party in this parish and its
contributors are in their silly attempts to refute the
charge that these TenMile voters free negroes.
Their efforts may gull ignorant people at distance,
but there is scarcely voter in Rapides who has not
anf IN frhe
Az @ fa - = t ~ W
a wv ora r;ss ta nnt 81 hai
W moo nta1 ht bas e f n &c f than
a. t;oa ~ as VS. pJa a ~, ~ n;ta IN
rastinn az y hnr ,tat,,. cat W. def
m. % W '. III 10 ,o, ogaetas 80
she m @ Anu H. .ne osef or,a asSna
saaScs ~ no hs trial. Of sa5s yvbiis nn The
other hand, it has been shown by the Hon. W. l..
sn ~ decde te case na H. nns 1 ~
Ws " bt uera w. h
ae a ta n,ara onoIad ~ s H.
ther verdct NV fbe evdenca snbmitteJ a the "
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doa ~ et In' S o W. a e o
t auu 40 VIC
,;aon rosecntor ths sahe pnIars we snsrea 70
osan pS;ad VIZ ss;aa "eie suneieo
WE tae it II that 1vben ,nyons 10 CHALLENGED at
the ba,,o as ~ to bs want ne reonse Gna f.
oatdna " o ts " s m s ht
Ian e VI H., ~ spsh " snom sa.
ne uoes ppssess VIZ H. tgs, aug shoula ne n anu pe
.;n ~ ;aa n nt t -, eue ~ .ne
va mis- sas we think from an or9;nav rpse
vail hs ue, W Ne .nh' III oi a. Prey t