Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1858-06-05
COL. F. L. CLAIBORNE APPRENTICE

COL. F. L. CLAIBORNE APPRENTICE
BILL.
We see By the following article
from the n. O. Crescent, that our able
and efficient Representative Col. FL.
Claiborne, is a decided advocate Of the
African apprentice Bill, for which lie
voted at the last session Of the Iegisla-
ture, and we have no doubt he will use
every effort u secure its passage next
winter. .5.s
That he does not consider it in viola
ton Of the laws Of the United States,
would follow as q matter Of course from
his supporting the bill, because he as
well IS every member of the Legislature
and AL the officers Of the State take an
oath to perform their duties ~agreeably
to the Constitution and laws Of the
United States, and VIC would consider it
a violation ofhis oath to support a meas
urc which he did not look upon as agree
able to those, laws.
We would rejoice to see any mode
devised BY which additional labor conld
be procured, for, Of its great necessity
throughout the whole South there can
srEF e. .... r.. tE= s.
be but one opinion. 81
In a private letter to US from the Hon.
+. L. Claiborne, the eloquent and able
Representative i'll the last Legislature
from the Parish Of Pointe Coupee, he
calls our attention to an error into which
Col. II. NJ Polk, of Jackson parish, also
a member Of the Legislature, has fallen,
in q communication written by him, and
lately re-published in the Baton Rouge
Advocate, accompanied by editorial com
meuts OF a favorable character. Col.
Polk, observes u correspondent, says
that the African Apprentice bill passed
the House of Representatives without
time being allowed that body to consider
it's merits. This, Mr.. Claiborne remarks,
is not the fact. He states, what we
happen to know. to be the truth,
that the aforesaid bill was canvassed
several days before it's introduction, and
was SO thoroughly understood and so
generally approved that the. House was
prepared to act atonce it. Besides,
after the Senate had discussed the
measure for several days and nights, a
motion was made in the House to re-
quest the Senate to return the bill. This
motion was voted down by an over
whelming majority, the distinguished
Representative from the parish of Bien-
vile, Hon. HenryGray, who was absent
when the bill passed, voting with the
majority, and deelering himself friendly
to that and all other projects Calculated
to advance the Southern interests. +
,sfCol. Claiborne in his Communication,
denies that the Constitution or laws are
violated by the Importation offree blacks,
and as the Legislature has the poWerto
pass all needful laws in relation to ne
groes.yfree or otherwise, sees no danger
State interests likely to result
rom the adoption of the Apprentice sys-
tenn in the form proposed.
Like, our gallant ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
Hon. Mouton, Col. C. holds that, the time
las come for the South to look for the
acquisition Of Southern Territory, the
development and cultivation of what we
rave now, and thinks that the introduc-
ion of cheap labor is absolutely indis-
oensable to accomplish both these i'm
ends. @@ .f.g
The declaration made in reply to an
nterrogatory ~propounded by the Hon. 2
Nm. Barksdale, Of Mississippi, on the
loor of Congress, that the Northern
7~reesoilers had resolved that no more
lave States should be admitted into the
Inion under any circumstances, admon-
shes us that the South must strike her
and submit to Northern DONNA
ion for all time to come, or Immediately
axe position on the defenses Of the Con-
;titutioh, and determine never to sur
ender one ,jot or title Of the rights Sc
'ured by that sacred instrument.
We do not publish Col. Claiborne's !
etter in full, but only so much as con- !
a. question involving a subject of
Tital Importance toathe Southern portion
f the c~onfederacyy Cd faa3 sg@
.asaE 1z.t aia5 ~
z4$@r Communicated. - IT, RI
Mr. EDlroR:-0ut of 5000 acres oil
L. ! tseE EE 1S1a.fa RI ~ e. ~ al NIL A9nF