The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-09-17

y BY the fansticai 0sasd In4disisor, Diego d
{. Espinosa, issued the 6rss Of those ceuel edics
!. against the Nools Of Spain which drove them /
rebellion, aud resulted, finally, in their e1
pulsion from :heir native land, in the reign .
. Philip III. II was those ed,cts, combined vii
the cruelties exercised 10 the Netherlanda, tina
, covered the name Of Philip. and Of Spain an,
the Spanish Inquisitiou, with infamy, a. guilt
. Of brutal and barbarous tyrrany. The mos
{ severe Of those edicts-thas Of 1853, which "a
the immediats cause Of the rebellion Of th
Moers-comprised number Of snactmen.s },
, harsh, that the mild and mo ierate Prescott
. speaks Of it ~ " . Law which foe cruelty 40,
sbsuedity has scarcely . parallel in history"
sYetcruel and absurd - was fhie law, ipstigste,
by the lnquisition, and enacl<4 BY Philip II.
, for the suppression Of hated I'd dreaded race
isedid NOT 20 20 the length Of diving into exi,,
81 into slavery, free people. Even for ito vio-
!iton, even tor open and stubborn disregart
OF Yts provisions, che penalties. which, Of course
we're more severe than the provisions Of ths
edict ithesaselvse. we're, for the fret ofFenst
imprsonmeut tor one month, basishment from
the country for tho years, aud . not excessive
hne. II Tor such law, whose EXTREMIST pen
atty vas exile for two years only, Philip H. :has
become the OpsObrium Of the civilized world
what shall We say Of an American Legislature
that deliberately consigns whole race Of free
people to the alternative Of slavery or perpetual
banshment from their homes? The State oi
Louisi M, in March last passed two acts, bear
ing date, respectively. March 10 aud II. the fifth
section of the first Of which reads thus:
SIC. 5 Be it fsyther enacted, ETC., That If any
free person OF color, after having been notified
TO leave the State within five days, shall fail 60
to do said fres person Of color .if arrested with
in the State, shall forthwith be lodged in jail,
and upon due conviction before any competent
court, shall be sentenced to not less than three
months and more than twelve months imprison.
ment at hard labor 10 the, State Pententiary-
Acd any person or police officer arresting such
person shall receive reward of ten dollars, to
be p"id by the City of New Orleans, il the arrest
be made in the parish Of Orleans, OF by the Par
ish Treasurer If made out Of it Provided, That
after beingidischsrged from the PeDiteutisry said
free person o. color shall have ten days to leave
| the State"
| BY Section 6, any free person of color re-
turning to the State after beng convicted un-
der Section . "shaA be sentenced to imprieon-
ment At hard labor for five years in the State
Penitentisry."
| The Act Of March II DEGREES that " it shall
hereafter be lawful for any free person Of Afri-
can descent, over the age Of 81 years, now 70.
siding in this State, to select his or her master,
suant to the provisions Of this Act" The only
provision for the protection OF the persons thus
| reduced to slavery, 10, that they shall not be
| liable to be sold for debts of the master, con-
| tracted before their enslAvement.
| These acts went into force on the lst inst
The one which cons,gns the free colored popula-
ton to exile, or penitentiary, or to slavery for
lite, is understood not to apply to the native
| population Of Louisana, but to all free colored
residents, no matter how long they may have
been inhabitants Of the State. The New Orleans
Daily Crescent Of Sep. says: .'The knowl-
edge Of these acts is we'll spread, and conse-
| quently there is high excitement among that
brs;eA Of the free coIored population who can.
| not boast Of Louisiana birth, and tsepidation
among many Of them who can"
We can well believe it. 1t was with excite
| meLt and trepidation that the Moors Of Granada
| received the promulgation Of the much less
atrocous edicts OF Philip ii. zone may
ina CINE" says Prescott, 'the emotions of shame,
sorrow, and indignation with which the vast
assembly, consisting OF both sexes, listened to
the words OF an instrument, every sentence Of
which seemed to convey personal indignity to
the hearera. Some Of the weaker sort
gave way to pitiOus and passionate exclama-
tions, wringing their handa in an agony Of grief.
Others, Of sterner temper, broke forth into
menaces, accompanied with the most furious
gestaculations." Writing 80 the Aoors one Of
! them said: 1--WE are sorely beset, and our
| enemies encompass US all around, Ike a con-
| suming fire. l have written this in nights Of
tears and anguish. with hope yet lingering
such hope as still survives amidst the bitterness
Of ti.e soul" sa.
| Many Of the Lousisna victims Of Democratic
| tyrrany, rather than abandon their homes, their
| friends, and their means Of livelihood, and 20
into exile, have reluctantly consented to sscri
| 6ce their freedom, with the poor consolation of
being able to choose their own masters, and
trus ing, probably, to the chance of finding
| humane and just protectors. The Crescent says:
1.-TWO bright and intelligent free colored men,
who do good business (bota steamboat cooks,
one making 800 and the other t75 per monthl
formally filed their petitions in the First Disrics
Court, to become the slaves FOR life of . we'll
known gentleman of this city, he having consent.
ed 10 accept them. The names Of these men are
Joseph Thomas and William Gray. Some time
| ago they called upon Mr.. Blocker to be their
| attorney in the matter. That gentleman, going
| care fully and circumspectly about new branch
! OF his business, talked with and sounded the
negroe. till he satisfied himself they we're really
| in earnest. He talked to them at length, read
and expounded the above law TO them, and ex-
| planned TO them particularly, that 10 surrender
would not be provisional but actual slaves to
him, the same ss If they had been born his
slaves. Only one temporary difference from
| the state Of other slaves could they count upon
| their exemption from seizure for prior debts Of
their master but that to the calls Of debts ac-
qured after their surrender, or to the will or
caprice of their master, in his method Of en-
po, ing them. or in selling them, they would be
just the same 40 If slaves from birth.
| with all this before them, and having duly
calculated the choice between Slavery in the
South aud Freedom in the North, JOS. Thomas
and VIM. Gray unhesitatiugly adhered to their
original design, and yesterday, a. above stated,
Mr.. Blocker nled their petitions for Slavery in
the First District Court. askg -, .-t
/ Prom what We hear at present, . great
many free negroes, NOT born in this State, will
| pick out their masters aud become slaves sooner
than leave the population and the climate which
pleases them 20 well. ."v 1855
1 This is coolIy said. Just a. coolly, 300 years
ego, the Epanish chroniclers recorded acts Of
despotism which have made their country and
its kings and iDquisitors by words to all genera
| tons. In that day, such deeds were done in
the name of Religion and she Divine Right Of
Kings. 10 ours, they are perpetrased in the
name Of Democracy and the Divine Right oi
Slavery. The name of Religion Was not pro-
famed in the one case more thaA that of Dem
ocracy in the other; and in presence Of the
assertion Of the Divine Right Of Slavery, that
Of kings becomes almost reasonable and respect.
able. sgaist
Let % look little ae the csss related By ths
Crescent. Two bright inselliGeats free, calored
men. are compelled, not BY indiyidual cruelty
or brutality, bat BY deliberate lav y she
State Of Louisiana, 10 doom themselves bud
their postsrity to slsvery, fos no crime, No #
feuse, except that Of their hereditary. descent
aud this in . country which profepses to disrs-
gssa ell distinctions Of birth OF blood in III
laws and Consultation. Il il nos pretended
even, that these msn naeded to- be taken care
i of-thas they epxld not provide Tor themselyes
Il is exprsssly stseed. the contrary, that they
q were dOinga good business, earning, one seven
. u 6ve, The other one hundred dollars month
And thtD - bus singls inssAncs out OF multi
Jude OF similar cases Compared 70 this th,
MortAsa outrage, which 20 shocked the c,yil.zel
word, sinks into Significance. And yes 20 de-
based have the moral sense aaa the politicA