New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-08


that the mid aad moderate Prescott speaks Of !"
az al.w which for cruelty and ao.ardI1y nA'
scarcely parallel in history. =,
Yet cruel ard absurd as vss this law, instgated
by the InquisitoD, and enacted BY Philip H. iot
ire ,urpres.ion of F.. hated and dreaded rae, u
cid DOT 90 to the length Of driving into eIpe or
into slavery free people. Even Tor lis viois'ioh
even for open and stubborn disregard OF It's Prosi-
son., the penalties, which, OF course, were more
severe than the provisions Of the edct themselves
were, for the frat ofen,e imprisonment for one
month. banistment from the country for tro years
and not excessive fine If for such law, whose
extrenest penalty was exile for two years only
Philip III has become the opprobrum Of the civil
lied world, what shall we ssy Of an American
Legislature that deliberately consigns whole race
Of free people to the alternative OF slavery or per-
petusl Punishment from their homes The state
Of Louisiana, in March last, passed two acts, be,r
ing date, respectively, March 10 and March L. Inc
fifth section Of the first of which reads thus.
SEC BenJstssr rnacd etc. That Z asy free p,r.os Of
dan, .tsl fail 90, ssd free person Of coor s1-'-d
within STATE shall forthwith be lodged IN jail and uson aae
~ ,by moib. ND no, more than twelve mouths
pri.cnu.nt bard labor in the State Penitent1y And Any
.. ron or police srreng such person sns receive
reward Of ten dollars BE- paid By The City Of Ne"
the arrest BE- mace in the parish u.s. OF ~ "a, s
charged from the PerenaJ said fee person Of coo'Aa have
ten days to leave the state"
b. Section 6, any free person of color returning
to the State after being convicted under Section D
"sba be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor
"for FIVE years in the State Penitentiary."
The Act of March II DEGREES that 1T shall
thereafter be lawful for any free person OF Afri-
"can descent, over the age Of II years, now re-
".iding 10 this State, to selec: bis or her master,
"or owner, and to become slave for life, pursu-
"ant to the provisions Of this Act" The only
provision for the protection of the persons thus
reduced to slavery, s, that they shall not be liable
TO be cold for debts of the master contracted before
their ensavemeLt.
These acts went into force on the 1st inst The
one which consgns the free colored population TO
exile, or the penitentiary, or to slavery for lie, Is
understood not to apply to the native population OF
Louisiana, but to all the free colored residents, no
matter how long they may have been inhabitants of
the State. The Neu. Orleans Daily Crescent of
Sept. l says: "The knowledge of these acts is
"well spread, and consequently there is high ex-
q" citemelt among that branch of the free colored
population who cannot boast Of Louisiana birth,
"and trepidation among many of them who can
We can we'll believe it. 1t was with excitement
and trepdation that the MOors of Granada received
the PRONUNCIATION of the mu,h less atrocous edicts
of Philip H. "One may imagine" 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 per-
d" fonal indignty to the hearers. Some OF
4" the weaker sort gave way to piteous and pas-
" sionate EXPLANATIONS, wringipg their hands in al
" agony of grief Others, of sterner temper, broke
forth into menaces and fierce invective accom-
panied with the most furious gesticulstions."
Writing to the Moors of Africa, one Of them ssid:
" We are sorely beset, and our enemies encompass
us all around, like consuming fre. have
written this in nights of tears and anguish, with
" hope yet lineering-such hope as still sur
wives amidst all the bitterness Of the soul"
Many of the Louisiana victims of Democratic
tyranny. rather than abandon their homes, their
friends, and their means Of livelihood, and 60 into
exile, have reluctantly consented to sacrifice their
freedom, with the poor consolation Of being able to
choose their own masters, and trusting, probably,
to the chance of finding humane and just protectors
The Crescent says:
"Two bright and intelligent free coored men, who do
good business both steamboat cooks one making 500
aud the other SIS per month"; formally filed their petit
IN m niatr In
for life OF welknown gentleman of this city, he hav-
ing consented to accept them The names oil these
men are Joseph. Thomas ond VIM. Gray Some time
age they Gale upon MIR. Blocker TO be their attorney
in the matter That gentleman going carefully aud
about new branch Of his business,
talked with and sounded the negroes till he ss'i.fed
himself they were really IN earnest lie talked 10 them
at length ad and expounded the above law to them
and explained TO them particularly that n surrender
lug their freedom to their proposed MISTER they would
moi be provisional but sc.ual ,ayes TO him. the same
as if they had been born his slaves Only One tempo
rsry difference from the state of other slaves could
they court upon; their exemption from seizure for
prior debts of their master but that to the calls Of
ebs acquired after their surrender, 10 the will or
csprce Of their master in his method of employing
them or in selling them, they would be Just the same
as If slaves from birth.
with all this before them and having duly cscu.
lated the choice between Slavery n the South and
FREEDOM in the North, Joseph Thomas and VIM. Gray
unhe snatngly adhered to their original design and
petition for Slavery in the First District Court
From what We hear at present, great many free
negroes, not born in this State will pick out their
II asters and become slaves sooner than leave the
population and the Climate which peases them 50
well"
This is coolly sad. Just as cOony 800 years
ago. the Spanish chrOniclers recorded acts Of des-
poiism which have made their country and its
kings and inquistors by-words to all generations.
In that day, such deeds were done 10 the name of
Rel gion and the Divine Right Of Kings. In ours,