The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-08
From the Port Gibson (AIiss.) Reveille.
Fat JUSTlCIA-MARTIN NEGROES-IMPORT.



The case of the Sam. Martin negroes has
pr Iuced the liveliest excitement in our com
m<Aity. We however think that, on close ex-
ar ination, the large majority of our conseien-
tic Is and intelligent citizens will be of our mind
ali tut the case
We all agree that for the settlement of the
m tier of these negroes, there is but one prin-
CT lie to be pursued. What is that principle
II .jttstice-iustice to all parties Justice to
tb community justice to white, and justice
&c ,laek; justice to our labor system; Justice
to VI.
Who are the parties to the Sam. Martin case
T. sy are Sam. Martins estate, the negroes now
in jail and claiming to be free, the State to
wi ON they are claimed to escheat, and the
B shear Academy, for whose benefit the es-
cl at will be.
rs to Sam. Martins estate, what is the duty
Of he administrator? Nothing is palmer. His
dGy is to see that justice is done to the estate
TIE administrator therefore would naturally
ta5 the advice of able counsel; and if the ad-
VIE is that the negroes are not Free and belong
to- Sam. Martins estate, it is but simple Justice
Ii the administrator should, with all honor
al energy, claim what is Justly due. Who
caSa gainsay that? The law prescribes the adj
illustrators duties. If he does his duty, his
s. lrn duty, who can blame him?
s The negroes now in Jail, and claimed to be
! free, have rights in the matter.
As the case should be justly decided, the
n. sroes have either the right to be free, or the
| p. iCitege to be "slaves." Now, either these
NJ groes have been legally freed, or they have
| r. been. If they have been legally freed if
( lr deeds of manumission are correct, then,
L Gods name, let them be free, and either
We the State or exercise their privilege, should
t. y wish to remain and return into slavery
I at is law; that is justice. Nobody can gain
S. it. Why, then, any excitement? We will
lertake to say, that when the case is tried, a
Jug of our country will return a Just verdict.
Let US, then, patiently wait. Let US excite no
fs attic spirit. Let us not break open the Jail,
al 1 turn loose parcel of poor negroes, to be
h@7tily driven out to become starvelings and
W rants.
5.here is, however, in our humble Judgment,
nc danger of anything more than animated
discussion. That is right. The county CON-
ptsmented as the first in the State upon negro
questions will honor the judiciary, and let the
courts and Juries do equal and exact justice to
al. The States duty is to have Justice done
itself. The District Attorney will therefore
claim all that is Justly due, and neither more
nor less. The Trustees of the Academy are
heightened gentlemen. They have duty to
do; they, of course, will neither overdo nor I'm.
derdo their duty. But they are not men to
eyade or finch from duty; and as schools are,
like churches, instruments for good in the hands
OF Providence, let the Trustees, like Christian
gentlemen, give the school the benefit of the
escheat, II, IN lac, the benefit is Justly due.
What all want is justice. Then let all parties
quietly and fearlessly submit their claims to the
tribunals of justice.
Inc sam. Martin negroes are now in Jail !;
that may be hardship-undoubtedly it is Let
1t, however, be noted as a stern fact. that in all
countries, whites as well as blacks are liable to
detention and Imprisonment, before trial of
their rights. More white men than negroes
| have been imprisoned in our iails until their
rights could be tried. And, in this connection.
let us resssert the formula of Henry Hughes.
that negroes are sacred When their ridhts are
TO be tried" -
but ought, or ought not, our free negroes to
De expelled, and ought, or ought not our courts.
In cases OF doubt, to lean in favor of emanc;.
patlon these questions now come home to
US. free negroes are not economically sub
ordlnated and if negroes who are not subordi
mated are night and desirable, negroes who are
suoordlnated are wrong, and not desirable.
Ii suDordlnatlon- is just, non-subordination is
unjust. Ssdeery and Emancipation cannot
both be right! We are in favor of snbord;no
ton, miscalled Slavery. As to Sam. Mart;n,s
negroes, any sympathy based upon the ground
that freedom will be a boon to them. is what
we detest. And, as we have asserted on the
streets, as to them individually whatever NAV
be their rights, we certainly think they would be
better off as slaves in Mississippi than free in
| Cincinnati. This is our view upon ali cases of
this character and we do not refer it particularly
| to the present case. We are opposed to the
freedom of negroes, and in favor Of their liberty,
because liberty is justice; and what is liberty
but freedom inside of order2 But is free
negro orderly 2 The statistics prove that the
free negroes are, as rule, drunkards, Migrants,
thieves, beggars, and starvelings. Let the facts
be faced. Let our people boldly take the
ground that our negroes have liberty, because
hoerty is just so much freedom as is Justly due
ana no more; and who viii say that any more