The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-02-23
Despicable Dia bOli>m in the District.

Some three months since, two colored
men, free citizens of Philadelphia, re.
turned from the Paraguay Expedition Of.
board Government vessel, and were
landed at the Navy Yard in Washington,
where they were honorab'y disc large d.
Wishing to return home after their lone
absence in the service of the United
States, they repaired to the railroad de.
pot at " ashlnston to take the cars for
Philadelphia, when they were me, BY a
regulation which requires all colored ner.
sons, ere they can obtain tickets. to file
bond to idemnify the railroad company
against loss in case they should he claim.
cd as slaves. Having no friends or ac.
I--~--------- : NJ .--r.-~,- ss,z..syss
they could furnish no sutetics for such a
bond, ana so had to abandon the idea of
ong to Philadelphia for the presep, ::
aud, finally, they obtained employment,
as servants at the Avenue House. a hotel
in Washington
Bat the slave hend would not let these
innocent young men alone. About ten
days since, being still at work at the A.
rnue House. the; were arrested under 4
municipal regulation or ordinance a.,
nonresident negroes; this o.dinane re-
curing that persons Of African descent
coming into Washington should have
their names registered and lay fifty dol.
lars. or be liable to IA fine i ten d,.II,rs
for every five days that they remain in
the city without complying with tie or.
dinance.
These young men, discharged at the
Federal Capital from on board a United
states vessel on which they had perfo~.
med faithful service, when met with this
rascaIIy Federal ordinance, knew nothiu,
alb ut the requisition as to registration
and they had no fifty dollars to nav FIR
license for remaining in Wash;nr,o,
In fact, they did not wish to STAY thcro
at all, but were doing their best to % to
their homes in Philadelphia when thew
encountered this oppressive railroad reg.
ulatIon, which compelled them to remain
and seek employment on the spot, fur a..
Ing which they subjected themselves to
olHNi pehaiIlc5.
Inc tact OF t arrest became known
to Mr. Potter, Member ofC,oyr.s. fra,a
Isronsio, and Mr.. Covoie uomb"r
from pennsylvania, who board a, the A..
enue House, and upon whom these color
ca men were IN the habit Of waiting -
lhey lnt"rtered TO save them from those
oppressive lines. In 50 doin, ,boy 30
planned the case to the Mayor Of Wash
in-ton lie admitted the law 70 La ;.
''''u one and suggested that, as tbe.e
!,,'h5 men ~sre servants at the hote, of
-h's'fs' Potter aud covode, they nigh,
properly Claim that they the colored ncr.
sons be exempted from the operation Of
inc ordinance as their serton,s: and th,,
IN this way,and this way only, could thew
De saved from the payment of the s,o
each' and fine Of SO dollars each far
every five days during which they had
neglected to register their names IT,
oer these circumstances; aud at tba en-,
Ses''on OF the Mayor, Messrs. Potter and
Io'ode' having meanwhile employed
.nese colored men, addressed notes r.
'"e mayor claiming them as their uor
wants and thercupon they were dis.
l" return for their humane ;,,er,a,
ence IN behalf of these defeose,ess h'rs
the n, press of Washington, and esnoo;;,I,
me 'o1s''t"t'po, the organ Of IT. r.
! cnahan, rours ut its foulest abuvo n.y..
hessrs. Potter and Coyode nerxsr,;oa
.''e ''c's' representing them as h,v;,s,
oeen purchasing negroes, a. try;na -
vaIe the ma"lucip,l laws of Wssh;ns,,n
ana more of the same sor., Their na,',
70 1he Mayor are publ:sl j, acconn,n;.d
py characteristic comments. Thro,ah
whose lnterpositon this turn ha, hc.n
given to thu fair, whether BY TINT of,ha
democratic Mayor,or the officer 70 wb,n,
one third OF the fines were PAYABLE va
know not,nor do We care. We aim y,
hlSher game than vulgar tipstaffs and
Drawing ewSpaper organs, 10 our com
mcnts upon these scandaIous transae,;o,s
we 10 not snmu"h bam. the ot,ice- ,s