St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-05-02

Three Months III Pri-on For
Having Your Own Opinion.
:; Mll, M, Arthur Robinson, a young man
sboat twenty.eiglt, years Of age, who was
expelled from New Orleans for entertain
ing views not favorable to- slavery, called
at our Office yesterday, and related his ox.
perience Of the liberty of speech and free
dom of opinion in the Crescent City, as
follows ! He resided in New Orleans for
seven years, up to the 11th of March 1861.
He has always been strongly opposed to
slavery, and hoped, TO- see it abolished by
lawful means, For four years he was the
publisherof the New Orleans 1rute Witness.
IN Old School Presbyterian paper, but
never inserted in that journal an article
expressive of anti.slavery sentiments. He
xasa prominent member of the Young
Mems Christian Association of New Orleans
and when that city was devastated BY yell
low fever, he had charge of one Of the
:lnrgest4districts, in the way of affording
relief to?ths suffering, and providing for
the burial e the poor among the dead
His views Of slavery, he says, were never
concealed from such as desired to know
them. He was known as the warm advo-
cate of Fremont in the campaign of 1856.
Immediately after the election of Mr. Lin
coin, however, at secession meeting in
New Oeleaus, list of the names of resi-
dents Aostilc to slavery was made up, and
his among them. Spies were set upon his
track, and means most coward'y and law
less were resorted to to collect evidence
against him. On the 10th Of November,
at the instance of Joseph Bass-known
principally in connection with the owner
ship Of race-horse--and J. X. Sprague,
a Post. Office Agent, he was arrested aud
taken before the Mayor. These two min
ions Of despotism obtained an order from
"his Honor to search Robinson's house.
They, found in it., among other things, a
copy of "Barnes' Scriptural Views Of Sla-
ve1y," scrap book full of anti-s]avery ex-
tracts, and numbe: Of copies of the Bos-
ton Li6eraIor. These were regarded as
proof most positive of his violation of
statute law Of the sovereign State O. LOUIS
lana: The Mayor demonstrated with Rob-
inson, and regretted that he was compelled
to commit him for trial on such serious
charge. In the presence Of the municipal
d.gnitary, Bass said that if Robinson was
released and entered the streets again, he
(Bass) would shoot him down, and Mr..
Mayor opened not his mouth at such an
outburst Of Southern chivalry. Robinson
was committed to Jail on the 10Th of No.
vember, and remained there till the l1th
Of March-l03 days. During his incarcer.
alton, the jailer frequently said he would
give the "d-d Abolitionist" up to any
mob Of ten men who should call for him
and agree to lynch him: -
1t is required bysthe laws of Louisiana,
that before any case shall be submitted to
tnc Grand Jury, the prisoner shall be ex-
amined before County Recorder, to as
certain if there be probable cause to be-
lieve him guilty; this was not done. in
Robinson's case The Grand Jury found a
"true bill" against him. There were seve-
raj counts in the indictment, as follows !:
Using language calculated to excite feel
ings OF discomfort among free persons Of
color, and insubordination among slaves {;
bringing into the State copy of ''Barne's
Scriptu1al Views of Slavery." (This was
false, as MIR. Robinson purchased the book
in the city of New Orleans.) The third
and fourth counts were in relation 70 the
Boston Liberator and the scrap book be-
fore noticed. 1t was charged he had
brought the scrap book into tho State,
which was not the case. As to the Bos-
ton Liberator he had been a subscriber to
it for two years, and he had received it
regularly up to the time Of the secession
excitement. While in jail, he received
information that his liberty could be pur-
chased from the keeper for $3.50. He was
taken before the Criminal Court on the
18th of March, but it was then discovered
that the ignorance of the "Grand Jurors"
had been more than match for their in
tended yillany. The Indictment charged
that the incendiary documents had been
found in Robinson's house on the first Of
December, where's the ''prisoner'' was in
Jail on that day, and had been committed
because Of the discovery of the books
This flaw in the Indictment procured his
release, on condition of his leaving the city
within twenty-tour hours.
WHIPPING A WOMAN TO DEATH.-We
learn that Mr.. Jacob Patten, who lives in
the southwestern part Of Missouri, whip
ped one,of his slaves, negro woman, to
death, on Saturday, the 7th ult. : After
the negro was buried, suspicious Of foul