Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-01-08

ISectai ErNnaeEmett4n-How 2 YANKEES Be
i Colonel a. D. Hills, thoodiior ofthe New Or.
leans Era, recently made a speech before the
/ Union Association Of that city, In which he eK-
planned the different methods by which nen
We're formerly and arenow mndo "souihernofs."
He had lust beconie formally citsen Of Loais-
lana. he said. tf Wy itifh
Il ought to be very proud, for Il is a great
thing 10 be q southerner--~to pay taxes aud 10
vote, precisely as II one had been wise enough
j IN the beginning 10 be born in the South. Hav-
ing attained this position Of supfeme felicity, it
now became my duty to.tprn up fny nose NJ ell
Yankees and to give them the go-bY. III wore
skirts, like the ladies, would certainly contract
them to the very smallest dimensions whenever
met northern yandal in the streets; or, like
the priest and Levite in the parable would
pass by on the other aide. am now one of the
chiyalry, and do you suppose want my pure
southern habits TO become contaminated by con-
tact with 'LineOln's birelings3' No, indeed; not
II" GLaughter.l esel. sa
He said: r|.s st..f.t.
Il do not appear before you 10 discnss tie
slavery of the black man, but to plead for tie
freedom the white man, and to protest against
the re-establishment Of that moral aud intellect
ual bondage imposed upon the citizens OF Lou
isiana by the oligarchy Of Shareholders that
ruled this state in the times happily gone BY
Necessarily the theme will involve the condem-
nation OF slavery in every form; for the AL.
mighty, In his wise Providence, has decreed that
those who infiict injustice upon others. howev-
er helpless and weak shall themselves share the
evils resulting from the wrong they do. In-or.
der to enslave the bodies OF the black man it il
necessary TO enslave the soul Of the white man;
and wherever slavery exists in full power, there
freedom OF thought and freedom OF speech arc
cloven down" IApplause.] 1900.
at is my right, as il Is the right ofany Amer
ican citizen, TO take up my residence in New
Il l.. 4 ~
that am here. / am not here by their suffer-
ance. came here because it was my right, and
chose to do so. CCheers.] Being here and
having become citizen Of the state, have an
interest in her welfare and in her institution and
regard myselfa much better citizen OF Louisi-
ana than any of those gentlemen who formerly
went round shouting the praises of rebellion in
the ears OF the people. And these are the men,
too who enslaved and bound the tongues of
the citizens of this state by an Infamous code of
OF laws aimed not only against the liberty of the
black man, but against the free thought and free
speech of white men. question whether, out
side OF the slave states, another collection Of
laws can be found SO disgraceful TO the civiliza-
tion of the age in which we live, as the black
code of Louisiana-the offspring Of that olgarehy
which ruled in the days gone by. Among 9TH
er provisions of that code are the following:
Sec. %. Whoever shall, with the intentto
produce discomfort among the free colored pop
ulation, or characterization among the slaves,
write, print, publish or distribute any thing hav-
ing tendency to produce discomfort among the
free colored population Of this state or insubor-
dination among the slaves therein, shall on con-
viction, be sentenced to imprisonment at hard
labor, or suffer death at the discretion of tho
court.
"'Sec. 90. Whoever with the intent aforesaid.
shall make use of language in any public dis
course, from the bar, the bench, the stage, the
pulpit, or in any place whatsoever, or whoever
shall make use of language in private discourse
or conversation, or of signs actions, having
tendency to produce discomfort among the free
colored population of this state or to excite in
subordination among the slaves therein; oriwho-
ever shall knowingly be instrumental in bring
! ing into this state any paper pamphlet or book,
having such tendency shall on conviction there
of suffer imprisonment at hard labor, not ess
than three nor more than twenty-one years, or
death, at the discretion of the court
Sec. 30. 1t shall be the duty of the Judges
in this state to give the two preceding sections
in charge to the grand jury at each term of their
respective courts
! These penalties Were provided against those
who should write, publish or say ANYTHING bsv-
ing tendency to create discomfort among the
free colored population insubordination
among the slaves. And who was to Judge
whether anything published or spoken had such
tendencyf Why, the Shareholders. They
were the umpires. And the man who breathed
an opinion adverse TO this peculiar institution,
violated the law as they construed il. They OBJ
liberated first the freedom, of the press; but this
was not enough-the freedom of speech was al
so stricken down. The lawyer at the bar could
not protest against the injustice or dishonor of
proscriptive and inhuman statutes. The Judge
upon the bench could not proclaim the great law
I of justice more binding than human enactments
that contravene it. The minister of Christ could
not proclaim the gospel of freedom in his place
that gospel whose Chief Apostle said that
God hath made Of one blood all the nations of
men to dwell upon all the face of the earth.-
And, as THAT were not enough to psralze tho
pen and silence the tongue--as though it were
not enough to trample to the earth the freedom
of speech and of the press, these barbarous laws
prescribed the penalty of death for signs or ac-
tons which should indicate dstaste for slave
ry. And, that this horrible despotism over the
opinions Of men might be ever present before
their eyes, it was made the duty of the Judges
throughout the state always TO repeat these saw
age enactments in their charge to grand jurries
thus giving them pre-eminence on all occas-
ions"
Colonel Hills remarks were received with
great favor and applause.
4