The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1866-02-17
The Cecil Wing.
CLIFTON, FEBRUARY ~, 1866.
Negro Testimony.


hear the evidence Of negroes, makes the at
tempt in last Saturdays issue. The writer
to do him justice. however. seems conscou
Of the uphill business lie has undertaken
After mastering in the barking of dogs ant
kissing of geese and the classifying of voters
none of which things having any relevanc,
10 the subject under consideration, the write
thus states his premises
''lf white men as class" argues tn
Eemocrat, ''were unreliable upon oath, som,
other classification would have to be resortec
to. Doubtless there are many white mel
who do not recognize the sanction ofan oath
and who would swear falsely when interested
so to do. Those who would, however, form
the exception. The rule is the other way
and there is no means of discriminating.
And inst here we mark the difference
White men as class will regard an oath anC
are competent witnesses. Those, who viii
not, form the exception. Negroes as a class
will not regard an oath, if interested, anc
therefore they should be excluded.'
This piece of reasoning will hardly pass
for cogem. 1t is acknowledged that white
men may be readily found who do not re
gard the sanctity Of an oath when interested
and negroes also are not to be trusted if inter.
'sted. Here The Democrat places the two
classes on an equality, but in order to make
good the argument, the hypothesis is raised
that, inasmuch as the majority Of white men
are credible witnesses, and only minority
Of negroes when influenced by interested
motives, the former are admitted to testify.
! while the latter are denied as class. With
all due Difference to the writer, we will just
here say, that no such reason for excluding
negroes as judicial witnesses, was ever
thought Of outside of The Cecil Democrat
The testimony Of no interested witness is
taken without extreme caution c.. the part
of the court and jury. He is submitted to
an ordeal of cross examination which seldom
fails to elicit the truth, or expose the char
actcr Of the evidence given.
The writer of this novel article on evidence
has dragged in women and children. as if tc
make his argument weaker by reminding the
reader that notwithstanding they are not per
| nittcd to vote, yet they are permitted to ties
tily in legal cases, trusting to the court OF
jury to determine the value of the evidence
they may give. This same safeguard is hat
to protect the cause Of justice against lying
minority of white witnesses: is it not also
competent to protect it from false swear
ing majority of black witnesses? But where
is the evidence that the majority of negroes
will give false evidence in judicial cases, and
only minority of whites will do so? There
is nothing on which to found such mon
strous and never before. heard, Of theory.
If the negro could be convicted under the
following indictment which The Democrat
arraigns him on, he ought to be at once
banished the earth.
"They live charges this writer, ''in open
violation Of many laws human and divine
They live for the most part Ia open concubi-
mage. They do not recognize female chasti
~ or virtue. They make the christian reli
gion sport and plaything.'
While not admitting that the negroes are
guilty of the sin of open concubnage, We
|
State of Maryland, and her slave CODE thai
her statutes do not acknowledge the marriage
rite among the negro population, that The
offspring Of a slave woman was sold as farm
stock, and no'tamily or marriage relation:
were acknowledged to legally exist among
the people of color, and this legal concub
mage was part Of the machinery of tina
old slave system, which The Democrat ha.
labored twenty-five years to uphold anG
now attempts to lay the sin at the negro
door.
All writer's on negro character, before the
advent Of The Democrat, have pronounced the
negro of decidedly religious turn of mind
and in place of making a sport and play
thing Of religion, their history proves tn,
very reverse. The late rebellion has proven
that the negro has the strongest reliance il
an overriding Providence, and sublime
conception Of his responsibility as human
being Out of four millions of these peo
pie, neither threat. bride or false statement
on the part of the traitors was sufficient tt
make one false to the nation, or the eterna
principles of liberty; and yet with this ev
dence fresh before the writer, we find tn,
SANDERS which we have quoted and man,
others equally monstrous, deliberately pub
lished by the apologists and hackers of trea
son, while the old slave power clamor il
kept up in opposition to negroes being ad
mtted as witnesses in all cases where hustle,
demands investigation.
Again this writer says
'If we could be convinced that the negroe
as majority would give fair testimony re
cognize their oaths and were cognizant of it
sanctity, we would favor their admission a
witnesses. Until so convinced we must op
pose such admission"
Let US see if this skeptical writer can b,
convinced by the logic of facts. He has NJ
doubt high regard for one George II. Pen
deton, prophet among the Copperheads
who, not hundred years ago, was nomina
ted for Vice President, and materially assist
ed in carrying one heavily armored little gen
eral over the soft and yielding Chicago Plat
form. Well, this Mr.. Pendeton was asked
recently, for his views on the subject of ne
gro evidence by Virginia friend. Mr.. p
very frankly replied that laws prohibitin.
such evidence used to be in force in Ohio bu