Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-03-06

they are prGhlDited By law lr0m fenilng
houses or lands. Second--if thew have not
homes,they must have some lawful employ
ment or business; but the law prevents them
from having. lawful employment or
business, unless they arc licensed or bound
to serve some white man in written con
tract that makes them worse than the
slaves of their employers. Third-lf they
have no lawful employment or business,
they are vagrants, and punishable by a
fine not exceeding fifty dollars, and TO pay
the fine and costs the man or woman is put
upon the block aud sold into temporary
bondage.
Even Indiana Democrats would ac-
quiesce in such result oftbe war as would
still permit their Southern brethren to sell
colored people on the block for the dread
full crime of beiGg black, and having no
license to live and to labor issued by some
q eoV(e4cp'eiD Qicia|.
Again, by the sixth section OF ms same
yaeraut act, it was made the duty Of the
police authorities Of each county to levy
IAN annual special poll tax of not exceed
ing one dollar on every colored person,
male and female, between the ages Of eigh-
teen and sixty years, TO constitute Freed
mems Pauper Fund; and by the seventh
section, failure to pay this tax was made
evidence Of vagrancy, and il was n ade the
duty Of the Sheriff to arrest the defaplting
tax payer, aud (without triad proceed at
once to hire him or her out to any enc
who would, for the shortest time, pay the
tax with the aecruing costs.
Assessing poll tax upon woman, and
then levying upon the woman aud selling
her on tie block to pay the tax, affords
evidence OF financial genius aud acquicsc-
ing loyalty, that cannot fail to command
universal admiration.
The tax just mentioned, be il remem-
bered, was special poll tax only applica
bic to colorcd persons, and applicable to
these without regard to sex Besides this,
colored men with all male inhabitants Of
the state, between the ages of twenty. one
and sixty. were subject TO State poll tax
of one dollar per aunum, aud ii il was
not paid the Sheriff was to compel the de
linquent 10 work six days on any public
road or bridge OF other public work; and
il there was no such work in lie county
to be done, the Sheriff was to hire the de
iaulting tax payer for Elk days TO any
person who would pay the one dollar tax
and Que dollar additional cost This law
in terms applied to white persons as we'll
as black; but any one can see that it was
aimed chiefly at the delenseless freedmen,
il being we'll understood that none of the
white chiyalry Of the South could or would
be made TO submit to the performance Of
six days of compulsory labor to pay a poll
tax of one dollar.
The crowning evidence Of the entire
acquiescence OF the people Of Mississippi
il the results of the war is, however. TO
10Th. 1868, entitled AN act to punish
certain oifenscs therein named aud for
other purposes"
BY this act a penalty Of not less than
ten nor more than one hundred dollars is
announced against every freedman, free
negro or mulaito ,cko shall ercrcis tkc
functions Of a minister Of the Gospel with
out license from q regularly organized
Church, and should he fail to pay the ine
and costs for the space of five days after
conviction ho shall be hired out by the
Sheriff or other officer, at public outcry,
to any white person who will pay such fine
aud costs, aud take such convict for the
shortest time.
HENDRICKS sopnIsTRIEs.
Such was a part of the diabolical inge.
uuity which these reconstructed rebels
employed to evade the amnesty oath they
had just taken, aud to show their entire
acquiescence in the results Of tho war,
Is Il not marvellous that Dir. Hendricks,
in searching for evidence Of the eequies.
cenco Of the Southern people In ,he results
Of tho war, should ignore these solemn
legislative records, and instead thereof,
rely upon the opinion of Gen. Grant.
formed on a flying railroad trip made
through the Southern States, occupying,
as It did, but few dnys2 Is il not still
more strange that the Senator should turn
aside from this aud similar legislation, and
udduco rs conclusive evidence of aequies.
ccnec, tho opinion of bis distinguished
colleague in the Senale, expressed more
than month before this legislation had
been inauguratedg
Among lawyers II Is accounted to be q
NulN tlkH w " NNHh NtF'f NhAH wv hHliiN-
ter resorts TO inferior, secondary, or hear.
say evidence In support Of his cause, where
tho best evidence is atlonable. Such O
cause may enable the advocate 10 exhibit
hia skill, and occasionally 10 make sharp
point on bis adversary, aud may have vic.
Tory, but cannot have ruth for is object,
present you not the opinion Of ihi'
distinguished general, or that em:neni
statesman, as 10 what he supposed to he tbs
temper aud spirit of the people oflhe South
az regarded their liolding respect to the
authority Of tho United States, aud ac
qulceciug In tho results of the war; but ~
Infinitely better and higher evidence,
submit TO you what these people, them
selves, said aud did 10 !heis Legislative as
somhlics.
Mr, Hendricks, in tho speech to which
have alluded, for tho purpose of work
Ing up tho passions aud prejudiccs Of his
parly against a despised aud Injured race
drew fancy sketch, with which be was nc
! we'll pleased that ho subsequently held Il
. up, In another speech, 20 the admring gaze
/, Of tho Senate OF tho Uuited States. Ia
, this sketch, he depicted the atrooious con-
. duct Of tho coored men of the South wag
ing war Of barbarians against the prop
/ erty aud persons Of the white people, ant
In prosecuting this cruel purpose, he ex
{ claimed;
uVhatavey nav la the avmnnlhiea n