The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-23

from motives Of humanity eloquenty
but unsuccessfully opposed the bill
which enacted:
''That from and after the passage OF
this act no slave shall be emancipated
in this state"
His speech had been published in full
by the leading journals, and its perora-
ton was long remembered.
"Can it be-" he exclaimed, that in
this part Of Christendom, in q time Of
profound peace and tranquility, an
American legislative body will from
the black cloud Of slavery tear the
narrow fringe Of hope and in its stead
inscribe by statute the frightful legend
seen by Dante over the portals Of hell?
Can it be that enlightened citizens will
forbid the reward Of liberty to the slave
who serves the state? VIII The law
making power deny to the master the
exercise Of the noblest virtue Of his
nature by prohibiting him from confer
ring the boon Of freedom upon the
slave who has stood between his life
borne his fainting wife through the
flames Of the burning mansion or
plunged into the down sucking Missis-
sippi to bring back the fair haired child
to the frantic mother? Can It be that
the flower Of civilization will make
unlawful that kindness to faithful
human slave which it approves to a
dog or q horse? cannot believe It.
But if I mistake the sense Of the house
then let me say that the logical conse-
Quence Of this measure will be the sti-
fling Of moral growth in the master,
the removal Of incentives to loyalty
in the slave; the one must become
more narrow and cruel. the other des-
perate and ferocious; the sense Of JUS
tice Of other communities will be
shocked and their righteous anger will
be provoked; decade cannot fail to
bring some frightful catastrophe on
our state as the fruit Of this unholy
measure. protest against it. I ap-
peal to my colleagues to be true to
their better nature and prove by their
negative votes that the white race in
Louisiana can defend itself and yet be
not ungenecous."
His appeal was ineffective. The bill
was passed by q pronounced majority,
was approved by the governor and be-
came law.
After the adjournment Of the legisla-
ture Oakfell returned to the parish Of
Avoyelles. taking passage on the steam
boat Red Queen. The vessel was one
Of those popularity called floating pal
aces" Of which score piled the lower
Mississippi and its tributaries during
the decade preceding the civil war,
when no railroads had been laid in that
part Of Louisiana lying west Of the
great river. She was a side wheeler,
with high pressure engines, capable Of
great speed and with accommodation
for over $50 passengers There were
a profusion of white paint upon her.
exterior and a plenitude Of gliding
and low hanging chandeliers within
the cabin.
The boat carried some 60 passengers,
many Of whom were planters returning
from their annual spring visits to New
Orleans factories to settle accounts Of
the past planting year and arrange
credits for the new. Some were ac-
companied by their wives and daugh-
ters. and q sociability prevailed among
NH &c yr-h0 T-oT n
in the commercial travel Of the present
day.
Three were planters in Avoyelles, one
of whom, Dr.. De Roux, added the busi-
ness Of a physician to that Of cotton
raising. His plantation was near the
Marais des Cygnes. in the Avoyelles
prairie. The second was Constant
Quillebert, a low browed, long nosed
Gascou Frenchman who had lived on
Bayou des CLASSES for 20 years. but
had never married or become an Amer
ican citizen. The third was Leonidas
Latiolais Of Bayou Rouge. a man OF 60,
whose hair was white and whose blue
eyes and short chin bespoke kindly
but weak character. OF the three La
tiolais alone threw any warmth into
the salutation Of Oakfell. The others
referred to the legislative incident in 8
purely polite manner. as If tenderness
for him required that it be quickly
passed over. Latiolais, however, spoke
regretfully Of the result, but rather out
Of sympathy for the young legislator
than for the cause he had champiooeG.
Oakfell received their different ex-
pressions with apparent unconcern and
evinced preference to avoid any dis
cussion Of the supposed merits or de-
merits Of the bill.
After the evening meal had been par
taken OF in the long saloon, with the
usual ciatter Of china service and sour
rying Of the numerous yellow and black
walters. the extension tables were
closed and run together. and while mu-
sic, dancing and conversation engaged
the women and young folks in the Ia
dies cabin the tables in the forward
end were arranged for cards and were
speedily occupied by the older men
and some Of the younger, gambling be-
ing an unfailing feature Of the steam
boat travel in the ffties. These card
tables were in close neighborhood TO
the bar, and this was the beginning Of
the barkeeper's business day.
Oakfell passed the greater part Of the
evening reading in the captains state
room on the hurricane deck. Returning
to the cabin at II o'clock. he found his
constituents from Avoyelles at the ta-
BILE nearest the bar. They were not
playing, but cards. ivory chips and
half drained glasses Of liquor were on
the table. None Of the chips was on
the side where Latiolais sat. Some
a