davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

of Washington. not content with this
monstrous legal presumption that
color is evidence Of slavery, enacted,
on the 31st Of May. 1927. that every
negro and mulatto found residing in
the City of Washington who shall
not be able to establish his or her
title to freedom shall be committed
to the Jail of the County of Wash
ington as absconding slaves In
what age of the world. In what land
under the whole, heavens. can you
fipd any enactment of equal atrocity
to this Ubiquitous and profiigate
statute?-this legal presumption
that color is evidence that man, made
in the image of God, is an abscond-
ing slave?
1.-THE nlonstrous doctrine, abhorent
to every manly impulse of the heart,
to every Christian sentiment OF the
soul, to every deduction Of human rea-
son which the refined, humane and
Christian people Of America have up
held for two generations, which the
Corporation of Washington enacted
into an imperative ordinance, has
borne its legitimate fruits Of injustice
and inhumanity, Of dishonor and
shame. More than 1000 citizens of
the District OF Columbia in 1928, in
memorial to Congress. declared that
1T was not alone from the rapacity
OF slave traders that the colored race
In this District were doomed to suf
fer; that the laws sanction and direct
d procedure unparalleled in glaring in
justice by anything among the gov
ernments Of Christendom.'
SENATOR WILSON told the Sen.
ate of the case of a negro ar
rested in Washington as q fugitive,
but who claimed to be free. He was
put in the county Jail and advertised
i'm the Washington papers. Nobody
claimed him. He was sold at auction
to a slave trader. taken to Alexandria,
and shipped to a far Southern State.
can attempt" said Mr.. Wilson,
twas made by benevolent persons to
have the sale postponed until his
claim of freedom could be inyestigat-
ed, but this was unavailing."
The Senator recalled ordinances of
the Washington government affecting
persons OF color. One Of 1927 was:
IF any free colored person is found
going at large after 10 at night with.
out a pass from some respectable cit.
izen he shall be fined not exceeding
$40 and locked up until morning." Mr..
Wilson said: 'Sir.ce have had a seat
in the Senate l know colored men.
trusted and employed by the Govern
ment, while quietly fastening to their
homes after 10 o'clock from their
duties in the public service. to be ar.
rested under color of that ordinance"
He recalled a Washington ordinance
Of July Is. 1881. empowering the
Mayor to grant to any person a license
to trade and traffic In slaves. for the
sum OF $400."
The Massachusetts, Senator quoted
many protests against slaves chained
together being marched through
Washington streets. He said. "The
Washington Spectator. 1880. de.
nounced the PROFESSIONS so often
seen in. the streets Of Washington OF
human beings handcuffed in pairs or
chained in couples vending their way,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

to the slave ships which were to bear
them to the distant South Yet,
said Senator Wilson, this traffic, de-
nounced by judges and grand jurors,
citizens and press, was legaliZed in
1881 by the corporation of the City
of Washington. and Williams. Birch,
Neal, Kephart, Richards, Franklin
and Amfield polluted the Capital Of
the Nation with this brutalizing traf.
fic under the sanction of the law. until
it was made illegal by the legislation
of 1882
Senator Wilson showed the Senate
some old Washington ordinances af'
fecting slaves. These were: "If a
slave break a street lamp he shall
be punished by whipping on the bare
back; if slave tie a horse to any
tree on public grounds in Washington
he shall be whipped on the bare back;
if a slave wilfully injure any dwelling
house or appendages thereof he shall
receive not exceeding SO stripes; a
slave offending against law regu-
lating public markets shall receive
not less than nor more than 20
lashes on his or her bare back: If any
slave set fire on an open lot to any
straw or shavingS between sunset and
sunrise, whereby false alarm of fire
may be created, he shall receive not
to exceed 80 lashes; If any slave set
off fire crackers within a hundred
yards of any dwelling house he shall
receive not to exceed 80 stripes"
Replying to Senator Davis, who
said that the free negroes of the Dis
trict were generally worthless. dan
gerous ana thievish, Senator Wilson
said: 1.-THE Senator from Kentucky
has no authority to speak OF the $4,000
free colored men Of the District. One
sixth OF the population OF this Dis
trict are free persons Of color. Under
the weight Of oppressive laws and q
public .opiniSns poisoned by slavery.
they have. by their industry. their
obedience to law, their kindly chart.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

entire group fed crafty to one corner
of the deck.
i held my breath as they struck. 1t
seemed as IL no bulkhead in the Navy
could stand such punishment.
FOR a moment they paused, in a
huddled mass, against the deeply
| denied wall Of steel. They looked like
monstrous black rats, terrified by
| some purser. Then the ship hove
upward sharply. Instantly the giant
rats were alive again. In brief, wild
race they shot across the small COM
partment and colided, with another
| defamation, against the opposite bull
| wark
Suppose that bulwark gave way and
admitted them to the smokless pow
, der magazine on the other side-28. 900
pounds of smokeless powder in bags,
each bag with highly explosive igni-
ton charges!
] quailed at the thought.
Suddenly, in my At of apprehension,
I recalled the poor wretch who had
been caught down there. Where was
he? / strained my eyes. searched
every corner of the deck. In the CEN
ter was the ammunition hoist. Could
| it be that he had managed to worm
up that narrow tube?
Smith, where is hep" shot at the
man beside me-. -
| The striker laid his grimy face to
the crack. Don't you see him, sir?
Look, he's stin up on them rails"
. looked again. was shocked at
| what ! saw. On the ceiling of the
handling room were bolted the curry.
| ipg rails on which ran the shell troll
| leys, small hand hoists used to carry
| the projectiles from shellrooms to ia
| bles.
Gruesomely wedged up among these
rails was the half-naked body of a
| man. AS looked he moaned pitiably.
| / saw that one foot was wrapped in
white rags stained with dark splotches
that kenw at once was blood. 1t was
| Candy.
Can he hold on?' I gasped involun.
tarilv.
mot much longer, sir" groaned
Smith. 'Only little while ago, sir, he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

room table. OF course. 1t was con-
sidered bad practice to leave them
| there. But the weather had been SO
perfect. it had seemed affectation to
consider the labor of slowing them
away.
"a little weather on the topside."
muranured the quartermaster, fearful
lest / drift off again.
"Oh. all right. Ill be up"
rolled out. AS my feet struck the
inoleum. the old bucket gave a lurch.
Bang went UP against the bulk.
head across the room. Rubbing my
bruised forehead with one hand,
turned on the light with the other.
Then for the first time did / realize
that the Michigan was doing a good
old fashioned corkscrew in a heavy
sea.
The quartermaster paused at the
door. We just got storm warnings
at midnight, sir. Half an hour later
she was blowing a half gale"
That's nice" said /, without
hunor.
FLUNG on my trousers and a pair
of shoes and grabbed a cap. AS /
sprang into the passageway / col
Eded head-on with a blue Jacket. In
his involuntary grunt i recognized
the voice of nay turret captain.
''They're-they're all-off, sir" he
painted.
What, the shells?"
Every one of 'ein. SIR
Good Lordr'
And the hoist is already carried
away by one jamnin' it,
why on earth didn't some one
wake me?"
awe tried to stop EN-, sir. Canby's
hurt, sir
"What?"
yes, sir. damned his foot. Nearly
lost his
didn't wait for more. Pushing the
man out OF the way, / set of forward
at run. Poor Candy! He had mar
ried only the week before. Now he
might be a cripple for life.
So that ] might know what we were
up against in the way OF weather. Il
hoped up the after hatch. The canvas
hoods were down; had to force my
way through the heavy flap that was
drenched with spray. / found the deck
a maelstrom OF black water.
Forward heard a sea crash against
the high turrets. In a solid food it
galloped down the main deck and
rolled athwartships as the old ship
stood on her left ear. I jumped clear,
and ducked behind the hatch frame,
just in time to avoid being swept
overheard.
Darling below again, jammed into
the gunner's repair gang putting LASH
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

States, and the great restrictions
upon the power of Congress by
the Constitution, also limit and re-
strict the grant of legislative power
to Congress in the District of Co
lumbia."
The emancipation bill proposed an
appropriation of $1,000,000 as compen-
sation for owners Of slaves in the Dis.
trict, and set forth that the enamel.
patton commissioners should not pay
| more than the average of $500 per
slave. OF this, Senator Davis said:
AZ say it is only half compensation
| or was, before these war times. II
the slaves of this District, old and
young. healthy and decrepit, Of every
class and grade, had been put on the
| market IS months ago they would
have averaged a sum Of something
like $500 per head"
mr.. DAVIS read this extract from
one of Lincolns speeches in the
Lincoln Douglas debate -- Lincolns
speech at Quincy, ILL.,: Il suppose that
in reference both to the acutal ex-
istence of slavery in the Nation and
to our constitutional obligations. we
have no right at all to distrub 1t in
the States where it exists. and we
profess that we have no more in
ciination to disturb it than we have
a right to do 1t. We go further than
that; we do not propose to disturb
it where, in one instance, we think
the Constitution would permit us. We
think the Constitution would permit
| US to disturb il in the District OF Co
lumbia. Still. we do not propose to
do that unless it should be on terms
| which I do not suppose the Nation
| is very likely soon to agree to. the
| terms of making the emancipation
gradual and compromising the unwill-
! ing owners. Where we suppose we
| have the constitutional right, we re-
strain ourselves in reference to the
actual existence of the institution and
/ the difficulties thrown about it,"
After that. Senator Davis said:
LAS late as February 81, 1860, in
New York. Mr.. Lincoln claimed the
Republican party to be conservative
I'm contradistinction to the Democratic
party. Mr.. Lincoln said: We Repub-
licans stick to, contend for, the iden.
teal old policy on the slavery Ques-
ton which was adopted by our fathers
who formed the Government under
which we live: while the Democrats.
with one accord. reject, scout and
spit upon that old policy and insist
on substituting something new
'The continuation of slavery in this
District was part of the old policy of
the fathers who formed our Govern.
ment. In the compromise measures
of 1850, the subject of slavery In the
District Of Columbia was provided for.
and the provision then made was in.
tended to be finality. 1t was SO pro-
claimed by the Democratic convention
and by the Wing convention that met
soon after at Baltimore" Senator
Davis recalled that, on February II
1861, the House adopted q resolution
That the Federal Government. nor
the people. M the governments OF
non-slave holding States, have a pur'
pose or constitutional right. to legis'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

or interfering with the right or estab.
lished institution of those States, but
to defend and maintain the supremacy
Of the Constitution and to pre-
serve the Union
Mr.. Davis told the Senate that the
Senators voting yea on that resolu-
ton were Anthony of Rhode Island,
Chandler of Michigan. Clark of New
Hampshire, Cowan of Pennsylvania,
Dixon of Connecticut. Doolittle Of
Wisconsin, Fessenden of Maine. Foot
of Vermont, Foster of Connecticut,
Grimes Of Iowa, Harlan of Iowa,
Harris Of New York, Howe, Wiscon-
sin: Andrew johnson, Tennessee;
Kennedy. Maryland; King, New York;
Lane, Indiana; Lane, Kansas; Latham,
California; Morrill,, Maine; Nesinith,
Oregon; Pomeroy, Kansas; Salisbury,
New Jersey: Wade. Ohio: Wilkinson,
Minnesota; Wiley, Virginia, and
Henry Wilson, Massachusetts-3e.
Those opposed were Breckenridge,
Johnson, Missouri; Polk, Powell, Ken
lucky; Trumbull, Illinois,.
4 Il X X
SENATOR HENRY WILSON of
~ Massachusetts, spoke, March 25,
1852, in favor of the District enamel
patton bill. He had introduced the
bill December 16, 1861. He was an
able man, and his career was interest
ing enough to warrant the Rambler
giving you the following sketch of
him, taken from the Biographical
Congressional Directory: Born at
Pennington, n. H., February Is. 1912;
his parents name was Goliath and his
a 4, NnIt u
until he was II years of age, when he
had 1t changed by the legislature to
Henry Wilson; pursued an academic
course; located at Natick, Mass, in
1888, and learned the shcemaker's
trade; Travelled in the South in 1896:
returned and attended the STAFFORD,
N. H, Academy and academies in
Woifesboro and Concord, N. H.. until
1887; taught school in Natick and
later engaged in the manufacture of
shoes; member of the State House of
Representatives and Senate. 1S4l-1852;
and president Of the Senate two years;
delegate to the national Wing conven-
ton in Philadelphia, 1S4S, and with
drew; delegate to the Free Soil con-
.vention in Pittsburgh in 1851 and its
president; defeated, in 1852. as the
Free Soil candidate for Congress; dele.
gate 10 the conStilutlondi convention
Of 1853: defeated as the Free Soil
ca indicate for governor; elected to the
United States Senate by coalition of
Free Sellers. Americans and Demo
Gratis, to fill the vacancy caused by
the resignation of Edward Everett;
three times reelected and served from
January 81. 1855. to March .. 1879.
when he resigned: In 1854 he raised
and comma nded tor a time the 22d
Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers:
elected Vice President OF the United
States In 1871: died In the Capitol OF
Washington. November a.. 1875"
Senator Wilson began his speech
against District slavery by reviewing
the history OF the selection % this
District a. the seat Of government.
He said:
1.-THE Constitution gave Congress
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

ties to each other, established char.
acter above such reproaches as the
Senator from Kentucky applies to
emancipated bondmen."
The following was the concluding
paragraph OF Senator Wilson's speech:
81 would remind the Senator from
Keptucky that the people. whose rep
resentatives We are. now realize in the
storm Of battle that slavery is and
must ever be the relentless and unap-
peasable enemy Of free institutions in
America-of the unity and perpetuity
Of the Republic. Slavery, perverting
the reason, binding the conscience.
extinguishing the patriotism of vast
masses of its supporters, plunged the
Nation into the fire and blood Of re.
bellion."
Writing Of three negroes Of the Dis
trict who owned slaves in 1859 the
Rambler said of one Of them-Gabrie1
Oakley: There may be something
about these cases of negroes owning
slaves in the District which is not
shown by the record and which the
Rambler does not understand. 1t may
be, for example. in the Coakley case
that Oakley, after buying his free
dom or being freed in some other way,
bought the ten slaves, who may have
been his own family. and that the title
to them was in him as their owner"
The day after that was printed, this
note came to the Rambler:
Rambler: / am the great-grand-
daughter OF Robert Gunnell. the negro
slave owner OF whom you have writ
ten the past two Sundays, and know
all the history of the slaves and his
life. II this interest you, call West
1882, any time before noon."
Robert Gunneli was owned by q
Mrs. Brooks in Fairfax County, Va.
He bought his freedom for $500. pay
ing $50 a year. Then he bought his
daughter, Sarah Fairfax. and her
children and other relatives until he
had ten slaves. 1t seems to have been
thought safer that a freedman, with
court documents to prove his freedom,
should have title to these people, most
of them children, than that they
should be free persons Of color. liable
In any other than their own neighbor-
hood to be arrested and sold as slaves.
Robert Gunnell has a daughter, Anna
Fossett, living in Georgetown. Gun
nell's great-granddaugh Mrs. Irene
Payne Broadnick, lives at 1927 TWEEN
ty-first street. and another great
granada nghter, Mary Payne Jones,
lives in Washington. Their father
was Richard Payne. Robert Gunnen
lived good many years near Lang
ley, Va. and In memory OF that
worthy old man, Gunnell Chapel
stands at Langley.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03
BY FgTZHUGH GREEN. U. S. N.

II HAVE found that the most
thrilling adventures in life
n usually come when least eX-
j pected. It is in peace and Sc
scurity that have learned to be
most on the alert for cruel surprises.
When l am safest, i now subcons-
ciously find myself wondering just
where turks the danger right around
the corner.
Never have / felt safer or seemed
less likely to face peril than one
tranquil July evening aboard the
u. S. S. Michigan at sea off the Ber-
mNdas.
I had a second dog watch. AS i
stood on the bridge, clad in comfort
able whites, waiting for the relief to
be called, ! watched the moon rise
out of a CLASSY sea. A myriad stars
glistened in the blue velvet vault of
heaven. The great man war, our
Nays FIRST dreadnaught. slid easily
through a gentle groundswell.
At eight bells I went below and
slipped into a suit Of silken pajamas
from Shanghai. / went up on deck
and sat for while in the darkness.
With a shipmate and a good Havana
cigar. feet on rail, we spoke of the
morrow.
more loading drill" said my COM
panion. laZily.
81 suppose so. Keep EN- at it and
our scores win show next week"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

IF YOU are interested in this story
OF slavery and its abolition in the
District OF Columbia, you may
u have read, in last Sundays RAM
BILE, extracts OF speeches by Sena-
tor Hale OF New Hampshire and
Senator Pomeroy OF Kansas, urging
passage OF the District emancipation
bill. and an extract from the speech
OF Senator Wiley. representing the
western counties OF Virginia, against
the bill. Wiley spoke March 20,
1852. and the bill came before the
Senate again March "a, 1862. when
Senator Garrett Davis Of Kentucky
spoke against IT. Senator Davis re-
lated the centuries-old recognition of
slavery and the legality Of property
IN slaves. He read an opinion by
Chief Justice John Marshall OF the
Supreme Court of the United States
that Africans captured in war on the
cont It OF Africa, sold to slave
trad and shipped to America for
sale slaves, were legitimate sub
jeets property and must be sur
rende ed to those persons who
claimed them and could prove them
to be their property.
Senator Lot M. Morrill, of Maine
asked for the reference to that
opinion Of Chief Justice Marshall, and
Senator Davis answered: 1.-THE case
of the brig Antelope. 10 Wheaton.
pages 121.123."
The Senator from Kentucky con-
tinued by saying that slavery existed
in all the 13 American Colonies, ex-
cept Pennsylvania, previous to the
Revolution, and that it existed, not
by legislative enactments-not by Co
lontal lawsuit by the general law
OF nations. He said that slaves had
been bought and sold in Boston and
in all States of the Union, except
Pennsylvania, and that the traders
OF Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
had brought more slaves from Africa
70 North America than the shippers
and traders Of snv c<rec part Of the
world. Hs continued:
my point is that the Congress of
the United States have no power to
abolish slavery in a State, in the
District OF Columbia, or anywhere.
VIII my honorable friend from Maine
dot NJ. MORRILL,, in his reply to me,
indicate the source of power from
which Congress may abolish slavery
In the District Of Columbia?
81 will proceed to answer that ques
ton myself, SO far as / have heard
It answered. It is answered by re
ferTing person to the clause ir
the Constitution which gives Con
gress the exclusive power OF legisla
ton over the territory coded for the
seat OF the general Government. Thai
u not a general, indefinite, un
ehackled. universal power. So far az
the Constitution adopts certain grea'
principles and secures certain great
rights, that grant Of power is limited
ana restrained to those principle:
By those rights as are all other pow
ers OF Congress.
HAS the Congress Of the United
otates the power to establish a ma
tjoNal religion in this metropolis? Ha
tAo Congress of the United States tn
DNWer to establish titles of nobiiit.
@ this District? The grea
St9AtA which are secured by the Con
eutution to the citizens and to tn
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

ings on the waist guns and using
heavy wrenches on the gun shutters.
A tool chest had broken adrift and
was careening madly about in the
dark.
Just forward lay the galley and its
pantry. Like every man-of-war, there
were full racks for the mess gear.
Some of them must have gone adrift.
There was a perfect pandemonium of
pots and pans, crockery and other
gear hurting about in the shadows.
Reaching the band compartment,
plunged down the narrow ladder that
led to the trunk abaft my turret. AS
/ found myself, here and there, plas-
sheer centrifugal force, / began to
grasp how violently she was being
tossed about by the seas.
j found the door to the handling
room bolted tight. From within came
a sound that sent my heart into my
boots. 1t was the unmistakable thun.
derous crashing Of major caliber pro-
jectfles being thrown loosely about by
the ships mad movements. Inter
sperSed with the sound was the re-
current cry of man in great pain.
A hand fell heavily on my shoulder.
I started and swung about. 1t was
one or my EunnerS mates.
TITS Candy, sir.' he exclaimed. "He
is in there hurt. We can't get him
outv
How about the upper handling
ROOM"
Doors damned, sir. Loading slug
broke loose and wrecked the hinges
first thing. We've got it secured now.
But we can't move the door until the
hinges are cut away
\ X X Y
lie had told me the worst that I
could expect: one of the best tur-
ret people in that chamber of death,
with half a dozen huge. brainless
masses OF solid steel whipping about.
II we were to be saved. we should
have to work smartiy.
I ran back UP the ladder and on to
the top deck. I had to watch my
chance to dive through the solid water
cascading over our forecastle at every
wave. ] Sprang for the turret over
hand and wormed my way UP into the
chamber.
-Four frightened men. the turret
gang, awaited me. The chief had gone
for hacksaws. An acetylene torch
would have been the best thing. But