Amador Weekly Ledger

The Archy Case Again—Darkies in the Ascendant in San Francisco—Black Republican Press.

The news of the arrest of young Stovall and his slave Archy, as they were attempting to leave the State, has been the subject of much conversation during the past few days. The circumstances attending these arrests, we cannot help considering as disgraceful to the people of San Francisco, and so far as Stovall is concerned, we have no doubt that the party who made the affidavit against him has been guilty of perjury, and that he could be punished in any other county in the State.
The fact that the slave Archy had been given to his master by the highest judicial tribunal in the State, seems to have exercised no influence over these higher law fanatics; on the contrary, they seemed the more bent on effecting their purpose, and hence have not hesitated to add perjury to their other crimes. In speaking of the Justice of the Peace, Austin, who issued the writ for the arrest of Stovall, on the charge of kidnapping; the Globe says he is notoriously incompetent, and this view of the case is strengthened by the fact, as we learn by telegraph, that on Stovall's being taken before the Police Judge, he was promptly discharged, upon the ground of the insufficiency in law of the complaint. Here, then, the first part of the farce is ended, by Stovall being released.
That our readers may be perfectly informed of the exact facts of the case, we annex the following, also from the Globe:
"Mr. Stovall had taken passage for himself and Archy on the Orizaba, and it was first proposed to employ a sail vessel to place them on board the steamer outside the Heads. Mr. Stovall, however, was induced to believe that there was no reason to apprehend that any steps would be taken in this city to prevent his departure with the slave; but to avoid giving any occasion for interference, he determined to go on board after the steamer had left the wharf. In the meantime, the negro league of San Francisco, having information of the movements of Mr. Stovall, had taken measures to defeat his plans. At the suit of a negro named James Riker, well known to the frequenters of Steve Whipple's establishment, a writ of habeas corpus for the body of Archy was granted by Judge Freelon, and at the same time a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Stovall, on the charge of kidnapping, was issued by Justice Austin, also at the suit of Riker."
We have stated, through our telegraphic report, that the negroes of San Francisco were following in the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors, the Vigilance Committee—that they were standing guard at the wharfs and watching every arrival, but it was not stated that negro testimony was used, or negro affidavits taken; such, however, seems to have been the facts. If anything were wanting to fill the cup of disgrace and infamy of these San Francisco Reformers (?) this last act has done it, and we cannot wonder at the following remarks in relation to the matter, which conclude the Globe's article. It says:
The entire movement was instigated by a few Abolitionists and their negro friends. These negroes were allowed to gather in crowds about the streets and wharves, and seemed for a time to be the ruling power in this connection. Let it once be made evident here that they can gather together with impunity, to oppose the law, and we shall have in San Francisco the same scenes which have been enacted in Boston, Chicago, and elsewhere. This the people here will not permit, and the negro agitators and their white abettors may as well understand it in time. If, in this case of Archy, or in any other case, a wrong has been committed, there are courts of proper jurisdiction, and the law defines the remedy: but it is scandalous to hear that lying writs from petty Justices of the Peace, invoked by negro clamor, have been used to falsely imprison a citizen of the United States.
As was to have been expected, the Chronicle sympathises with the negroes in their movements, but we purpose to show that journal that it has a dangerous rival in this city, albeit it has claimed to be the only Black Republican organ in the State. We copy from the Bee of Saturday:
EXCITEMENT Among thE COLORED MEN.—
About dark, last evening, a telegram was received in town that the negro Archy was all safe, and that Stovall was under arrest for kidnapping, whereupon there was great rejoicing among the colored population, and no little pleasure was manifested by hundreds of others, who disliked to see the escutcheon of the State sullied by such ridiculous decisions as that made by Judges Burnett and Terry, some time since. We understand that Mr. Stovall left town forgetting to pay the small amount due the city for boarding his "boy" at the station house. It must have been a "lapseus memoria."
In another article—leading editorial—after alluding to the arrest of Stovall for kidnapping, we find the following:
In this connection we would again call the attention of our own Grand Jury now in session, to the fact as we have been credibly informed, that J. H. Hardy, police officer O'Neil and others, assisted Stovall in the kidnapping process, and that, under the statutes, they are as guilty as he. And it might be well to inquire at the same time, how far two of the Judges of the Supreme Court aided and abetted the kidnappers. Let the law be applied alike, regardless of their position or standing in the community.
Now we submit, that the above extracts far out-Herod the Chronicle, and place the enterprising Bee far in advance as a Black Republican organ.
We learn further, that the negroes have had a meeting at the Bay, for the purpose of
raising funds to fee Black Republican lawyers at which $150 was raised, and committees, male and female, appointed to solicit donations. The above are the facts as they have reached us from various sources, and furnish, in our opinion, their own best commentary.
The power of the Supreme Court is contemned by the niggers of San Francisco.—State Journal.