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Laws Of Slavery

Laws Of Slavery image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
January
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The followinfj notes are given on the quihoriry of Stroud's Sketches of (lie Blave Laws.In Virginia, by an act passet! in 1673, for the betiter encouragement of soldiers, it was declared, that wint Inclian prisoners Bhould be taken in a war in w.hich the colony was then engagd, shnuld be frce purchase tothe soldier8 taking them. In 1633, it was declared that all senants brought into Virginia by sea or by land, not being Christians' whether negroos, Moors, Mulattoee, or Indians, (except Turks and Moors in arnity with Great Britain,) and Indians which should thereafter hesold by neighboring Indions, or any other trafficking wïta us, as slaves, ehould ba slaves to all ïntents and purposes. The Supremo Court of New Jersey decided in 1797, "That Indians tnight be held as slaves." In South Carolina, any siave, emancipnted otherwise than according to the act of 1800, may be seized by any persen, and canverted to Iiis or her use, and kept as his or her property. In Virginia if any emanoipaled slave sirnll remain in the state more than twelve months after his or ber right to freedom shall have occurred, such slave may be apprehended by the overseers of the poor, and sold fur the benefit of the Lilerary Fund! In Mississippi, every negro or roulatto found in the state, not having ability to show himself entitlcd to freedom, may be sold by order of court. Thelavvof South Carolina declares thst every negro, India, Mulatto and Me3tizo is a slave unless the contrary be made lo appear. This rule prevaila in nearly overy state. In South Carolina, any person teaching a slave any marnier of writing whatevcr, forfeits 100 pounda cunency, and any assembly of slaves, free negroes, mulattoee, and Mestizoes, whether white persons are present or not, met together for the purpose of mental instruction, shatl be dispersed by the magislrates, and they may inflict such punishmeut, not exceeding twenty lashes on such free negroes te, as they may judge neecssary for deterring them from the like unlawful assemblage in future. The city council of Savannah. in 1318, p8ssed an ordinance, by which any person who shall be scen teaching a colored person, slave or free, to read or write, or causes such person s to be so taught, is subjected toa fine of #30 for such offence: and every colored person who shall keep a school to teach reading and writing shall be subject toa fine of S30, or be imprisoned ten days, and vvïüj f cd 39 laehes!In Georgia, any slave presurnlhg7lo a white person, for the first óffence, 8hall suffer bucIi punishment as the juetice or " tices shall think fit, not extending tb liff' iinibjandfor the second offence ÜËATtP The law of South Carohna theeame, ex cept tiiat death is the punishment of the thij offence. In Maryland, a justice may direct thQ of fenders ears to be cropped, even thoutrn h" be a free black, S hB. InKentucky, any negro, mulatto,or Indi an, bond or free, hfting hia or her hand opposiuon to anyperson not belnganeeil rnulatto or Indian, shall suffer for such of' fence, proved by the oath of the party bl füre a justice of the peoce, shall receiveW y lashes on nis or her bare back well ij on. It willbe seenby the preceeding prOvia ïons, that no colored female, ever. ffree allowed by law to défénd herself against ha outrageous acts of any white man vvhatevef A case was recerilly reported ia a New Orleans paper, in wluch a gentleman ' w„ chivalrous enough to haul „p . a colorad fomale before thepoüce, to nnswer for strikinjj him! The law of Louisiana says: "Freo peo. pie of color ought nover to insult or strike white peop!o3nor presume to conceive thor. selvesequal to the whitee; but on the contri ry, Ibey ougiu U yiejrf to thera on every occasion, and never speak or answer thern, but svith respect, under penalty of impriJ. onnienr, according lo tha nature of thooN fencc.'1 In South Carohnm, &ny slave, travelling without a wíitten pass, may be pucislicd v. iih twenty lashes by any person. In other Statea. similar punishmenta may be inflicted. by a justice of the peace. A slave, coming on to a planlation, without leave, or without being sent on business,, may be puniabed by the ovaer of the plan tation wilh ten lashes. Any person who shall see more Ihan seven men elaves, without some white persoa with them, assembled or travelling in any high road, may inflict a whippincr On eaca of them, not exceeding twenty lasfaea apiece. In Missouri and South Carolina, for keeping or carrying a gun, or powder, or shot, or a club, or otber weapons whatsoever, offensive or defensive, a slave incurs for each offence, 39 Jashes by order of ajustice of the peace: and in;,Ncrth Carolina and Tennessee, twenly lashes by the nearest constable, without a conviction by ajuatice. In N. CoroÜna, for travelling in the night without a paes, foity lashes: found in snother person's negro quariors, or kitchen, forty lashee: and every negro in whose cora, pany such vagrant slave shall be found, incurs twenty laehes.