Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-23


description ot people, wlio, j, had been
SAID, enjoyed IN that STATE an unoua,if-
ed equality with the whites. But he
ionnd, on examination. il Was otherwise.
lie found penalty Was IN posed, b. Law.
Oh nifty pounds, on any minister Is no mal
rles Il white VIII coiored person, and
II VAS declared, besides, tia, any such
marriages should be null aud void i'm law
and on what grounds Not upon The
ground IT crime IN the parties, CARRYING
with it disability. Was II not upon the
ground of TN disqualification of one uf
the parties 10 MAKE that particular
contract How disqualified Because
OF his color, certainly. The party may
be OF age--in the exercise U! his sound
senses; he may be able 10 make contacts
IN relation 10 properly; but, in regard
10 narriage--in that particular in WHICH,
above all other thirgs, we ougut To pur.
sue our own Happiness, IN our own way,
he cannot contract. but under certain cir
cumstaWces, that is, with person OF
color Whom God has joined, let no
man pui asundrr-bul in old Massa-
ciusttts hey do put asuDder The colored
person who in;ermarIics with The white.
We tiRd, then, that in the East aud North,
a. well as in the South and Wtst, there are
certain distinctions, growing cut of color.
They are distinctions founded in HE best
good sense, m The preservation of public
moraliiy and OF the dignity OF oar nature,
aud IN tile consideration that bciwecn
the whites aud The blatks there never csn
he an incorporation which is calculated
to add To The happiness or elevate The
dignity OF either party. Mr.. B. asked in
further illustration of The denial Of civil
rights, even IN The Eastern STATES, 10 Goa
lored persons, whether a eol0afed man
bad ever uesn known 10 sit OH Jury
Ne was told moi. This alPeMpi 10 MAIN
idIa prlacipie IN theory, which wsda n
handoacd, Ia practice. iorcibly reminded
INN at an incident in Roman history
IL WAS knOwn that there VAS long and
severe contest i'll that Republic between
the pstricieEs and The pl, beans in rels,
tiDn 10 claim sci up by Tie latter, of The
right OF being elected 10 the Consu!ship
aud ySi, after this preiension was scqui-
escch In, ceniuIy perhaps elapsed
before any plriri..n Was actually elected.
Mas 'herr any oiher state in this Union,
Mr.. Il. asked, which had declared The
free man OF color 10 be equal in his civil
and political tights 10 the while man. 1t
so, lac called on gentlemen 10 produce IL.
There was time, Mr.. B. went on to
say, when Tie man Of color anu the white
country, even IN theory. The populaiion
WHICH came 10 his cOuHiIy from abroad
| wtTe Europeans or the descendants of
| Europeans. They found The aboTigincs
| mere, bui, as lar as they came from
abroad, they were Of European birth or
descent. This other race, said Mr.. b. gat
among us afterwards. deeply TcgreS
that thcy did. When they came, they
were slaves. He called upon gentlemen
10 shew the words, in any Of the state
constitutions, which declare that man
OF color, become or born free, shall be
elevated 10 the grade Of The whites. lie
would refer, he said, TO SOME cianses in
constitutions on which he supposed gem
tlcmen would rely 10 prove this bul lie
wonid slew that those clauses would not
bear them OFT
Do yon End il said in The Constitution
at New York or Of Massachusetts, that
free people Of color shall vote ? No YOU
ind HAT very male person or Ralc inha-
biiani stall vUt" and, under this clause,
il is said thai free persons Ct color hay {
equal rights with The whites. II npoW
tia, construction, these persons are con-.
suffered AZ citizens, WHO else are nol p
Aliens are male persons. Wrre gentlemen
prepared 10 say, thai an EngiIslInan or
an irIshn'an, having a six D.onihs resi-
dcnce, and being free cIiiZen, should
have right 10 vote al all elections p.
lie would stale case vel more Epres
slve, deriving an argument from The con
diiiOn of certain unhappy remnants 81
The aborlgipaiS lingering oGi their stretch.
ed lives among Tie inhabitants Of these
states there were some al those persons
III asssachusciis aud somr ia ether
sIsirs. Are they UOt free persons? Yet,
? do they suffer Them 10 vote, or 10 sue
, and be sued DO YOU receive tl.cm as
| Witnesses Are they entitled 20 those
? civil, niuch Icss those political rights
p Which are required TO constitute ihcm q
part OF The body polite 2 Was ever nnC
, OF them juror or wiincss2 Can they
+ elect or b" elected 10 any office Car
: ihry hold property, except under regula
} lions Which are prescribed 10 them, ant
1 prescribed, too, by Legi> laiurcs ia whicl
they are not Teprpsentch2 They cannot
+ Nhai ls The distinction between ihri
I case aud that of the free people Of color
= i!"y equally come into the definition 81
: male PERSONS aud mate iuhabitanls.- -
y Would any gehtlrulan contend thai lndi
i ans ar citizens OF every State IN The Uni
I on, because they reside within any Ont
! 81 them He presumed moi.
i 1t seemed TO him, Mr.. 3. aaid, that, on
review Of all The facts connected with Mi
] subject, it would be found, that free per
= sous ofcol0r have been considereda non
Z descripi class. In some STATES, they lay
q some civil rights; IN others, more. Ii
u sonlc states they have some pQli,ica
: rights IA others, nOnr. II never had en-
u tered, tic was persuaded, into the mind c
: any member ct the Legislature Of an
D stale That they were citizens, under ih
: d'fiuiiion which hc had laid down. lla
Il Nirgiuia. he asked. violated the copstliu