The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-05-06

| IN the'r own country. Slavery had been in
su'ution OF their cootinent from the remolesI
antiquity an institution in the human family
nearly as old as the flood This race was in
'fodueed here not Tor exliI patton but from Their
color, habits of body, and capacity TO endure
the climate, to be slaves To be the hewers OF
wood and the fetcheTs Of wafer. Their better
treatment here, and their customs in the prOpa-
galion oil their race among themselves, with
which the laws of the G. lonies had never IN
ieriered, had produced a most rapid increase in
their numbers. They had spread through every
State IN the Union; but more particularly 10 The
South, and the institution OF African negro sla.
very was most important element in our en-
tire body polite when the Constitution was
| framed and adopted
All political power was vested in, and was exer-
cised by the European race, without any part-
cipation whatever by Negroes The entire le-
glslalion OF all the Legislatures Of the different
| Colonies IN reference 10 the Negro and Indian
races, was totally variant from that applied TO
| the whites.
| The Negro race, as described by the laws OF
| The different Colonies may thus be summed up.
] They are descended from African (d) nations,
| not Christians; of natures base and corrupt (c)
OF malicious and revengeful spirit, rude and
insolent In their behaviour, and very ungoveTn-
able, aud when freed. idle and slothful, and az
| lord III examples to other negroes:
The system OF legislation applied 10 this AT
rican race, from their first introduction in 1920,
to the Declaration Of Independence and the
adoption Of the Constitution of the United
States, has employed variety of laws to keep
this race distinct from the white. These de-
| cidre--lsi. As to their social condition. that they
shall not cohabit with whites, under penalty Of
| stripes, and when a free negro, TO he sold Tor
slave for seven years. That they shall not in
| teTmArYV w whites under no naItv in casps If
free negroes, to be sold for slaves for seven
| years-tor life -banished. All such mar
| rlages declared null and void, and penalties on
persons solemnzing them: they may be dis
membered: and when lying out, may be killed :
not permitted to carry dog about: I'd. AS to
their political condition when set free to enjoy
their own Qree negro) freedom. They are
nevertheless, by the laws, incapable of pur-
chasing any Christian, or Of buying or selling
goods, provisions or wafes--ot assembling IN
considerable numbers not to meet above
four in company and no master to permit
any negro TO remain on his plantation more than
| Tour hours: No negro to carry or arm himself
with any club, staff, gun, sword or any other
weapon offensive or defensive, which may be
| seized by any person for his owners: any negro
free or slave, presuming TO lift his hand against
any Christian, or shall offer 10 strike, or resist
Ing any white person, 10 be punished with
stripes when set free without license, 10 be
transported within six months to be sold as
slaves within one month by churchwardeDs:
not deemed witnesses in law, except on a trial
with slaves, and then not sworn but charged
! 10 tell the truth on pain of having ears cut OIL
| and thirty lashes: not enttled 10 trial by jury
but sometimes by justices alone, sometimes aid
| cd BY ireehodeTs: negroes and Tree negroes
without certificate or pass, TO be estopped and
seized, and they shall pay all charges arising
thereby not permitted TO Sit on juries not 10
exercise any Office or to vote at elections 10 be
visited in their negro quarters by PATROLS with
out warrant, on oath free negroes above 81
TO be listed, aud appear without arms, and may
be employed drummers, trumpeters, pic.
neers In other serriie rOrk
Such, emphaIcally, was their OWN NEGRO
FREEDOM: and while such was the constant cur
rent OF legislation in The Colonies in relation TO
this race, by The adjudication Of English courts;
and by the paciicalion Of Utrecht, and of the
Treaty of 1888, between Great Britain and the
United States. they are deemed merchandise
and properly. Neither The Revolution nor the
Declaration Of Independence, nor the articles
! OF Confederation, nor the CONSTITUTE OF The
United States made any change in their CON
diuon.
And this is emphaicaly called their OWN NE
GRO FREEDOM. Such was their state, and con-
dIuon ia the different States when the Consti-
lution was framed and adopted.
And was this the liberty for which our fore
fathers fought and bled? Had this degraded
race any pau lot in the great and eventiul
struggle which wa, con minated by the adop-
ton OF the Constitution of the United States2
When The Constitution declares that we, the
People Of the States, do establish this Consli-
luton 10 insure domestic tranquility, aud to
secure 3" The blessings Of liberty TO ourselves
aud oar poslerIiy, can any mind truly in search
of ruth, say that The term "PEoPLE," here used,
was then understood, at that time, to signify
| negroes, Of any sort OF conditions
And yet such are the lattudinous construc-
lions OF Mr.. Van Buren,, that he claims
right that the STATE of New York can consti-
tute negroes as People Of the United States.
And such is the debasing influence of parry
spirit, that merit is claimed for this exusordi-
nary construction placed on the Constitution Of
the United States, merely because some prop
crty qualification was supcradded IL New Y ork
can consliutlonslly constitute negroes as People
Of the United States with qualifications, she can
do so without any qualification. II is the ex-
raordlnary rules OF Interpretation which Mr..
Van Buren and his Norher5 State with South
EN- principles apply 10 the Constitution OF the
| United States, which arouse the most serious
attention on this as well as other subjects con-
nected with the negro race.
The rules Of construction for " hich he con-
tends, as to the powers OF Congress in he Dis
trlct of Columbia, are as monsirous and as lati-
tudinoOs as the above.
MACON.
MAY, 1874.
| (a) See Laws OF Massachusetts Connecticut
/ Pennsy lyanis, Delaware, New jersey MARYLAND
Virgins, throughout, from 1870 to 1851, when the
Constitution was adopted. The laws Of the other