Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-23

q preceding year. the number of white convict
y born in Virginia has been reduced s in nun
J Der.
=, The free negroes. although Numbering b
d the census Of 1910 only forty nine thousan
5 eight Hundred and f,rly-two, perpeluate earl
0 two iflhs OF the crime Of the State, althoug
: we have therein seven hundred and fort,
, thousand nine hundred and sixty eight whites
and fonr hundred AHA forty eight Thousand
;. nine hundred and eighty seven slaves. Ihi
is mournful demonstration. 1t proves bayoat
human dpub, that freedom 10 the negro is
curse and his presence in orr midst an evil o
the most fearful magnitude. Essentially ane
hopelessly degraded he corrupts the slave
with whom he liabitnaly associates. arid 'ba
n comics tlte ready instrument of the unprnc
4 ped white man. and too frequently his shield
bear this cancer in our bosom, and see IFS Slow
but fatal pr ison diff,lse itself, without an effoy
] to remove it?
Il The right of self preservation is Universally
conceded to every Community. 1t is the foun-
4 dation upon which rests all police regla tons
and BY which alone they can be justified
The subjects or citizens ora befligerent power
at war with the country in which they are tenn
porarily residing may be remove d therefroln or
10 the interior there f at pleasure. No enquiry
is made whether such persons are acting an UNI
friendly part. The general suspicion which
attaches to them as aliens is full justifca-
ton of this exercise of power, however person
ally cprr s've or destructive to prlva'e fortune
Even in peace this power can be and frequent
/ ly has been exercised. In Prigg . the Com
n,on,cealh Of Pennsylvania, decided by the
I Supreme Court Of tine u States at their Jan
I uary term 1912, Chief Justice fancy rec6g-
nizes the RICH. Of State, in the exercise of her
powers over her internal police, ''to remove
from her territory dsordery and evil disposed
[ persons. Or those who, from the nature of her
! institutions. are dangerous TO her peace and
tranquility" And Mr.. Justice Story in de
livering the opinion of the Court referring to
the free States, says, "the Court entertain no
doubt whatsoever, that the States, in virtue OF
their general police power, possess full jurisdic-
tion to arrest ard restrain runaway slaves, and
!, to remove them from their borders, and other
! wise to secure themselves against their depre-
dations and evil example, as they certainly may
do in case of idlers, vagabonds and paupers.
! Within our own State we have frequently ap-
| piled this police principle to oar free negroes
1t is embodied in many of our statutes, and
indeed in relation to them constitutes our gene
raj policy. Why are free negroes from other
States prohibited from settling here? Why is
it that when they do venture within our limits
the law sfernly demands their immediate re-
naoval? Why is that, since 1906, those who
may be manumtted and rerain within oul
State over twelve months ARE sold iuto slavery?
Why is it that we do not allow them to be
taught to read and write, to possess weapons,
to bear arms, to give evidence against white
man, to intermarry with whites. to vote. and
to teach the word of God to their own race in
public assemblies? 1t rs because long expert
ence has taught us that they are evil disposed
and degraded, iders, vagabonds and panpers
In 1881 and 1882, the citizens of Northampton
county petitiened the Legislature for leave tc
remove their free negroes, and that body passed
the requisite law. preceded BY preamble, in
which it is recited, sit satisfactorily appears
that it is absolutely necessary not only 10 the
correct government or their slaves, but also tc
the peace and safety of their society, that the
, free people of color should be promptly removed
from their county," Can then the right, re
| peat the word, the right to deport our free ne
, g.oes, be questioned? Is it not based on thu
universal law. fully recognised in this regare
by the Supreme Court, and the solemn anc
the oft-repeated act Of the General Assembly
1t cannot be denied, the right unequivocaly
exists; the question is, shall it now be eXer
cised2
In presenting my views Upon this subject.
must again call your attention to the painful s
distressing fact, exhibited in onr criminal sta
tistics, that the free negroes. Constituting abou
one twenty fifth Of our entire population. per
t perate about two-fifths of the crimes of the
STATE. Does not this establish the fact that thu
free negroes are disorderly and evll-disposec
persons, and as such dangerous 70 our peace 4
tranquility, to whom general suspicion alta
ches, and whose deportation iscalled for by thu
highest considerations of public duty? be
lieve that this statement of the relative proper
tion of crime is in favor of the free negro. Hi!
social posi,ion=-hs nocturnal! habits-the inter
ested influences which are too frequently bro't
to operate in the concealment of crimes in which
he participates. prevent large proportion o.
! offences from being exposed and brought nnde
judicial investigation. The existence Of a class
among us so extensively demoralised, is vel
known. Can we therefore delay undertaking
to remove them? In the emphatic language
of the preamble to the Northampton act, is i
not called for by our regard for the correct gov
eminent Of our slaves and the peace and safety
| of our society!
: The removal OF tn!S unhappy race IL caiie'
: for by other considerations. 1t Is well known
J gentlemen, to you all, that this race is idle
, thriftless and unproductiveness that as gen
eral rule they labor only from necessity, conien
to put up with the most meaere supply of the
! indispensable wants; and, not content will
their own labor in pursuits Of honest industry
/ they prowl in the dead hour of night and filcf
] the labor of others. Again, they perform
} thousand little mental services to the excusIot
f of the white man preferred by their employers
: because of the authority and control which they
i can exercise, and frequently because ofthe ens'
and facility with which they can remunerat'
: such services venture the opinion that
larger emigration of our white labofers is pro
duced by our free negroes THIN by the institu
D ton Of slavery.
, But it is objected by some that the raItiota
of our free negroes would be cruel and nhnman
! and offensive to the benevolent feelings of thu
2 age. I will briefly examine this objection; :
The free negro is a niere denlHen not entitled
I to the fights of the citizen. He is the obiec
of a neculiar and riod lptrslaton Even if h,