Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-22
The Ohio Black Laws.
BY WIN. L.

The laws Of the State of Ohio, the first Of
which is entitled AN act TO regulate black
and mulatto PERSONS" and the others, acts
amendatory thereof, and which in common
parlance are significantly denominated "the
Ohio Black Laws" are contained in Swans
Statutes, commencing at page 692.
The first was passed January 5, 1904
more than two years after the adoption OF
our Constitution, and required all black and
muIatto persons residing here prior TO June,
1904, TO have their names and the names Of
their children registered in the office of the
clerk of the court of Common Pleas IN the
proper county, and take a certificate thereof,
as evidence OF their freedom. 1t prof. ibits
the settling or residence of others within the
State, unless they have a certificate from
some court in the United States OF their free
dom, which must be recorded in the proper
county. 1t prescribes a penalty on all per-
sons who shall hire or in any way employ
any colored person who has not such ceft'h-
Gates. Care is taken to provide tor the clerk,
who must be paid by those for whose espe-
cjal benefit his services are rendered. The
last section visits a severe pecuniary penalty
ON any one who shall remove or attempt 10
remove from The State any colored person,
without first proving his right TO do so and
0OuDte66 III "
grand lubrlcator, rendering the ways smooth
and slippery, so that this otherwise uncover
ed deformity glided easily through the Leg
i~slature. The first amendatory act was pass
ed January 25, 1907. This act prohibits
any black or malatto from emigratlng to or
s~eitiio, here, unless within twenty days he
shall enter into bond with two freehold sure
ties in $500, for his or her good behavior
and suppottS il afterwards chargeable, and
ON noncompliance, the overseers oil the poor
are authorized 10 remove such person out oil
the State. The bond is to be entered intc
before the clerk, a certificate taken, and tht
clerk to receive one dollar from the emigrant
and a penalty Of 500, half to the informer
by way of temptation to cupidity, is provided
AGAINST any person who shall employ or har
bor such emigrant il he has not the certif
cate, and moreover such employer is mad
forever chargeable for his support, If he shall
become unable to support himself. The sif
section Of this act prohibits any black or mt
lat.o person from being sworn or giving evi
asTte in any cause OF prosecution In whicl
either party is a white person.
The remaining amendatory act was pass
ed January 81, 1884. II enacts no new dis
abilities, but provides for the recording an!
authorization Of the certificate. There
on the face of Swans Statutes another &c
commonly known as the Kentucky Blac
Law" passed in 1889, where The free peopl
of Ohio, by their representatives, servilel
played lackey to the slave aristocracy
Kentucky; but this has been repealed
Two other provisions in our law may be clasI
ed with the foregoing. One denies the CT
Iored man the power TO gain a settlement
the other debars him the sacred right of ii
benefit of The school fund for the educ;
lion Of his children.
1t is proposed TO show that these laws a
a violation of the Constitution of the Unite
States and of this State, of the Ordinance
1887, and of the principles and genius OF OF
institutions.
First They are a violation Of the Cons
tuition and Ordinance. Up to the time
the adoption of the Constitution of Ohio, q
colored inhabitants Of the territory had a
The rights and franchises which the whit
possessed. The Constitution OF the Unit
States declares that " the citizens OF eat
State shall be entitled to all the privileg
and immunilies of citizens in the sever
States.'. The Ordinance Of 1857 for the G
ysIpment of this then territory, provided tn
"for every FIVE hundred free male inhabifd'
there should be one representative in I
General Assembly" In the I'd article
the /. Articles of Compact" in the same
ganic law, is this provision 1: The inhab
ants of the said territory shall always be