Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-01-13
District Of Columbia.

The corporation of Washington, our National
Capital, have published an edict, required all free
colorcd persons in the city, to give a good WHITE
security each in a thousand dollars, for their good
behavior, and to pay 50 each for a certificate
that they have given such security. This is one
of the most infamous laws in the whole catalogue
of oppressive statutes under which the colored
people of this country have %groaned and suffer
ed. None can appreciate its cruelty but those
who are familiar with the situation Of these free
colored people.
There are some thousands Of these people in
that city. We cannot tell the number, but we
should think that one third, if not more of the
population of Washington City, are colored pco-
pie.
The most of these are free and of these, many
of them, if not a majority, were once slaves, but
have purchased their liberty and paid for it, from
three to five hundred dollars. Many of those
that are free have husbands, and wives, and chill
dren in slavery, to liberate whom, they are toll
ing to accumulate the necessary funds. 1t is
true that when one party is a slave, the marriage
is not recognized in law, but in the eye Of heav-
en- it is sacred, and they regard it so, and dis
charge its obligations with a fidelity that would
put to shame the i~nfdellty Of some over whose
domestic relations are thrown the sanctions of
civil law.
Now if the husband is there whose wife is a
slave, and for whose liberty perhaps he has con-
tracted, paid half the price, and cannot procure
awlite man to give bail for him, he must be driven
from the city, separated from his wife and chill
dren, and in all probability they be consigned
forever to interminable slavery! This law is as
C02cardiY as it is 0pprcSSiUc.
Its pretence is to secure the good behaviour
of the free colorcd people-lts object is to drive
out of the city these people-so that there labor
will not come in competition with the labor Of
their slaves. Good behavior! The behavior of
the colored people of Washington City is as good
as that of the whites. The city, it is true, can
not boast of its morals; but there is not more row.
dvism and RIGHTEOUSNESS among the colored pop
ulation there than among the whites.
Instead of laying its hand of oppression upon the
poor who have Just shaken off the chains of sIa-
vory and come up out of great tribulation, why
did not the corporation demolish, as nuisanccs and
a burning disgrace to the nation, those houses of
i'll fame which stand prominent in front Of the
capitol and the resort Of its wAite aristocracy ?
We said that the owners of slaves wished to
drive out from Washington City the free negroes,
because their labour came in competition with
slave labor. This is the true cause of the shame
full law it has passed.-The owners ofslavcs coin
mints of money by their income from public car
riapes. Their slaves drive these and pay the
money they get over to their masters. Now the
free negroes, by dint of e%xertion, have become
the owners of carriages and horses, and these
compete seriously with those ofslave owners. To
this and other competitions, together with the
opposition that masters always have to their
presence among their slaves of free negroes, is
to be attributed the origin of the oppression in
ficted upon them by the corporation of the city
of Washington, The whole proceeding is low
and selhsh-a disgrace to the city and nation.
We see that the law requires that the security
given must. be by wAite men. Why is this !
Why not take security from cOlOred men, if it be
good There are many free colored men in the
city who are men of property. Why not let
them give security for their brethren There can
be no reason for this, except that the object of
the law is to drive these poor prosecuted descend
ants of Adam, out Of the city, their birthplace
and homeland what %right-what constitutions
al right has this corporation thus to drive from
their homes these men We hope that Congress
will adopt measures to protect those men in the
enjoyment of their rights. Hopel Alas, we
fear there is no hope that this nation will ever do
Justice to this oppressed people, or to the Consti-
tuition, or its own character.-CIcactand Demo-
Crat,