Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-03

FREE NEGROES AT THE SoUTH-Gov-
ernor Smith of Virginia, in his message
to the Legislature gives the following pic
lure- of the free negroes of the South:
"By the preliminary report, we also
learn, that on the first day of October last,
there were in the peni!enliary ll9 white
and negro convicts; the white population
contributing about Is for each 100000
persons, and the free negroes contributing,
from similar numbers OF their own race,
about l60 persons to the penitentiary;
proving that the free negro perpetrates a,
least ten times as much crime in proportion
to numbers. as the white man. This state.
ment, verified by our legislation, presents
such picture Of the moral degradation of
our free negro population, as is we'll calcu-
lated TO excite the sympathy Of the philan-
lhropist, Without meaning TO enter into
any discussions rs 10 the moral and INTEL
lectual capacity ofthe negro, as to which |
have heretofore very fully and distinctly
expressed my opinion. ask, how it is pos
sible that he can be other than he is, under
the laws to which we subject hmt Born
in hoyel, the companion of the slave, and
the tool Of the vicious white man, he na,u.
rally sympathizes with the degradation a.
round him. By law, he is forbid to utter
marry with the whites to bear testimony
against them, 10 learn to read and write, TO
preach the word of God 10 his fellows, to
bear arms and to resent insults from
white man. Many other laws OF the same
character are on our stat ue book; and in
every relation, from the cradle to the grave,
he is never allowed to forget that he is oi
an inferior race. By the providence OF
God such is his destiny; and, according TO
naturalists, history, and the experience OF
all mankind, he is regarded os the third, or
an inferior species Of the race OF man.
But not content with this, by all the arts of
legislation, we force them below that posi-
ton in the scale Of humanity, to which he
is naturally entitled. And is this state of
things forever to continue? Are the
promptings of beneyolence and the preach
ings of philanthropy to be in vain? am
aware that our policy, rs indicated by our
laws, cannot be relaxed. The stern neces.
sites of our condition forbid it. But there
is way in which would hope the condi-
tion of the free negro might be alleviated:
1t is to send him beyond our limits into
communities where disabilities which op-
press him here do not exist. Shall it be
done gentlemen; or will you still retain this
class among US in n state Of hopeless nev-
er ending degradation? In my former
message, preser ted this subject for con-
sideraton, and was denounced from differ
ent quarters for the inhumanlty of my
proposition Inow repeat it; and the ques
ton is, who Is justly liable 10 this charge,
he who wishes to remove the free negro to
other places, where he will be freed from
our soul degrading legislation, and where
he would have right to learn to stand up
and feel and say am man; or he who
persists in retaining him in our midst, sub.
ject to the inexo-able legislation to which
have adver.e1! This question leave with
you and with the country, without uneasi.
ness or apprehension.