Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-31

pense. That those works have added much
to individual a1d general wealth there can
be no doubt, since by their construction
every portion Of community is brought
within D reasonable distance of a market
for all their surplus productions, thus hav-
ing developed the resources Of the state and
given an impetus to every variety of busi.
ness transactions. To procure the mean.
of constructing these works state debt oi
considerable magnitude has been contracted
which at one time seemed to threaten oul
prosperity and our credit. But by the ener.
gy Of our officers, and the fidelity of oul
people both have been preserved, and oul
obligations will be faithfully adhered te
until that debt shall be paid to the last far.
thing.
By the operation Of our present system o.
revenue, system believed to be as eeua
as any that could be devised, the interest oi
our State debt is punctually paid, and al
ready since its adoption large amount o.
the principal Of that debt has been discharg.
ed. The new banking system has restor-
ed confidence in eur currency by the facili.
ties afforded to business, and its security
to the bill holder, and is yet all that was
expected of it. These two systems, l doubl
not will be sustained whilst their beneieial
effects remain so clearly manifest.
From consideration Of the laws them
selves, as well as from the agitation Of the
subject in all parts ofeihs State, / invite
| the attention Of the General Assembly to
| the act Of January 9Th, 1904, entitled,
IAN act to regulate black and mulatto per-
sons" and the act amendatory thereto,
passed Jan. 25th, 1907. These acts,
which are in common parlance, denomina.
ted the "black laws" are Of long stand
ing. the first having been enacted soon af-
ter the organization of the State govern
ment. Frum the first they have met with
decided opposition from portion of the
people of the State. OF late years and
on more full investigation. this opposi-
ton has become more determined and more
extended.
There has sometimes been manifested
disposition to impute improper motives to
those who enacted these laws. fn this ut
tack upon the memory of those who have
gone before Us. an not disposed to parti-
cipate. These acts were undoubtedly in
tended BY those who passed them for good
they were legIsla:ing for State which
had but just been organized. On its south.
ern boundary. and separated from it only
by the Ohio River, were States in which
the colored man was enslaved. Blu, in
their own State, both by its constitution
and the ordinance of 1887, happily, slave.
ry could never be tolerated; its people and
every portion OF them must forever remain
free. Under these circumsta noes they ap-
pretended danger that their southern
neighbors might cast upon them such of
their slave population as were worthless,
either from age or vicious habits. Enter
tanning these views. and believing that the
best Interests Of their own State, required
that its population should be composed of
the white race, they passed these acts to
obtain as far as possible that object. But
the object in view has not been effected.
Our colored population has increased and
is still increasing, these laws to the contra
ry notwithstanding. In fact they never
have to any considerable extent. been en-
forced, except one section, hereafter men,
| toned, and are now, as it were dead let
Liter upon our statute book. Since they are
thus obsolete, and to many OF our citizens
odious, and believing that it would comport
with justice and add to the peace and har-
mony of the community, recommend the
repeal Of both these acts But if upon due
consideration you shall be OF the opinion
that the interests of the State forbid such
full repeal, must then the more especial
ly press upon your consideration the repeal
Of the fourth section of the act Of 1907.
| and this, from the full conviction that the
only operation of that section is, to pre-
vent public and private justice. This is
the section which prohibits the testimony
Of black or mulatto persons in any cause,
either civil or criminal, where either party
is white person.
In a State where slavsry exists, there
may be some pretence Of reason why the
enslaved race should be prohibited from
testifying in controversies between those
who enslave them. But IN State whose
constitution declares all equally free. and
where all are entitled to the same protec-
ton Of life. liberty and property. and
where all have the same personal, though
moi the same political rights, it seems ab.
surd that the competency of wilness
should be tested, or the truth excluded from
our courts of justice by the color of the
skin. The oppression and injustice TO the
colored people are not the only reasons
which call for the repeal Of this section,
but it may be urged as measure of jus.
tics to tie white population as well as 10 the
| State Itself. Instances are not unfrequent
where white men have been deprived oil
their rights by its operation, and examples
are not wanting where the murderer has
escaped punishment because the commits.
sion of the crime could be proved by the
testimony of colored persons only.
/ Ayerse as am in the administration oi
State affairs to any interference in those
matters which seem more appropriately to
belong to the general government, yet there
are occasions when from the interest in
volved, II is proper for State TO make
known its opinions upon questions of ma
tional policy. The United States alone
present to the world the spectacle of thirty
independent sovereigns united under one
general government, with constitution so
framed that neither can interfere with the
rights Of the other, nor can the general
government interfere with the reserved
rights of the separate States.
The benefits Of this Union are incalcu-