The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-06

The law was formerly 80 in Mr. BuRT's own State.
In the seventh volume of the Statutes at Large Of
South Carolina, No. 344, SIS, find the following
/" And lphsysas, il has been found by experience
that the executing Of several negroes for felonies Of
smaller nature, by which they have been con-
demned to die, have been of great charge and ex-
pense to the public, and will continue, (f some rem
edy be not found 70 beverly chargeable and burden
some 10 this province; Be IL therefore enacted, by
the authority aforesaid that all negroes or other
slaves who shall be convicted and found guilty Of
any capital crime, (murder excepted,) for which
they used 10 receive sentence OF death, the law
directs. shall be transported from this province by
the public receiver for the time being, to any other
of his majestys plantations, other foreign part
where he shall think fitting to send them, for the
use Of The public"
The slave condemned to transportation was to be
appraised and his master paid out Of the public
treasury, and this amount was, OF course, to be
imhursed by what should be received from the for
eign sale From the statement OF MIR. BURT, that
no such law exists in South Carolina, sup
pose the above enactment must have been repealed.
The fact stated in my speech Is therefore proved,
although the instances may be fewer than had
supposed. As To the motive attributed there can
be no doubt. The cases most numerous In the
southern States, where white men are merely i'm
pyisonsd for offences for which slaves are whipped
branded. and cropped, otherwise corporally pun
ishcd The slaves time is too valuable to be lost in
prison, bat the white mans is not; the white
mans skin is TOO sacred to be hayed or branded,
bat the slaves Is not.
or ten," or any other number Of offences with
death, when committed by slaves, while the same
offences receive a milder penalty when committed
by whites; OF laws denying the benefit OF clergy,
(wberc that relic Of barbarism still prevais,) to a
slave, while IL IL granted TO white man, surely
among the greatest atrocities recorded in the his
tory Of the race. Ponder for moment upon the
accursed fact. "A freeman acting under all the mo-
tycr 10 self respect; moved by all the incentives to
rood conduct; enjoying all the means of education;
inspired by all the influences Of the Gospel and
capable vi comprchending all the powerful re-
stfaints and the sublime rewards connected with a
hereafter, sron1afed from the punishment OF death;
while death. in all the horrors with which igno-
rance and superstition invest IT, Is inflicted upon
men who subjected To bondage; deprived of all
motive for honorable conduct; barred out from
every avenue 60 knowledge by cruel penalties;
blinded 10 the light Of the Gospels and in land Of
boasied left in the darkness of
isnl These not the customs of lawess banditti
of outcasts renegades, but solemn enactments Of
State legislatures, devised by talent and eminence,
enforced and preserved by the oigarchical few, by
the virtual nobility and flower of populous oommu-
mites. Such laws demand n return of five talents,
under penalty Of death, where only one talent had
been confided; they absolve him who had received
five talents, though he brings none OF them back.
Such laws make the Scriptures read, that the SER
who knoweth his lords will, but doeth il not,
shall be beaten with but few stripes but the
want who did not know IL, whom bis very master de-
barred from knowing ID, shall be beaten with many
stripes for unto whomsocver much il given, but
little shall be required; but 10 whom men have
committed much, Of him little shall be asked
What shal be thought Of system. AND OF Ex-
TEsDIso SYSTEM, which 50 pervorts the hearts of
men, otherwise clear headed, high minded and
generous
What more fitting theme could be conceived,
were the arch-encmy of mankind 10 compose a
Jwlesqus in ridicule of Republics to be represented
in that Theatre which is all "Pif?"
II is not, however the srstencs Of slavery but its
erfension we now intend 10 avert.