Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-06-21
C. OIL u M B u S:
wednesday Morning, June rs, 1881.
Abolition of the Slave Trade In the District of
Columbia,

But few weeks since we published the Law abol-
shng the slave Trade in the District and we did not
think that there was man so ignorant prejudiced
in the State as to misunderstood that Law. 1t is too
plain for intelligent to cavil about and no one
unless he is determined to mslead and deceive the peo
ple will attempt to warp its plain meaning and pur-
pose.
Gen. Foote stated when here that it a copy of
an old law of MARYLAND This we doubted and deter
mined to examine at our leisure. A contemporary has
published one section of the Maryland Law, and we
presume it was to this that Senator Foote referred.
We will remark that the Law of 1850 for the sup
preston of the slave trade is not copy of the Mary
land law as find it in the Aberdeen Independent,
Foote organ We here give the two sections one of
each law.
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
rsseatatiges of the United States IN Congress As-
so,abIed That from and after the first day of JAN
nary, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, it shall not
be lawful to bring into the District of Columbia,
any slave whatever for the purpose of being sold,
or for the purpose of being placed in depot to be
subsequently, transferred any other State or place
to be sold as merchandise. And if any slave shall
be brought into said District by its owner, or by
the authority consent Of its owner, contrary to
the provisions of this act such slave SHALL there
upon become liberated"
The Legislature of Maryland passed, in 1896,
the following law
BE it enacted, &c, That it shall not be law
fu from and after the passage of this act, to i'm
port or bring into this State, by land or water,
any negro, mulatto, or other slave, for sale or to
reside within this State; and any person brought
into this State slave contrary to this act, if
slave before, shall thereupon Immediately cease
to be the property of the person or persons so
importing or bringing such slave within this State
and shall be free. "
There is material difference in these sections and
we will show that the law of Congress of 1850 is
copy of the law of Maryland
The law of 1850 says that it shall be lawful to
bring into the District of Columbia any slave what
ever for the purpose being sold for the purpose
Of being placed in depot, be subsequently transfer
red any other State place, TO be Sold merckan
die The penalty for violation of the above is that
such slave shall thereupon become liberated and free
The Maryland law, perfectly clear, is not copy
ofthe law above reced for the PENALTY only applies
when the slave is brought into Maryland for sale or
to reside within this State" The law of 1850 declares
that if the save is placed in depot to be subsequent
y transferred to any State place., to be SOLD as
Merchandize'' that then he shall 'become liberated
and free The Maryland law contains no sUch copdi-
toa. This law prohibits from Virginia or Mary
land any other State putting slaves is depot in the
Federal District that are their way to be sold in
any "other State place" 1t is absolute prohi
btion of the slave trade between the States so far as
the Federal District is concerned. We believe no
State constitutionally prohibit the slave trade be-
the States, any State prohibit the tran
sit Of slaves throught it to another State Any State
may prohibit the introduction of slaves to be sold with
in its borders and when Senator Foote asserted that
the law of 1870 COPY of the law of Maryland,
did believe it, for the reason that such law would
have been unconstitutiona nasnuch it would have
interierrcd with commerce between the States.
We must quote the exposition of these laws by the
editor ofthe Independent, who by the way is lawyer
The aHc is the independents.
We have italicised portion of the first sec
ton of this Bill to call attention particularly to it.
To become obnoxious to the penalty in this BILL
the savetrader must carry his slave into the Dis
trlct - for the purpose of being sold 1t must
be his intention to sell him in the District--that
must be his only intention or 'purpose." If a
man carries a slave there as servant for use
and not for the "purpose" of sale, the law does
not prevent him. After he gets his slave there,
ne can sell him if he chooses. Nor does the law
prevent any owner in the District from selling his
slave there or anywhere else. Nor does the law
prevent any owner of slave IN the District from
putting him into depot therein for sale, or for
transportation to any other place for sale but it
only forbids any "to bring int" " the District
any slave for the "pavpoSe of sale, or " for
the purpose" of being placed in depot there to be
transported elsewhere "tO be sold as merchan-
disc"
Just SO in the second section. 1t does not
authorize the Corporations of Washington and
Georgetown to break up and abate any depot for
slaves deposited there by any in the District
but only of slaves "brought into' the District
man may carry his slaves from Maryland or
Virginia or Mississippi, with any other real ''pur
pose than that of ''sale,'' placing them in
depot for the purpose of Transporting them
elsewhere for sale, and he is not obnoxious to the
provisions of this law. The reader will see now
that this bill only abolishes the foreign slave
trade IN the District, and nothing more 1t can
be whitfield down by truth to a very small affair,
you see.
The logic of the Independent is only equalled by the
consistency of Senator Foote and they both are very
noteworthy. We will parallel the INDEPENDENTS log
ic-t reads thus
"To become obnoxions} ga man NAV carrv his
to the penalty of this bill 3slaves from Maryland OF
the save-dealer must carry Virginia Mississippi with
his slave into the Distrc8any other real purpose
"for the purpose of beingthan that of "sae or pac
sold-t must be his intea3ng them in depot for the
tion to sell him in the Dispurpose" of transporting
tict-that must be his onllhem esehere for sale, ano
intention or purpose" ihe is not obnoxious to thu
provisions of this law"
Let us examine the logic of the organ of Senate