The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-08

Ftam ~ M Fat 8~esiar ~.
SrArs LzsuLArIoH ron THE ADoLlTroH or
HLAvExy.-We are indebted 10 the Friends
Ruiew Of Philadelphia, Tor an account of the
dates and tenor Of the several laws for the ab0-
Hilton Of slavery, which have been passed by the
free Statas, from which we abridge a statement
which our readers will End worth preserving for
reference.
The first law Of this description in the States
was passed by Pennsylvania, lat March, 1880,
and entitled an net for the gradual abolition Of
slavery. 1t directed. that all servitude for life,
or slavery Of children in consequence of the
slavery Of their mothers, in case of children born
within the State, after the passing Of the act,
would be utterly taken away, extingnisbed, and
for ever abolished. But sch Negro or muIatto
children, born within the State, after the passing
of the act as would have been slaves in case
the law in question had not been made, were
liable to be held to service, bound children or
servants were, until they attained the age of 20
years. All slaves, who were such at the tune
Of passing the act, were required TO be. regis
tered in books provided for the purpose in the
city or county. before the first OF November,
then next ensuing; and none to be deemed
slaves, or servants till 81 years, unless thus re-
corded. To prevent the evasion of this law, it
was provided, that 70 negro or mulatto should
be held to service by ndcnture for longer
time than seven years,unless the person so bound,
was ut the commencement Of the term under 81
years of age; in which case, an obligation to
serve till %, but no longer was declared valid.
The tenth section contained pr0viso ex-
GLIDING from the benefit Of the law, the domes-
tic slaves Of members of Congress, foreign min
listers, and sojourners rot becoming resident
within the State limiting the slaves Of the last
description of holders, to period Of six months
In "a few years it was found that several eva
sions were practised, particularly one deduced
from the proviso in the tenth section.
Slaves were brought into the Stath and held
nearly, but not quite six months, then removed,
for few minutes, beyond the line of the State,
and brought back to remain another term of
little less than six months.
A supplementary and explanatory act was
therefore passed in 1888. by which the evasion
of a semi-annual visit to an adjoining State was
prevented. By this supplement. the removal Of
slaves beyond the bounds of the State was pro-
hibited. The African slave trade was also in
dicted under severe penalties; and some other
salutary regulations adopted in favor of the col
ored race
Az Pennsylvania was the first to enact law
for the abolition Of slavery this State is believed
to be the first which prohibited aldermen and
justices of the peace, within the commonwealth,
from granting certificates authorizing the reno
val of alleged fugitives from labor, to the State
from which they are said to have escaped. The
first act Of that kind was dated March 81 1920
The next in order of time was Massachu-
sets. Slavery was introduced there soon after
the settlement of the country; and it was toler-
ated to some extent, until the qualification Of
the present Constitution. The convention that
formed this Constitution closed their labors on
the second OF Sd month, 1880; one day after
the PENNSYLVANIA law Tor the abolition of slavery
received the sanction of the governor In their
declaration of rights the following clause was
inserted; "All men are born free and equal,
and have certain natural, essential and unalena-
BILE rights; among which may be reckoned the
right of enjoying and defending their lives and
liberties that of acquiring possessing, and pro-
tecting property; in fine, that of seeking and
obtaining their happiness
But, in the first action involving the right of
the master, which came before the Supreme Ju-
dical Court, after the adoption of this Constitu-
ton, the judges declared that, by virtue of the
first article of the declaration of rights, slavery
no longer existed in that State. The principle
adopted in this case, appears to have been, that
the right of reputed slave, to his personal
freedom, was not created, but merely recog
nized by the declaration of rights. For in an
action, tried at Mddesex in 1896, the chief JUS
tice in charging the jury, stated as the unani-
nous opinion of the court, that negro born in
the State before the adoption of the present
Constitution, was born free, although the mother
was slave. 1t is certain, however, that the
common usage had been opposed to this opinion
In New Hampshire, understand, a decision
similar to that in Massachusetts, put an end to
slavery in the State. At what period this de-
cision took place, am not informed; but find
that in 1870, the census reported 1853 slaves; s
in the year 1900, and none at any subsequent
date.
In Vermont, slavery was expressly excluded
by the State constitution, adopted in 1893
The legislature of Rhode Island, in the year
1874, enacted, that no person born in that State
on or after the first day of March of that year.
should be deemed slave, but that all servitude
for life, or slavery Of children, to be born ms
aforesaid, in consequence of the conditions of
their mothers, should be taken away and for
ever abolished. Children thus born, were to be
maintained till they should attain the age of
twenty-one years, at the expense of the owners
that time, continued TO be held in slavery.
State were declared free. And any attempt on
the part of master, to transport his slaves be.
yond the limits of the State, was published
with a forfeiture of his claim: and the slave
thus removed or attempted to be removed, be-
came Free.
In the State Of Connecticut, slavery was never
expressly and directly authorized by statute, but
was tolerated In practice and the numerous
a. s enacted for the regulation of slaves, may
be considered MS indirectly establishing the legal
right to hold them In the year 1884, a law
was passed prohibiting the introduction of slaves
into the State; and likewise an net, declaring
that all children born of slaves, after the Ist of
March in the then current year, should be free
upon their attaining the age oftwenty-Rve years
BY subsequent acts the removal of slave be-
yond the bounds Of the State was prohibited
and penalties annexed to the crime % kdnap
ping free persons of color. or those entitled to
freedom at the age of twenty-five years.
Next on the list is the State Of New York. In
the year 1899, law was passed, that children
born Of slaves, after the tth Of July Of that year.
should be servants to the LEGAL proprietors ne