The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-20

ai'oY .,s ftom Connecticut, bsiiese, Gh,
| Perkins" said Dir. Barbour, "but as you are not
an Abolitisnist, suppose it will not be un
courteous 10 discuss the subject before you.
have in my pocket n copy ora law in your State,
which was in existence at one time. ] copied
it from an old statute book. 1t seems to uphold
the fugitive slave law in prospect. At that time
you not only held negiO, but Indian slaves. Let
me read it, gentlemen, as we are on the subject;
"Be it enacted by the governor coancil, and
! representatives in general court assembled, and
by the authority of the same, that whatsoever
NEGRO, nualto or Indian servant or servants shall
be wandering out Of the bounds OF the town, or
place to which they belong, without ticket or
pass ia writing, under the hand of some assist
| ant or Justice of the peace--or under the hand
| Of the master or owner of such negro, mulatto
or Indian s,rya0ts, shall be deemed and &C
counted as ranaWays and may be treated as
such. And every person inhabtjng in this col
I ony, finding or meeting with any such negro mu
aitO or Indian servant or servants not having a
| ticket as aforesaid, is hereby empowered to seize
and secure him or them and bring him or them
before the nest authority to be examinedand re.
turned to his or their master or owner, who shall
satisfy the charge accruing thereby.
/ sand all ferrymen within this colony are here
| by required not to suffer any Indian, mulatto or
negro servant, without certificate as aforesaid to
pass over thsir respective ferries by assisting
them therein directly or indirectly, on the penal.
| ty Of paving fine of twenty shiIlings for every
such offence 10 the owner of such servants"
'In the sane act, continued Mr.. Barbour,
! free person VINO receives any property large or
small from slave without an order from his mas
ter, must either make full restitution or be open.
ly whipped with so many stripes, (not exceeding
twenty.m .t..#. 3D.. ....'.
"Now, gentlemen, said MIR. Chapman, who was
an impe,uous old gentleman, don't you see how
those Yankees were close enough in taking care
of their own slayes-and if they could have
raised sugar and cotton, or had deemed it for
their advantage to be shareholders to this day
they'd have had fugitive slave law before this.
A Daniel would have come to Judgment long
before immortal Daniel Webster"
"Wait minute, my dear sir, said Mr.. Bar
bour, another paragraph of the same act pro
vldes, that fany negro, mulatto or Indian ser
want or slave shall be found abroad from home
in the night season after nine o'clock, without a
special order from his or their master or mis-
tress, it shall be lawful for any person or persons
to apprehend and secure such negro, mulatto or
Indian servant or slave so offending, and him,
her or them bring before the next assistant or
justice of the peace which authority shall have
full power TO pass sentence upon such servant
or slave, and order him, her or them to be public
ly whipped on the naked body, not exceeding ten
stripes, &c"
"Pretty tight laws you had sir, said Mr. Chap
man, addressing Mr. Perkins-so woman could
be picked up and whipped at the report of any
body, on the naked body. Why, sir, if we had
such laws here, it would be whipping all the
time There is one thing certain, you made the !
most of slavery while Won had il"
But We have repented Of all our misdeeds,"
said Mr.. Perkins good humoredly.
Yes, sir, like the boy tina. stole penny, and
when he found it wouldn't buy the jackniie he |
wanted. he repented and took it back to his
mother"
bat you must remember the times, my dear
sir" said Mr.. Perkins.
81 do, sir, | do, sir, the very time that YOU
had come over for your own freedom; and you
even kidnapped the noble sons of the soil, and |
made meniAis Of them. | wonder the very |
ground did not.cry out against you. Now we
have been left with the curse of slavery upon
us-for it is curse upon the negro and the
white man, and may God in his good time show !
us to remove from it. But why don't You
Northern men buy our slaves aud send them to
Liberia ?"
THAT would be against the principles of the !
Excuse NE, sir, but damn their principles
you mean it is against their pockets. Why |
don't those that write abolition books, give their
profits to purchase some Of these poor wretches |
who are whipped 10 DEATH aad starved, and
given 10 the flies TO eat up. and burned aliTe
then would talk about principles, but no ]
talk about pockets. | am q poor man, sir,
though own few slaves, and will sell them
TO any Northern man or woman at half price for
what | corld get from trader, and they may
send them 10 Liberia"
lord. cir, they'd az soon think of buying the |
devil himself You must excuse this language,
sir, bu; this subject irritstes me confess. Why,
sir, not along ago. was in the upper part Of
the State Of New York, and | was looking chou,
me, for, sir, do look about I'VE wherever am
One morning got mp early ana walked towards
the new railroad that they were constructing Ia
the neighborhood, and ] CHANGED to get on tie
spot Just in time 10 see a little frscss between
stout burlv ldshman and the superintendent Of
The party"
II thought, be Jlsus," sai the Irshman just
as ] approached near enough 10 hear what was
going on, that man could see himself done.
justice 81, in free country"
Go to your work, said the superintendent
aud ifyou say another word about il, I'll knock
YOU over"
Z" IL you'll knock me over, you will" began
The lrishman--but he was over in moment
the superintendent. sir, gave him blow between
the eye', with first that was hard ~ iron, and
the man staggered and fell helped him up
sir, and reckon he thought matters might be
worse still, fnr he slowly walked Of" DAmn'd
free country" he muttered to me in kind Of
confidential tone, " thought they only Knocked
niggers over here. u me sowl, but III 90 back
10 Ireland
could not help expressing my establishment
to the superintendent, repeating tho Irishman's
words, ~ thought only niggcrs could be knocked
down in this country
"Niggers!" said the superintendent. guess
il you had 10 deal with Irishmen, you'd find you
would be obliged TO knock them down"
But don't the laws protect them ?" ! asked.
I" Laws why railroads have TO be built, and
have 10 be bail, the right way sint afraid Of
the laws. Why thiuk no more Of knocking
an lrishman over, sir, than do Of eating my
dinner. Ones a. necessary as the other" Now
60 .ep rfd Al, II, ~