Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-01-03

lne kliltt,cSS 10 state utnNllcly what law
there is, aud where il may Lc found, which
prevents blacks or muatloes from obtaining
q legal settlement in this State? GEAUGA.
TIE BLACK LAWS or ONO.
While the general course of legislation in
Ohio has been adverse to the African race,
our statue hook has been disfgurcd 10y spc-
cific enactmcnis, imposing special disahIli-
ties upon colorcd persons, and known, cn-
phntically, us tho "Black Laws"
The frat of these passed January 9th, 1901,
and fourteen months after the formation of
the Old Constitution, provided severe penal
ties against blacks aud mulnttucs, WIN Should
attempt TO reside in Ohio, without first pro-
ducing certificates of freedom, aud prohibited
pl persons from giving them employment,
under like penalties.
An Act amendutory thereto was passed
January 25th 1907, providing that in Gdti-
ton 70 certificates Of freedom, colorcd per-
sous should give bonds in the sum OF $500,
or be removed from the Slate also addJonul
penalties against hiring or harboriug them.
The fourth section al llis act contained
the infamous disqualification of blacks aud
muiattoes as Witnesses n certain cases
1t was armed with the first provision of
tulS uCl, ltlUl bue w lllluiH sawyer Splllt ilt
Member Of Congress, and of lhe recent Ohio
Constitutional Convention, aided 10y other
epnally good citizens of the State, drove the
emancipa;ed slaves of JoHS RANnoLen, from
Mercer Co., Ohio.
Twenty-seven years after the enactment of
the above, OIL the 27th of February, 1891,
the Legislature again awoke to the import
pnce of this subject, and passed auulhcr
amendatory act in reference tn tie recording
Of certificates of ifeedun, &o.
Thus matters stood until the session of
1852, when Wm. MOrchead and john
speed Smith arrived with special mandate
from Kentucky, requiring the cnactHent of n
law the more efieciualy TO carry out the ST.
cond SECTION, Article Fourth, Of the L. 5.
Constitution with which the Ohio Legisla-
Iuro, of course Wale haste 10 comply, and
passed on the 25th of February. 1880, what
was called by way OF detes,ibie prc-cui-
pcnce, "ihe Black Law" The objects of
this law were set forth in an unciious aud
eavory HWhereas,n The body of the net
coniaiaed sundry anrocioUs provisions, APP
preaching fainily and far off the more recent
oct of Congress on the same subject,
A melancholy moral may be drawn from
the fate of this statue. IA the canvass OF
lS42, in Ohio, Mr.. Clay, and sundry other
distinguished wings from Kentucky came
aver ia aid their brethren in OHIO, aud at
Ieuded whig barhacue at Dayton. The
democrats succeeded in the election, and
forthwith repealed the act by way of repgisal,
The above constituted the black laws
proper,
The Constitution walled up all approach
10 citizenship.
Tho school laws, willie they assessed n
revenue Gu the property of cOlorcd persons
for educational purposes, closed the door of
every school house in the State against their
childreuj Aud the Poor Laws forbid their
gaining Va legal settlement in this State"
fSee Swans Statute, 6}i-5, second sectlelI,
act passed March il, 1851 aud still in force.
BY u silent, but universal construction OF
other statues, coIored man could not legal
~ hoOame deaf, dumb, blind, or even insane !;
while the poor kws precluded his rising TO
the dlguiiy Of a pnuper and tha only institu-
tion of the State to which lie cosld gain ud-
mission, was the Penitentinry.
On the 24th of February, 1913, the legiS-
lature again returned to tie subject, aud en-
acteti hat colored children might be admit
ted to the common schools, providing no
person having n child in a given school,
should file iGitien dissent thereto ,oith The Di-
rectorS, It also provided for the erection of
school DISTRICTS, composed of colored persons,
aud the establishment therein of schools, 10
be supported by taxes upon the property of
black aud mulnlto persons, which for that
purpose was withdrawn from the common
school fund.
THUS multers stood until the memorable
session of 1850, when with almost unan-
unity, tue legislature unquaitietlly repealed
each and all Of tho statues composing the
So-called black laws by name, and date
ting up at one blow root aud branch the
whole black brood.
1t went further, aud repealed sail parts of
other acts" imposing disabilities son ne
gouHt Of Color except the net above referred
70 0or the relief of the poor" aud tue act
'rehiing TO Juries."
This act admits colored children to the
Gomnon schools, unless the Directors or
ether officers shall 'deem il cXpedienl,"
W which case they are obliged 10 erect color
cd districts, schools, &c. which, however,
gre still to be maintained hy taxes assessed
by tue usual hw on the property Of colured
personS--su scheme Of education Of no
practical bepe6t
This is the last legislation OH the subject;
pnd the New Constellation continues the dis
VbiliIies of the Old.
A sllInlnhry OF the legal privileges and dis
abilities of persons Of color in Ohio, will
present something like the following.
They may efpigrate into the State, acquire
lien aud transmit property, aud enter into
all contracts IL the same ninnner that all oill,
er persons may. They have qualified sys-
tem Of education, and are admitted ms corn-
peieni witnesses in the judicial Courts.-
They may have such aims as our laws meet
snt TO the poor, and admission TO the State
Asylums,