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

OOW4$V~sV~P&et
Perkins sald NJ. Barbour ~but ~ You are not
an Abolitionist, suppose II will not be un-
courteoue to discuss the subject before you. !
have in my pocket copy of law 10 your State.
which vas in existence at one time. copied
il from an old statute book. 1t seems to uphold
the fugitive slave law in prospect. Al that time
you not only held neg o, but Indian slaves. Let
me read it, gentlemen, az we are on the subject:
BE it enacted by the governor, council, and
representatives III general court assembled, and
by the authority of the same, that whatsoever
negro, mulatto 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 in 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 servants, shall be- deemed and &C.
counted as runaways and may be- trested as
such. And every person inhAbiting in this col.
ony, finding or meeting with any such negro mu-
atto or Indian servant or servants not having q
ticket as aforesaid, is hereby empowered to seize
and secure him or them and bring him or them
before the next authority to be examined and re-
turned to his or their master or owner, who shall
satisfy the charge accruing thereby.
"And all ferry men within this colony are here
by required not to suffer any Indian, mulatto or
negro servant without certificate as aforesaid to
pass over their respective ferries by assisting
them therein directly or indirectly, on the penal.
ty Of paying fUe Of twenty shillings tor every
such offence to the owner of such servants"
"In the same act, continued MIR. Barbour, a
free person who receives any property large or
small from slave without an order from his mas
ter, must either make full restitution or be open
Iy whipped with 80 many stripes, (not exceeding
twenty.'o
snow, gentlemen, said Mr. Chapman, who was
an impetuous old gentleman, don't you see how
those Yankees were close enough in taking care
of their own slaves--and it they could have
raised sugar and cotton, or had deemed it for
their advantaget 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"
swat minute, my dear sir, said Mr.. Bar
bour, another paragraph OF the same act pro-
vides. that ifany negro, mulatto or Indian ser
want or slave shall BIZ found abroad from home
in the night season after nine o'clock, without
special order from his or their master or mis-.
tress, it shall be lawful 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 a 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 tho
most of elavery while you had it,"
" But we have repented of all our misdeeds,"
said Mr.. Perkins good humofedly.
" Yes, sir, like the boy that stole penny, and
when he found it wouldn't buy the jacknife he
wanted, he repented and took it back to his
mother"
But 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 menials 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 and send them to
Liberia 2"
"That would be against the principles of the
abolition party" said Mr.. Perkins.
E" Excuse me, 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 to death, and staryed and
given TO the flies to eat up and burned alive
then would talk about principles, but nov
talk about pockets. | am a poor man, sir,
/ 70 oil I .,l1 tkov
to any Northern man or woman at half price for
what could get from trader, and they may
send them to Liberia
"Lord! sir, they'd as soon think of buying the
devil himself You must excuse this language,
sir, but this subject irrtates me confess. Why,
sir, not along ago, | was in the upper part of
the State of New York, and was looking abou,
me, for, sir, do look about me wherever am.
One morning got up early and walked towards
the new railroad that they were constructing in
the neighborhood, and | CHANGED to get on the
spot just in time to see a little fracas between
stout burlv Irshman and the superintendent of
the party"
{" / thought, be Jasus," said the Irishman just
rs l approached near enough to hear what was
going on, that man could see himself done
Justice to, in a free country"
$50 to your work, said the superintendent,
and ifyou say another word about it, I'll knock
you over"
" Is it you'll knock me over, you WILL" began
the lrishman-but he was over in moment
the superintendent, sir, gave him blow between
the eyes, with a first that was hard as iron, and
the man staggered and FELL | helped him up,
sir, and reckon he thought matters might be
worse still, for he slowly walked Off" Damn'd
free country" he muttered to me in kind of
confidential tone, 81 thought they only knocked
nggers over here. Be me sowl. but III go back
to Ireland"
could not help expressing my establishment
to the superintendent, repeating the Irishman's
words 81 thought only niggers could be knocked
down in this country"
"Nigges! !" said the superintendent, guess
Il you had to deal with Irisbmen, you'd find you
would be obliged to knock them down"
But don't the laws protect them ?" asked
Laws why railroads have to be built and
have to be built the right way. | amt afraid Of
The laws. Why think no more of knocking
An lrishman over, sir, than do of eating my
dinner. Ones as necessary as the other" Now
if a damn'd Abolitionist, sir sees slave knocked