The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-07-01
Legal Condition Of Nssrss. In Louisiana.

L
on the bench invite your statutes Of tho
State regulating the condition eae Mt OF the ne
oil the parish This very important branch your
lies. and oinno too urgently press upon your alten-
ton.
"In Louisiana We have population OF OFT $50 per.
OF these. 2ao.4lo arc Whites 2i7s6 are slaves
and IL 53T free negroes The white and black poou
laiop very nearly equal From examination OF ths
population tables, made out for the lhat formed
constitution dad that there more blacks in
proportion tho white population in this than in any 9th,
judicial district of the State This district ia composed NJ
the parishes OF TensAs, Madison. and Carroll la lenses
there 800 white persons and 1873 blsckhat is about
nine blacks white person Ia Madison tho propo
ton is about six blacks to white pc and in Car
! roll, nearly three blacks to one white person.
This is great difference, and il imposes upon grand
jurors vigilance in seeing that the laws the p
lice Of the parish properly enforced Savery-thatis
the whole or partial deprivation OF particular individuals
of ain gbs-nas 1st,d in all ages and matte II n.
implied certan degree In the very idea Of government
and neither II be the government of all his
| fellows. or OF great many different over their fell
lows and whether the authority be exercised rels
ton of and subject father and child and D.
prentce master and slave varies only in degree In
each case, by their birth. from over
which they have contro incur the side depend
ency and the other authority Now there no rights
without corresponding duties, and the right of property in
the labor OF another, accompanied with obedience
submission, imposes tho time the duty OF pp-
lection aud good government. In proportion as there
rights recognised and these duties discharged there
relations Of State and citizen, parent and child mas.
Ter and apprentice, and aud slave are attend
ed with blessings, or the reverse The relation o master
slave along with these other relations existed before
revolutonn each Of the thirteen colonies England
introduced The negro into the other States against
monsances OF the coon just Fance did LOUISE
We have been born into existing institutions and as
sumcd, with the other obligations those resulting from the
existence of slavery in midst. We must discharge
them The three million Africans in this country are ee
vaed far above the aked heather their sors re,a
when they first landed on these shores e
sThsy have been in degree civilized and
When kept from idleness and dirk. protected in their
rights, and treated as the law requires their condition
onpares avorably with the aborng OF any other
county When deprived of these guarantees their condi-
zion is pabe indeed There has been so much uniu,t
abuse ofthe stakeholder, and such scandaous msreprc
sensations OF the laws of Lousianu with reference 10 the
of slaves that can understand how difficult il is
you grand jurors to preserve such feelings ind
in the midst Of denunciaton enforce the STA
OF Stats for the projection of hs negro with the
| zeal your natural impulses would prompt You should
recolec, however in the words of distinguished Judge
South Carolina Judge ONea that the rstlaw VERY
that of kindness from the his slave and that
much your duty protect the negro from the evil
lects of anaticsm from anything else He Is de-
pendent, and looks for protection and nteres and
humanity both require that kindness be enforced
cuicated by law. So consdcae the law Of Louisiana
point that it makes it the duty. only OF every
Judge and grand juror, but OF priva'e citizen who
knowledge their sre atment comes report once Il,
the magistrate whose duty is to keep himself in.
formed oil the treatment OF the negroes within his district
provisions Of our law. As this given especial jur
dcon much that tho police OF this class, and
is particularly required 10 bring your certain sta
ues, would remind you of that aliying penalty to
the Introduction into the State the subsequent sale or
PURCHASE, or stdu lib, who is entitled to his
freedom after certain period Of who has been
convicted OF capital crime who has accused
Of who has resided any county OF any
State where there has been instruction within two
years.
e-proection requires that this be vigorously en-.
forced Ii passed time when public attention wss
alarmngy directed the subject. and the necessity for
| still exists
'The first legislature that in this State passed law
that negroes should be well fed and clothed
housed, taken care OF in sickness, with temporal and
spiritual careO supported in their old age brualy
punished, mntiated sold away from the l.
children when lorger able work nor nt thor ,sp-
araud from her child under ten years age; that thew
should have their Sundays free; il mads 10 W. n on
that day. be paid their labor Neatly halt bas
pa ssed and these provisions st Of Louisiana
They have been sanctioned by Gated d, Of
supreme court been enforced by jurie and become
lar Incorporated into public reunent that scarce
greater reproaoh be made citizen that OF cruelty
TO his slaves for although our law regards groes rs
properly, it also deals with hem human beings and
one Of the beautiful decisions of Tho late supreme
delivered by Judge Prcton) declares slave To bc
The property Of the for full immoral or
iuhuman purposes In the newspapers OF this State 40
far back 1906 there advertisements the sale OF
negroes by public authority, because of III eaen, from
their owners
ITO make, however, the humane provisions OF our l.
effective IL necessary TO enforce rxidy those statutes tb
require free 10 reside p3Tmanenly oyei seer IN
very plantation that permit eceve xiti for
sale deposit from slave, or TO sell buy from him
anything without the written Of Q mr. sor nor
under any pretcDcs whatever gveof sell him liouor
call your attention TO most stringent law this subject
passed last year.
There severe penalties in gal i the mir
ing OF a ronsway, the ccalng, aiding to conceal
negro from his master against the p,sadng carrying
of the aiding advising per on to CAR
~ orc oil sgainst any who shall by word or action
in whatever encourage advs, a slave 70 in
'uueoton a1ains, his master or the ~ who
shall write or distribute anything tending d!soonssnt
among the free-ooorcj people or insubor liz among
the slaves or who shall in public from b. mob pull
pit, or the bar, in conversation public prvat use
language, signs sections having this eads, cy or shall
knowingly be instrumental in brirging into this any
pers, pbIcis, books ncendary their character
slave in this State to read write.
" This last statute, opposed TO the pr and IN known 10
carly legislation, and oil modern IL
my duty TO bring TO your especial attention do So Int
with pain the fact Of unwse wgaon in the FREQ States
having caused Its enactment. In tn ,sio v ould
remind OF the statute sRainst Idle derna whits
men in midst, without visible aliny OF hone msans
Of support. or any one to vouch f)r Oh Arscier.
The rules by which you to b. iied in your In
vesugations into offences against Lsse status few
and simple, and familiar no doul to OF you.
"Genenen, have enumerated the statutes Of the State
and pointed out the manner in which on q . that
they faithfully obs served bu 4 duty does not stop