The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-08-17
SOUTHERN SLAVERY

ihe following extract from the able CHARGE of
Judge John Perkins, Jr., to the Grand Jury of
ms u district, as we md it in the Carroll (La J
Watchman, of the 4th ult, is interesting
Slavery-that is, the whole or partial depriv.
alton of particular individuals of certain rights
has existed in all ages and nations II is i'm.
pied to certain degree, in the verv idea Of
governments and whether it be the government
o. one man over all his fellows. or great MANY
different men over their fellows, and whether
The authority be exercised in the relation of
State and subject, father and child. master and
apprentice, or master and slave, it varies only
IN degree. In each case, men by their birth. or
nom circumstances over which they have no
oon,Ioi' incur, on The one side dependency, and
on Inc other authority. Now there are no
rights without corresponding duties. and The
night OF property in the labor of another. ac-
companied with obedience and submission. i'm
poses at Inc same time the duty OF protection
ana good government. In proportion as these
rights are recognized, and these duties dia.
charged, these relations of State and citizen
parent and child, master and apprentice, and
master and slave, are attended with blessings.
or the reverse.-The relation of master and
save, along with these other relations, existed
before the revolution, in each of the thirteen
colonies. England introduced the negro into
Inc otner States against the responsiveness Of
the colonlsis, just as France did into Louisiana
we nave been borne into existing institutions
ana assumed with the other obligations those
resulting from the existence of slavery in orr
midst We mast discharge them. The three
millo.. Africans in this country are elevated far
ABOVE the native heather, their ancestors. were.
wnen they hrst landed on these shores.
They have been in deoree civilized and
christianized. When kept from idleness and
drink, protected in their rights, and treated as |
the law requires, their condition compares fav.
orally with The laboring class of any other
country. When deprived of these guarantees. |
their condition is pitiable indeed. There has
been so much unjust abuse of the slavehodsr
and scandalous Misrepresentation of the laws
OF LOUISIANA, with rcfe. ence to the treatment or
saves, that can understand how difficult il i
Tor you as Grand Jurors to preserve such feel.
ings OF indifference in the midst Of denuncia-
t!on as 70 enforce the statutes Of our State for
tne projection OF the negro with the zeal with
your natural impulses would nromnt W.
should recollect, however, in the words of
distinguished Judge OF South Carolina, JUDGE
Neal, that "the first law Of slavery is that of
kindness from the master to his slave" and that
y Is as much your duty to protect the negro
from the evil effects of fanaticism as from ,ny
thlng else lie is our dependent and looks "a
US Tor protection, and interest and humanity
oot1 require that kindness be enforced and in
coi'ated oy law So considerate is the law of
Lo i'saha on TINS point that il makes it the duty
no. only of every Judge and Grand Juror 81,
OF every private citizen to whose KNOWLEDGE
TINS III treatment comes, TO report il at once 10
the nearest magistrate, whose duty it is to keen
himself informed OF the treatment of the NEGROES
WITHIN MS district, and enforce, aby cyery
means IN his power the human provisions of
bur law As this court is given especial iuris. 3
iiction IN much that concerns the police Of this
;la's, and IS particularly required to bring to /
your notice certain statutes, would remind Won g
y tnat one ailxing penalty to the introduction {
MO 'hs 0tate, or ihe subsequent sale or pur-
hase of "Statu Li5er," or one who isen,tlsd
MS freedom after certain period-or Of one
Who has been convicted Of capital crime. or
mo mas ever been accused of insurrection. or
vho mas resided in any county of any State
where there has been an resurrection within two
'ears. e
Self protection leeJircr kat this statute be
lgofousiy enforced. 1t va1 passed at a time
'aen public .ttention was alarming!y directed
tac sofIest, and the necessity for il still
lists.
The first Legislature tina. met in this State
sssed law that negroes should be wei; fed
"a clothed, comfortably housed, taken care of
sickness, with temporal and spiritual care. = :
pported IN their old age, not brutality punish
!, n,r cut nor mu.ilated, nor sold away from L
eir children, when no longer able to work. II
or mother separated from her child under ten I
ears Of age; and that they should have their 81
undays fee, or IT made to work on that dav ",
, paid for their labor. Nearly half a century ST.
b passed, and these provisions are still the or
OF Louisiana. They have been sanctioned AZ
? repeated decisions of our Supreme Conrt Pa
zen enforced BY juries, and have become so far FIR
corporated into public sentiment, that scarce :,
greater reproach can be made citizen than tha
at OF cruelty to his slave. For although our !
" regards negroes as property, it also deals "h
tn them human beings, and one of the
ost beautiful decisions of the late Supreme +
ourt, delivered by Judge Porter, declares the -
We TO be the property of the master for law
!, "not tor immoral or inhuman purposes"
the newspapers Of this State, so far back ga e,
vs., there are advertisements of the sale oil :.
groes by public authority, because of i'll IN.
atnent OF their owners.
TO make, however, the humane provisions
our law effective, it is necessary 10 enforce
idly those statutes that require free man to s,s
ide permanently as overseer on every pianta-
J; that permit no one to receive articles far p
or deposi, from slave, 10 sell to q. huy -
n him anything without the written '61f
il OF the master; not under any q
atever, to give or sell him lqu16
r attention 10 a most stringent r.
ject passed last year
here are several penalties in al
hiring Of runaway, or the
ng 10 conceal negro from
INST the prrsuading or carfyinl
he aiding advising another
ne off; against any one who 4
ction, or IN any why wbatevci
iviss slave 10 insnrrerlipq
&c - the government; o. Wh&F
iistriysse snysh;pl sendiny x