Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-02-12
so;hsr, and supply their places With hsstc

se;her aud supply their places With negro
slaves.
The free negro is charged it'll being thief
but even here he does not get justice. He la
hours under this disadvantage, that he is made
the scape-goat for both masters and slaves, who
can pack their sins upon his back with impunity..
The slave lays his crimes to the free negro, aud
the master stands compurgator for the slave
The free negro, of course, suffers the penalty
White rogues, taking advantage of the political
necessity which excludes negro testimony from
Court fnd it easy and safe to make the free
negro the tool and the accomplish of his vii
anies. Thus, between the upper aud the neither
milestone, it is wonderful that he fares as well as
he does.
II is striking fact that the offences of free
negroes generally of a light and venial kind.
They rarely commit heinous and outbreaking
crimes. Wedo not recolleet single instance Of
free negro being condemned for murder
Drinking, fighting, theving, &C., are the offences
for which they are generally arraigned.
There is another point of view, in which this
question may be considered. Many poor man
who is unable to keep slaves, occasionally needs
the services of negro, and it would be unjust to
compel him to hire from his wealthy savehoding
neighbour, at whatever price he may choose to
demand. Free negroes may be hired for shorter
periods and at cheaper rates than slaves. Among
carpenters, blacksniths. shoemakers, &c.. who
Are willing to work for almost anything they can
get. These facts make them u useful class to
the man OF small means, who cannot afford either
to own slaves or to hire them for the whole
year.
The Punishment of any class of mon from a
country has always had very bad effect. The
expulsion Of the Moors aud Jews from Spain
Frustrated that country in the dust by destroying
her industry; and in the dust she remains to
this day. The expulsion of the Husenots from
France give the death blow to the industry of
that country. and set to work causes which it
has been said, brought upon her all the evils of
her latter years. And yet, the Hugenots ex-
PEELED formed much smaller fraction Of the whole
population of France than the free negroes do of
the population of Virginia. The labour of 5O,-
1000 persons is no small matter--t is equal to the
4 labour of the whole State of Florida surprising
every nun in that State, white and black, to be a
| laborer.
| But, if it be resolved to get rid of the free
negroes or to merge them into slavery, it may be
done by mider measures than those proposed
( Pass law, exempting from taxation every free
negro maa who marries slave wife, and for-
bidding slave negro men to marry free women.
Inc scale OF the law ''partus Sequiter Uentreni''
will do the rest. At the same time, impose n
heavy discriminatiye tax upon all free negroes
who have free wives, and forbid the mmigra
ton of free negroes to this State from Others If
this policy be adopted by the Government and
seconded by the shareholders, the free negro of
Virginia will soon be among the things that were.
am aware that this plan is liable to objections
on the score OF morality; but 80, likewise, is the
plan of expatriation, and if the hard political
necessity suppos ed will justify the one it will
justify the other. COMMON SENSE