Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-06

in undertaking to defend citizen whose claim
was not full one, still they believed that hui
mainly and the progress OF human rights jas
titled the action Of Capt lngraham, and called
for applause upon it.
In another column will be found the resolu-
tions, and the speech Of Hon. Gerrit Smith.
MITIGATION OF THE SLAVE CODE.
The following bill, in relation to the sale
and division Of slave mothers from their chill
dren, is now before the Legislature Of Georgia:
"SEc. /. BE it enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives of the State of Geor-
gia, in General Assembly met, and ii is hereby
enacted by the authority of the same, that the
children not exceeding five years Of age, of any
woman slave, and such woman slave, shall not
be separately sold, or exposed to sale under
execution or other legal process, order, or de-
cree, or ut any sale made by an executor, nd.
minstrator, guardian, or other trustee, nor
shall they be separated in any division made
by any executor, administrator, guardian, or
other trustee, but shall be placed together, in
one Of the parts into which the estate to which
they belong is to DO divided unless such divis-
ion cannot in any wise be effected without such
separation.
aSEc. 2. And be it further enacted by the
authority aforesaid, that hy consent Of the or
binary, slaves living in a different county from
deceased owner may be sold in the county
in which said slaves may reside, upon applica.
ton being made for such purpose.
"SEc 8. And be it further enacted that oil
laws and parts Of laws initiating against this
act be and the same are hereby repealed"
This proposition serves to bring more dis
tinetly to light what we all know, that under
the Slave Code, as it exists in Georgia, chill
dren OF any age, mere infants at the breast,
may be forever separated from their mothers J;
and that this cruelty is too often practiced is
proved by the attempt to prevent it. Were not
the evil such as to call for remedy no bill of the
kind would be introduced. At best it is small
concession to humanity proposition to pre-
vent children under .fUe gears Of age, from be-
ing separated from their mothers Children
over FIVE are not TO be the subjects Of such
benevoence!
II were well if the Legislature Of Georgia
would modify the bill, SO as to embody in it
the recommendations Of the Governor Of Ala
bama in his late annual message. These we
have already published, but so important do
we regard them, that we again solicit attention
to them
9The Code very properly provides that slave
children of tender years shall, at judicial and
some other sales, be offered with their mothers,
where the defendant in execution, &C., is Me
owner both of the mother and children and
that, ct such sales, slaves must be offered, and,
If practicable, sold in families. But it is al
lowable for either of the parties in interest to
impair, to great extent these very salutary
enactments These provisions, in my Judgment,
should be absolute, at least as it respects moth
ers, and children Of ten years of age and under,
and husband and wife, where the latter rela.
tioa is admitted by the owner IF the slaves
These are relations which moral duty requires
us to respect, and it can be no violation of pol
10y to conform municipal law to good morals
1t is universally conceded that slaves are rea-
sonable beings-with the moral feelings, il is
true, often obtuse, but susceptible of improve
ment. The husband and wife generally cher
ish affection for each other, and the mutual
attachments of mother and child are usually
strong. The mother is not always q wise conn.,
sellor; but she must be presumed to be the
most constant and sincere the child has. Let,
then, the lattcr enjoy this parental oversight
during childhood, that it may be the better
prepared by good principles and industrious
habits to act its part afterwards
However far short these views fall of the
standard Of Right still they manifest respect
for relations, sacred in themselves, but which
the Slave Code has always ruthlessly disregard
ed. The Governor would have the law make
the marriage relation undesirable, andthe parties
10 ii inseparablc, when it has once been admitted
by the master. He would have the law to pro-
vide absolutely against the separation Of chill
dren under ten from their mothers, and that
where families OF slaves are sold, they shall be
sold together. He asserts the Humanity Of the
slaves, and the sacredness Of the Family rsla-
lions.
"These are relations, 7 he adds, (which moral
duty requires us TO respect, and IL can be no
violation Of policy 10 conform municipal lao 10
good moralsv
We hail such sentiments, emanating from
gives utterance, we doubt not TO opinions
quite prevalent among the more intelligent
classes of the Sou h. The Raleigh Register
Raleigh, N. c. cordially responds to his rec
concentrations, remarking:
" This proposition Of the Governor Of Ala
bama will be responded to by every humane
breast. II is an important movement, in the
right quarter, concdent in spirit with that
which pervadcs the address Of the Southern
Agricultural Association, which we Published
few weeks since.
"The general adoption Of this humane rec
ommendation by the Southern States would
prove the wisest and most efficient defensive
measure against tAe ~. anlts Of Abolitionism
that has ever been conceived Of The abuscs
Of Slavery, or certain unesscntial though bad
features OF the system have given a point and
force to the attacks of it's enemies, which amcl-
orations such as are suggested by Governor
EnlIiar vvonld rendor ba rYntau,