The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-24

are not only prescribed by law, Nortn anu
South, but the weight of prejsdice against
them moro imperiously than law has assigned
them an inferior station, and denied them the
privilege of pursuing the most honorable occu-
pations. In the slave States the Shareholders
look upon them with suspicion, and nothing
but necessity could induce them to give en-
ployment to the despised race. We understand
that within a few years the demand for labor
has been 80 great in some sections as to over
come prejudice, and there has been conse-
quent improvement in the condition OF the nee
coIored population. 10 the free State' strong
prejGdices exist among the white Iaborlng class
against the cOlored people, and they are often
denied employment on this account. These
depressing circumstances doubtless have oper-
Gted injuriously upon them, and prevented as
rapid increase as would otherwise have taken
place. But they are insufficient to account for
tho great falling off in the ratio Of increase,
and in some Of the States the actual diminution
of their numbers. This decrease is most con-
PpicuOus in the opposite extremes of tie Union.
New England and New York show en- actual
falling eff The Middle, Western, and South
ern States, except louisiana, exhibit more or
less gain. The latter, however, shows the re-
markable and sudden falling eff, in the last ten
years, of thirty-One per cent. i! Up to 1910, the
free colored population Of louisiana had grown
rapidly, showing dscennial increase Of from
thirty. eight to sixty per cent. The sudden de-
CLEMSON 10 the moro remarkable from the fact
that Louisiana is tho only Southern State
whore lava affecting this oias8 Of the popnla-
ton gre tiuc:urad with the least grain CT hui
mainly. 10 louisiana, free colored persons are
allowed to testify in their courts of Justice; and
the municipal authorities OF New Orleans,
where they reside for the most part, makes
provision for the education CT their children.
Is it not most singular that under such circum-
stances they show declension amounting to
nearly one-third of their numbers, while in
Virginia, in spite of the most rigorous and in
human laws, they beve increased eight per
cent?
In New England and New York, also the
people of color are regarded with moro favor
than anywhere else in the Union, and yet they
have actually declined in numbers in ten years.
Ia Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and other free
States, on the other hand, where they meet
with less favor, their numbers are on the in
crsaee.
Those who maintain that Slavery is the only
proper condition Of the negro, and who insist
that freedom is destructive Of his existence,
may argue, from the state of facts to which we
have called attention, that the cruel persecution
and prescription to which the FREQ people of
color are subject in the Middle and Southern
States, arc the cause of their increase, while
the humanity with which they are regarded
in New England and Louisiana is fatal to
their existence!
But we will undertake to assign more "a
tional and probable cause for this anomalous
state Of things, and which will explain the
Jason of the apparent diminution of the free
colOred population.
In ell the slaveholding States, and in several
Of the free, tie elective franchise, and other
privileges of citizenship, are confined to free
white men. But this question naturally arises
in a mixed FREQ population, composed of whites
and mulattoes Of all shades viz: Who are tUhite?
Super fetal thinkers, inexperienced in the prac-
teal workings of the black codes, may imagine
that no such question could over arise; but
Southern Legislators and judges are better in
formed on this point, Gs We will proceed to
show We have not had time to make
thorough examination Of the Statutes and Re-
ports of all the slave States in reference to this
point, but We cannot doub. that in each there
must exist legal definition, either legislative
or judicial, upon the terms white and mu-
latto Cases must needs occasionally present
Themselves, which give rise to doubt about
tho class to which an individual belongs, and
hence the necessity for legal definition But
10 the limited examina alton which We have been
able to give the subject We have only found
such legal definitions in four of the slave States.
They are Gs follows:
Every person, other than a negro, of whose
grandfathers or grandmothers any one is or
shall have been q negro, although all his other
progenitors, except that descending from tho
negro, shall have been white persons, shall be
deemed mulatto; and so, every such person
who shall have one-fourth para CT more Of
negro blood shall in ike manner be deemed
mulattO. "-Tatss Vrginio) Digest, p. S43.
All negroes, mulattoes, Indians, and all
persons Of mixed blood, descended from negro
or Indian ancestors, TO tho third generation in
elusive, though ono ancestor of each generation
may have been a white person, lchsther bond or
free, shall be taken and deemed to be incspa-
BILE in law to be witnesses in any case whatso-
ever, except for and against each other"-
ClC.j2 4l0bGm0l D,pfN n Roo.
AN FREQ mulattOos, descended from negro
ancestors to the fourth generation inclusive,
though one ancestor CT each generation may
have been white person, shall come within
the provisions Of this ac."-ReU Statutes of N.
Carolina, Vol /, p $50.
Every person, other than negro, Of whose
grandfathers or grsndmothers any one is or
shall have been a negro, although all his other
progenitors, except that descending from the
negro, shall have been white persons, shall be
deemed mulatto and So every such person
who shall have one-fourth part or more of ne
gro blood, shall in ike manner be deemed
mulatto. "-StaIUtsS Of Mississippi, p. 1877.
In the case of Virginia, if we mistake not,
the definition of a mulatto has been made on
the authority Of legal decisions. II the other
cases the Legislature has settled the question.
We may assume, upon these promises, TINT the
general and common ld1C Of the South dcfses a
man If color to be one leho has one. fourth or
more african blood an ham i; and that man
nth less than on: fourth Of african blood is to
be reckOned a i0hits man, and invested with all
the rights and privileges of tho Anglo-Saxon
race.
Whore two races of men are thrown togeth-
er in greatly different proportions, it must
necessarily follow that a commingling will