The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-03-15
Trading with Slaves.

The laws of South Carolina in regard
to trading with slaves are very rigid
The penalty is not less than one months
Imprisonment, and one hundred dol.
lars, and may be, in the discretion of
the Court, one thousand dollars, and
twelve months imprisonment. The
law requires, too, that the permit from
the slaves master to trade shall be in
writing and be produced on the trial
No shop keeper or d'still,r is allowed
to sell or give spirits to slave under
a heavy penalty. n slave seen going
into shop with all article and coming
out without it, or seen going in with
out nn article aud coming out Of the
shop with it is proof sufficient to convict
the shop keeper of trading with slave,
These are severe laws aud it was found
necessary to pass them to break up
trafiicking with slaves.
It's known that there is great
number OF persons who do not seem
to regard these laws. They trade with
slaves without thinking of the mischief
they are doing. Chickings, eggs and
fruits Of all kind are purchased of
slaves without reilecting that it is OF.
ten stolen property they are purchas-
ing. 1t is seldom that poultry or iru,t
is sold in tho village Of Grcenville by
slaves that is not stolen from their
owners or some one else. Every cor
rect man, and women, too. should be
exceedingly careful to purchase nothing
of slave without o written permit 10
sell.
Merchants especially should be care
full to observe this we'll. Otherwise
they arc encouraging the slave to steal
1t may be true that ii merchant Or shop
keeper would not trade for any article
of produce with slave. But if he will
sell his wares and goods to slave for
money, he thereby encourages The
slave to steal the money or something
else to get the money with. 1t mat
ters not that the trader may know the
slave to be honest. He should consid-
er that he is violating the law, and
running the risk Of criminal prosecution
and likewise he may be mistaken as
to honesty Of the slave.
The facility which slaves have of
stealing from their owners and others
makes it the sacred duty Of every,
well disposed and honest man to be
particular in receiving or purchasing
any thing from slave without the
written consent Of his owner. This
particularly, the other day, on part
OF townsman, saved us pcicc Of sill,
yer. And n few months ago this same
honest sort of particularly saved US Il
fine shont which had been captured by
u neighsbor's slave and carried into
market. We understand likewise, if
some Others had been equally careful
and prudent, anothers pcicc ofpropcrty
might have been saved, which was
sold by one Of our slaves. We have
frequently heard of the complaint in
the country amongst our farmers that
they could not keep their turkeys and
chickens and eggs until they saw prop
er to sell them or eat them, that they
were all stolen and carried to the vii
iage. In connection with thisIvcry evil
Of which we are now complaining, We
remember agood joke which happened
many years ago. a negro fellow came
into the village with fat turkey COB
bier, and sold it. In few moments
afterwards he stole the turkey again
and sold it tagain. This he repeated till
he had sold the gobbler three times,
and then he took him back home and
left him where he had first stolen him
from his mistress. II all roguish nc
grocs were as shrewd and considcratc
this kind of trallicking would soon be
broken up .-Southern Patriot.