Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-02-24
For tie Enquirer.
,, 0prnErC
,,rr NEGROES AND MULA1roEs;;

taaln tia" nc the penalties and disabilities to which
c". yroe, ure subject SUCH, mas oecohe he suoJ H
free i and out of the Legislature. beg small
dlsc'ss naner TO present my own views. In doing so,
an,avcr u be brief as possible lh!s Ia" nas
hson in force many years, and the Coulls nave ose
acting under and so far as The writer ol ms
there has been by any person. any ooec1on
70 it. until within the last twelve months why the ooec
lion now1 Simply because some Of me nave
catc under this law unless he docs more tnah lhe Ia" re-
anres To wits prove that he or shc has iess hsn oneooh
m negro blood And when that IL done Is mo person oy
any law declared tn white person7 Certainly not
Al page ass, The Legislature say VINO snail De
mu!alto in these Words EVERY person who has one;
fourth par. cf negro blood. shall be deemed
j, muIatfo' Hy this enactment the Legislature merely
said how much negro blood should place one 10 me
.ta.s Of mulalto, and nothing more Ia ms otsso
child uows The condition of the mother There are some
few cases happily very few where depaVed WHITE women
had children by negroes. what's Inc condition oil lhcss
Are they white Dhp.s sSe r White
they would follow her condition. IL Is cohciuueu, 'na
they may inheri, property from ihelr molnefs. IL
they be rulaocs surely no law in 'his State auhorses
irer neeru 10 Inherit anything from white person yet the
law of Virginia. be found at page 52S chapter ~ secun
g. OF The Code expressly bas!afos sha &c
OF nherilng and transmitting inheritance on Inc part o tue
mo,her ne if lawfully bcgo,ten Notwithstanding the law
which declares that The child shall follow lhe conoon o.
the mother, the moral sense oil lhls community hess'
and probably will agree 10 these persons peh
erred and treated az white persons All OF our enses tell US
they are not white Their curly hair fiat noses thick ups,
their peculiar negro gigge and odof oil combine 10
,hem from the rank of white pcrsonsand it believed
they very generally been either compeheo 10 e,
fec negroes, or certificates under inc 1 Vi
the Code already copied Can any law De ouna 10
mia authorizing any court grant 10 the child OF white
woman reyisier1 There is no such law
Suppose then you repeal The I'm eeeloh Oh 'nv
What Is 20 become OF these black children OF whie wo
men 2 Are hey 10 be registered as Tree negroes -
Ii go the Legislature ought TO pass law SAYING now .ne
court, ure 10 ascertain the iacts. some whe "oleu'
whilst the wives Of white men, have had children oy negroes
The proceedings Of the courts and Legislature WIN S 1
more than where divorces nave oteh s ,h -,
In nnnlira fur
nnnts ou how ;.e facts are be proved There are TWO
nar,es and every allegation may DC contested hu' ~
apnIica,on BY negro register or oy person o
Certificate lhe law conlempaies but one party anu ua'
oa.ty the applicant who Is TO come win Inc poo TIr
The law requires and more and II mat DC oohe ~ 70
dpty of the courts grant the register or lhe as
he No court should undertake to decide
case UPON the evidence afforded by me DOCKING a. e
object upon which it is to pass judgment IN
csnec,abe disnerested persons sworn and examined oe
fore IT, lit Does 1t violates all OF the received %
in this State; becomes witness without penny
md does afford party 70 be affected an
of cross-e1dmnaon jury ia expressly pfohiDea from
considering any fact which, may be made known " Tue o
members Of the Jury by ono OF lhe pGay uess ,v
ehall be sworn in wness The same pto'isoh
would have been made 10 relation to courts IL .ose
meo who planned and mads our system OF aWs su ous
possible court would have existed, ~nlch "ouo
undertaken 10 decide upon m ovn view IN opposl.
lion the plain, clear and uncon'racleled 'es:"rny "
highly respectable witnesses, duly sworn ana
l But these wise old men were mis'aAeui 'hei' ' '
L., ma for moment examine this doctrine, that the
Court Ia TO !aapect The person upon whom lney ar ~
udsmen. and ba controlled in their judgment ~ sue. m
epectIou against evidence OF Mighty Respectable
ca or single such witness. person goes INTO Couf anu
carries with him three OF the most tespeetaoie per
sons in The county or corporation In which he lives no aP
plies 10 he Court under the I'm section io!
these respectable persons nre sworn and ecn say ey
known the applicant all his e and they believe MN or ner
10 be person Of mixed b0o6 that his mother was "h'c,
aud his father always thought 10 be negro they canno,
say Whether not he has less than onsouE negto @
in him Tie Cour; calls the applicant looks al hl
and decides against him. Now this course OF proceeding OF
the Court Is liable several objections First inc Ia" Goes
not require applicant shall prove that ne mas !ess
than oncourh negro blood All the law requires is thai
the Court shall have satisfactory proof by "he
OF that the applicant Is free person OF m'eo oioou
resident in The county corporation where ne mhes me-
applications ard the law mskes the duty oil the Cou1'
| 10 give him certificate that he is not negro
g But il has said that this section ought &c Dc
nealeo because those who pc, certificates under It, occupy
an anomalous condition In society That Is tru" ana lhey
are unconscious beings But Is that any reason io cou
denying them what tie law says they snail DC emitted
o7 Justice has been represented blind goddess when
she acting between parties without En2wlng ~"n 'ney
I our o iesh % O.
ewes ,hat they may see; they open he! mouths tat ney
talk but they pu; big balls in their that they may not
hear Suppose person was apply for certificate under
the h Sec and prove that his mother was an lnono anu
his father Moore he might and very oo
soo of mlxed blood but police laws presumed 70
be negro and liable DO atestedl Most certainly. anu
ought he NOT 10 have ce6catef The couft ~ouiu say
no. because he does not prove no ha'les' han
gro blood In him -, ,, h,,o IN,
| The position which come OF Tue cou" ,u uan' Ill,
| ken upon this law, is simply ridiculous lhey win
ROT gran, The certificate any person unesa ne proves
self white person. For they say that The cerlhcae ee
Yates the person 10 whom II 10 grantca 10 'e Cou
s,afs of the white man. and anomalous class IN
| socicly. What wonderful learning and WISDOM unei
have these learned modern Judges and JUSTICES W We
| these wonderful! Ihngs2 Surely, not In Inc ia"e u VIZ
eins which alone ought 10 govern them 10 ques.Tns
corning Slaves FREQ negroes and muailoes' IN e
e,s,u:es there such learning what does lne
say this NJ. pis.eraI certificate shall do and al maj can
doq Read it, (which certificate shall protect such person
agans. The penalties end disabilities 10 wnlca zee nuSu.
are suhec; rs such The fault if any there BE- "Hee
in tn. lew in chapter lob page 455 Whic 1ss to
quantity Of negro blood Mt onsourth or more 10 maze
nuatto. Let the Legislature amend ihat seeIn UNI
that auy person who has any negro blood shall % mula
10 nni lc; the Courts do. SO some OF 'em now CO. ueI
inspection: and doubt not, If many who are Iepntea 10
be white naG fact do not in very snort 'E MUG
themselves Instead Of being elevated reduced by e ucg
mept of court OF competent jurisdiction, 70 Inc iese
of free negro. The Lord o!eend you and me, Meses
Editors from such of hings-me for writing sucn
piece ss this and you for publishing It. But inc reason iH
such order against LIB we should never Know we sou
be tried oy inspection, avo~edy not by opcn iar teso
nv which could listen TO and put our
would be decided 10 satiate hidden revenge ana
terinr after vi,ated, momcntay public ecia But II mas
become very popular nowadays, 10 cry aloud ana spare
not the free negroes The monst.ous schemes cl cru
ely proposed get rid OF ,hem sone others less crue
bu vet cruel enough put forth. and those who are res
sonabe enough be at all humane In their notions are ire
uueny deri.ed and scoed As general proposuon
is admitted that the free negroes very lazy lmpToVlaeh.
populations; u like all other people who nre TOO lazy 70 get
living by labor they will sleal and 30 will persons OF all
under similar circumstances. Bpl s.resoiVeu ~
get rid Of the free negroes and the by which that re-
aove be carried into effect is The great stumbling block
Ii should eust be tempered with justice and mercy many
of the negroes In lower Virginia are The descendants Oh
free negroes who Tough, hard and as long as did the whe
ancestors of those who now bitter agnns them
large number Of free negroes sailors 10 the reVou.
onarv war, on board OF vessels Of war and there Is not
the slightest evidence Of any free negro ever having
proved traitor spy 10 The enemy or In any manner
abused any trust which Ieposcd in him. Surely
these people nrc entitled to justice, and we oil know
that there are some highly respectable free negroes, VINO
have by ntusry, accumulated some property Nha IS 10
became this csss Are they 10 be treated alike, inc VI
clous and bad Itcannot uslce would weep tcaTe
of bopd SUCH sight, and TO appeaso her the god OF
might constrained his bolts OF destruction
down upon Bur- gentlemen mistaken II they believe
Virginia will be rid Of free negroes Those who acVo-
cate it, what are be The consequences As long as
therc negro slaves in Virginia. and bad white women
shall have mulalto population Free Ii every free no.
gro Virginia away today, there would in an
hundred years be yet large number rather large mum.
Of persons Of mixed blood having al least onesouEth ne.
gro blood that could, BY magic get clear Tomorrow
Of every free negro 10 Virginia snd repeal statute in
relation hom you would yet have 10 retain this well
abused l7h section For think 10 the best abused good
law In existence except the independent treasury Law
of The United States But, TO return, have said those
oHu otodo 1u from mi