New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-02
LAW FOR SLAVERY.

To ne Editor Of The n. J. Tribune
SIR: In the course of debate in one of the meet
ipes of what is known as the Garrsonian School of
Aboltionists during Anniversary Week, the Rev. VIM.
Goode took occasion to state that there was no law
for Slavery in any of the Saveholding States-a pO
ston which he has argued with his peculiar ability
and earnestness az great length in series of articles in
The National Ere called his attention 10 a law of
Maryland the date Of which l could not give from
memory. | have since taken some pains 10 procure
copy of this law, which is as follows:
Hhroa The Courts in some of the ehoins States
require the Of fugitive slaves prove that Slavery ex
its in this State and right provide convenient mode Of
enabling such procure certified copy OF E PROV
ing that Slavery exists by law N tins state Therefore
SECTION B IL enacted ~ me Central A.ently Of Mary
LEd-Ths Negroes have been held ia Ssyy this state
the property Of their from the earliest settlement OF tbs
state and may be hereafter, held IN Slavery as the
opry OF teirouucrs and that every such negro
or fnsito Il entitled the service nd labor Of such negro
where such negro show that by the de-
wise OF the some former owner OF such negro or a
la;o shorter period Of service
hls been p-escIibed.-fef' Of 1889 "a. q.
The above law wes pissed March 20 1870. IL may
be found also in DOrseys Laws OF Maryland p. 2,3As
There arc several considerations presented by the fore
going enactment which are worthy Of attcatiOn. The
doctrine of the uirasts of the SOUTH as proclaimed by
their abes and besaccredted leaders, has been this
That slave property rested on the Common Law basis
OF possession To this tie modes OF trans Ter have ben
made 10 conform; that, while simple bIi OF sale,
such as would be used in the North as evidence ef
changed ownership OF properly 1T tnlls Il me old!-
nary lcea guaranty, il = not Uncommon for the per-
sons Of slaves to pass from owner TO owner without
scrap of acknowledgement, just az you would hand
over your horse or YOUR Pc 60 your ncignhOr Tor
confederation. Eut here we find the lawmakers Of
Maryland latc $780, taking the sleeves out Of this
common law category, and placing them upoa the
fooiiug Of statutory law, thus virtually abandoning
their loIner stronghold.
But rot only so: This law Of ls4O cannot be made
10 aplly 70 slaves held property az the earliest
"sc.lemert" o. Maryland, without violating one OF
tle most positive prohibitions OF the Constitution Of the
United Siaies-that foroiddng The passage of cr pot
tqrfo laws Thus when this enactment o. 1870 IS Of
frcd in evidence for The reclamation of fugitive
slave who escaped previous TO that date, tasc Il for
rrnuted that the statute win be deemed inapphcabe
and iuorcralive. And, having virtually abandoned
,ber ancient ground of the common-law right, they
nav Justly bo notified by tie Court that that prop
- crty which the law makes property 90 quote
maxim much relied on in The South, and that there Is
no properly beside
II is thus that wrong il ever apt 10 involve Itself
when attempting tojustity rs perpetrators or Escape
its iuex,ricable dilcmmas But 10 enc who has been
the ATTEMPTED victim of these black-law mongers OF
MARYLAND nothing could surprising IN the way OF
legislative torx pas or over-reachng plumbers.
Legislature that proclaimed itself Grand inquest
ard attempted TO 60 through the solemn LARGE o,
bringing the writer Of this 10 conviction Tor an seea
violation of the "incendiary publications law N Ihe
Bakt.more Saturday Fisttoy and incarceration among
thieves and m,udeIers for publishing the truth inigni
be expected 10 even so absurd law as tna' o.
40 above cited. j. T.. SSOpoRAss.
June ~ itlS