New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-26

There is not, perhaps, a more harmless, and cor
taply not more helpless set Of people in the world
than the free negroes in the Slave States. II quite
true perhaps, that now and then they may steal a
pig or few ears of corn belonging to their white
neiehbors, or may exchange for drink Of whisky
like articles stolen by the slaves. But their depre
dations Of this sort cannot be very extensive The
greater part of shem like the crows, do but barely
live. We do, indeed, now and then hear Of free
negro who sccumulates property, and who, per-
haps, owns his own wife, and, in imitation of his
betters, bis own children begotten of slave mother
beside horses, COWS, and household goods; but in
possessed of property they have acquired it in an
honest way, by industry and intelligence, aud mo-.
by ttaliDg.
Yet few ard feeble as these free negroes are
especially in the SouthernmOst States they are OBJ.
ects there Of an absurd dread and antipathy; and
not Winter passes but we hear of bills Introduced
into Southern Legislatures designed to restrict
and limit the small privileges that they have, and
even aiming at their forcibe removal. This fright.
enipg each other about handful of free negroes is
fine employment, surely, for the chivalrous men,
bers Of our Southern Legislatures. One would
imagine that, with all their boasts about the natu-
raj superiority Of the white race, they antici-
pated that some day they should find themselves
and their States under the thumb Of the free
negroes, upless by timely precautions they guard
against that danger by driving these terrible fel-
lows out of the State Yet, while Delaware gets
along very comfortably with fourth of her popula
ton free negroes, and Maryland and Virginia each
with twice or three times as many as all the cotton
growing States put together, we canno. well see
why thousand or two free negroes scattered over
these States, many of them, we dare say, old
women, set free because they are too old to work,
need strike such periodical alarm into the chvalrous
souls of our Southern Legislators.
An attempt Of the sort to which we refer-a bill
aiming at the expulsion Of the free colored popu-
grafton into the State-is now pending in the Ar.
kansas Legislature, but We glad to see that of
the committee that reported it there was one man
who had the cOursge-just becoming very uuu-
iual thing at the SOuth-to express his opinion 10
plain and decided terms, tina. free colored men are
iti in spite of their color, free men, and as such
entitled to the rights, privileges and consideration
due to men and free men, not only according to the
dictates Of ordinary humanity but under the ex.
press provisions Of or State constitutions. Mr..
Abbott, the gentleman to whom We aIlude-we wish
We had the pleasure Of knowing his christian name
in his brave but comprehensive report which we
give elsewhere, opposed The bill reported BY the ma
joii'y Of the committee, on two grounds. Of
these the first is: Tha. it is in conflict with the
second article Of the Constitution of ArkaI sas,
which provides in the words of Magna Charta, that
"no freeman sball be taken, or dissezed of bis
"freeho!d, Liberties, or privilege, or ou.lawed or
"tIiied or in any manner destroyed of his LII. or
property, bat by the judgment Of his peers or
g the Law of the lsnd'-s clause which, in Mr.. Alb.
bolts opinion, Includes all feemen, NO matter what
their color Sec indy, he denies tina. the Legsia-
turei vested with power to deprive any human
beiDs OF lis life liberty or property, unless he for
ft;s his rights 20 the same by committing some
crime. We are glad to find proofs thai the seuti
ents Cf justice and humanity are not yet extinct
a; the Souh Mr.. Etherdge has spoken emphnii-
cs.y against the scanduous and horrible project Of
nviying the African saIe trade. Mr.. Abbott has
sr' kth with equal omphass-and under circum-
sishc,s requiring m,re courage and spirit, sgainst
tie pr ec.s sL:e.!slsd BY he same .vr! Of peope