Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-29
CARRYING OUT THE DRIED SCOTT DE
CISION.

land in Wisconsin, taking the ground of tho Su-
preme Court in the bred Scott case that q free
negro of the African race, whose ancestors were
brought to this country and sold as slaves, is not a
citizen within the meaning of the Constitution of
the United States. This decision of the Land
Office applies to the other similar cases pending.
The next step of our magnanimous Democracy
will probably be to prohibit colored men from
buying land. They must do this, or they will not
succeed in utterly crushing out, as is their purpose,
all manhood from our colored inhabitants.
This decision is different from one given
under Picrce's Administration. In November of
last year Isaiah Lawrence of New York address
ed Governor Marcy inquiringi if he, a colorod man,
could preempt government lands in Minnesota, the
same as white persons could. The letter was
referred to the Department of the Interior, and
Secretary McClelland replied:
81 have to state that there is nothing in the
laws of the United States which could prevent
you as n free man of African descent from settling
upon public land in the Territory Of Minnesota,
and acquiring a right of presumption"
In conformity with this he went to the Terrific.
ry, and the Register at Saltwater concluding, we
suppose, that he had NO rights which the white
man was bound to respect, refused to allow him
the right of presumption. lie wrote again to the
new Secretary of the Interior, referring to the
letter Of his predecessor, and asking him to con.
firm it. The letter was written in June; but the
Secretary has not condesconded to reply. But the
Question is now settled in most approved slave
driving style. The Union is probably saved.
But lest this decision of the Land Office should
not suffice, the directors Of affairs at the Patent
Office at Warrington, last week, dismissed five
colored Messengers in conformity with the prin-
ciples established in the bred Scott Decision. 1t
will probably be necessary bye and bye to dismiss
the colored boot blacks at Washington. Judge
fancy has evidently inaugurated q great social as
we'll as political revolution.
While the dignitaries at Washington are thus
faithfully carrying out the principles of the great
judicial decision of the age, the Virginia slave
drivers are busily cooperating in the same patriot
ic purpose. The Richmond Enquirer is now pub
fishing a series of articles 'on the necessity Of re-
moring or reducing 10 Slare,y the free negroes Of
tie commonwealth" In discussing these topics
the writer quotes from the Constitution of the
State which empowers the Legislature to pass
laws for the "yetief Of the Commonwealth" from
lulS pOpuAdNiOhJ W Et"CIN :" O"eNf ""N' wa
at once he seen, says the writer, that from the
phraseology employed an almost absolute and un-
limited power in the premises is vested in the
Legislature. They are authorized to relieve the
Commonwealth of the population by removal or
Otherwise" with NJ restriction or limitation as to
manner or means,
He then proceeds to condemn previouk legisla-
tive action as unavailing because it did not compel
the removal. Speaking of the law appropriating
$50, 900 annually to this object he says =
"And even this gigantic enactment, this labor
mentis, is migratory and Intellectual for any appre.
ciable or practicable good for it only provides
for the removal Of such free negroes as wish to
leave, and only appropriates for the purpose
money in the treasury not otherwise appropri-
financial operations and condition OF our treasury
for the last five years, will readily imagine must
have been a very inconsiderable sum-"
The writer adds:
A great evil, that has been growing for years,
sending its vicious roots into society, cannot be
removed at once. Full time must be taken-care
and patience must be exercised. 1t takes years to
build our railroads-the James River and Kama
wha Canal may not be finished in the next half
century-yet, if it had not been commenced we
should not have been as nesr its completion as we
are. we are Olteu IuIy Tepalu ny commencing u
work though it be never finished. So in respect
to the removal of our free negro population. The
State will be amply compensated by any effort at
their removal, land by removal we do not
simply mean transportation out Of the State, but
include every means by which they shall cease 10
be free negroes in the State, whether by enslave-
mcnt or transportation though she should ulti-
mately fail. For, if we do not get rid of all, we
shall be rid of some. Even that would he a con-
summation devoutly to be desired. Upon the
Legislature of Virginia the Constitution has i'm
posed the duty Of legislating for the relief the
Commonwealth from free negroes. 1t is to our Leg
~islators then that we must turn. Let the people
demand that they shall leg
islation THAT is the chief obstable and most i'm
portant point) for Kidding the Stale Of this great
and crying evil. No matter how they commence,
but only let them commence, and begin in
earnest.
What if they mmen wrong2 Will they not
have commenced. and can they not ge. right as
they proceed? They seldom ever do commence
right in any case, if we are to judge from the
number Of repeals and amendments that cumbe,
our statute books, relative to matters oe the mos
ordinary character.-It will not be expected Of
them to leap from conception to perfection in work
ing out so difficult a problem as the question oil
removal. Only let them take chalk injhand and e
to the 6Iack'6Oard--the people will help them work
out the sum. If they can not get the answer
let them come as close to it as they can. Their
they will have done their duty.
In view of what we have said, we think the bal
! of removal and relief may be set in motion by thu
/, united force OF the following measures :--lst
Voluntary removal. 2nd. Compulsory removal
Sd Voluntary enslavement. 4th. Compulsory en-
slavement. We say a law can be made by a unior
of these measures, which, by q gradual operation
r for the next fifteen years, will relieve old Virgins
of the free negro curse. We shall, therefore, only
l state, substantially, what such a law should pro
vide. First and foremost. the fat should go fortl
e that the free negroes are to be gotten rid of-tha
j.. free negroes, as such, can no longer remain in tn,
Commonwealth. This, they should be made t.
understand and believe. by advertisement anc
{ personal notice given them in all the counties o
. the State.-Let them be convinced that as fire
negroes they will no longer be allowed to resid,
in Virginia, and necessity will reconcile them t.
the fate Of leaving this State or of becomin,
E slaves. The certainty of an event prepares men t
meet and to bow to it. A period of three or fon
years should be allowed for oil who will volunta
rily leave the State, to do SO. At the expiration o
4 this period, let all the free negroes between II and
! 55 be hired out in the counties in which they re
side, ESQ that they may be near their families, il