Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-30

after, any slave the property of such citizen at the
'ime oil his removal, and The same to retain as a
save provided such slave, or the mother Of such
slave, shall have been resident of the United
States, or some one of them, thrce whole years
next preceding such removal.
sec. No person removing to this District with
tne bona hde intention of settling therein, shall
sell OF dispose Of any slave brought into this Dis
trice by virtue of any Of the provisions of this
cnap'er or the increase Of such slave, unless such
person mas resided within this District three whole
years next preceding such sale.
Sec. Z, Nothing in this chapter contained shall
De construed taken to effect aect) the right Of
any person travelling or sojournng with any slave
"i'nih THIS District, such slave not being sold or
otherwise disposed of in this District but carried
oy the owner out of this District, or attempted to
be carried
.oec' lO Any citizen and resident of this Dis
.ur!cb or OF either of the States of Maryland or
trg'hia, selzed and possessed of state of inher
'atce IN his own right, or in the right Of his wife,
III lanu lying in this District, or in Maryland or
IN virginia, and being the owner Of any slave
e,npioyeo or worked on said land, may bring such
sia'e within this District on the land Of such
owner, ior the use and benefit of such owner and
ms legal representatives, and not for sale provid-
ed that a list of such slaves, containing their
names, sexes and ages, signed by the owner or his
agent be delivered to the Recorder within three
months after such slave or slaves shall have been
brought into this District. This section only up.
pies 10 such slaves as have been residents of the
District or of Maryland or Virginia since 1888,
and to the descendants of such slaves.
Sec. IL. Any citizen of this District acquiring
property in any slave, being resident in any
one OF the United States before the 2lst day OF
April, 1888, or in any descendant of such slave
being resident as aforesaid, by marriage, be
quest, in course of distribution, or as guardian
may remove and bring such slave into this Dis
trlct, for the purpose only of employing or work
ing such slave within this District as herein be
fore mentioned, ard not for sale provided that
list of such slave or slaves be rendered. in the
manner required By the 10th section of this chap
ter. The owners of the slaves brought into this
District, under the provisions of this section, may
sell them after such slaves have been residents fol
three years within this District
Sections g. 8, 0, IL, and l3, which have not
copied are merely explanatory, or contain Incl
dental provisions not affecting the general scope
OF the chapter.
From the sections l have cited, it appears that
the slavetrade is prohibited in the District but
that the importation Of slaves belonging to citizens
OF the United States who come here to reside is
permitted, provided such slaves or their mothers
have been residents of the United States for three
years previous to tho removal into Nis District
the provision being intended, suppose, to guard
against the introduction of slaves from Africa.
If the present law be as you stated Yesterday,
that slaves can now be legally introduced only
from the State of Maryland, the new Code will
greatly facilitate the introduction Of slaves into
the metropolis. Shut up in a sick room, have
no rsssans at hand to verify your statement I; hui
my impression is that If such be the law il has
been practically disregarded and that slaves have
been brought here from all parts of the South.
The most Objectionable clause in the whole
Code is that one which you justly commented on
yesterday as barbarous innovation borrowed
from the extreme South-that any person who
has any negro blood shall be deemed to be ne
gro. In its practical operation this, in connec'
tion with other clauses of the Code, may lead to
serious and perpexing results. For instance, by
clause in chapter l35, negro is prohibited from
marrying white woman in the District under
severe penalties and it is further provided
that
"Such persons intermarrying elsewhere and re.
moving to this District, aud cohabiting here as
man and wife, shall be punished by confinement
IN Jail not over one year, and fine not exceeding
$780,"
As in some of the States such marriages are
perfectly legal, and as persons so married may
come to reside here. it is manifesy uni ust to pun
ish with fine and imprisonment legally married
couple merely for cohabitiDg together. And if
our manifest destiny shall lead, as it probably will,
to tho annexation of Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua
and other Spanish American countries, the Repub-
free citizens who, by the Code of this District,
will be considered negroes and who cannot bring
their wives to the national metropolis without be-
ing liable to fine and Imprisonment There are
plenty of men of the highest social and political
class in Spanish America who have negro blood
in their veins, who are married to white wives,
and who, if their States should be admitted to
the Union. would be probably sent to Washing
ton as Representatives and Senators. Yet, under
this clause of the Code, they and their wives ight
be sent to Jail for year. / believe that one of
the Presidents of Mexico was partly of negro
descent, and if his African blood did not prevent
his election to that Office it is very probable that
Senator'S and Representatives of the same stamp
may be sent as delegates to Congress. 1t will not
do to sacrifice every domestic institution, including
marriage. to the peculiar institution, even al.
though President Buchanan has pronounced Sla-
very the only domestic institution which is of any
consequence to the public.