The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-03-30
[sExArE DOC. NO. Isl
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE on EX-
PIRING LAWS.

The committee on Expiring Laws, TO
whom WAS referred n bill to repeal section
2Sss Of the Compiled Laws, relating TO
qualified voters in school meetings, hse-
ing considered the same, ask leave TO re-
port.
The question involved is simply, wheth-
or Il Is advisable to permit negroes TO par
ticipa,e equally with white citizens in
school district meetings.
Your committee are astonished that
proposition Of that nature should ever
have elected a difference Of opinion in
civilized community. Yet, as diversity
Of opinion does exist they will briefly
state some Of the reasons which occur 20
them, why a descendant OF the African
race should have no fellowship, social or
political, with white persons.
History, sacred or profane, has failed
to furnish any evidence that the negro
sprung from the same origin with the
white man. Plausible naturalists have
maintained that be is not strictly man or
beast, but n sort Of hybrid, or connecting
link between man and the lower animals.
Without pausing to settle this vcxed ques-
ton, your committee are Of the opinion,
that, as he IS an inferior being, he IS not
entitled 10 the privileges and immunities
Of the superior. As rnce, the African
has made no progress, except through the
remote or immediate agency of slavery.
Upon his own continent, At no time or
place, has he advanced in civilization.
Commencing at the point Of the mot
abjeet barbarism, the race sinks lower aud
lower til they approach the brutes that
roam their forests. Nothing but slavery, rs
set, has been able to she'd ray Of intelh-
gcnce or humanity into their banightcd
minds. Your committee confess aud de
plore these truths.
An eminent English writer, who con
ours in many Of the views entertained by
,a..lsra -ab.iitiari@ts, IA speaking of the
intellectual aud physical organization of
the African, says:
'' In all the particulars just enumerated,
the negro structure approaches unequivo-
cally 10 that Of the monkey .
"lt not only differs from the Caucas.
sian model, but is distinguished from 1t
in two respects. The intellectual chaFac.
ieristics are reduced, the animal features
enlarged aud exaggerated. This inferior
lty Of faculties, may be proved not 50
much by the unfortunate beings who are
degraded by slavery, as by every fact in
the past history and present condition Of
Africa
Such may bo regarded As the uniycr
sal opinion Of mankind. By the English
common law, "tho negro had no rights
which the white man was bound TO re-
spect.' Every State in this Union (New
Hampshire especially included) has upon
her statute books, laws which directly or
by unavoidable implication, deprive the
negro Of the rights, privileges and fran
chises Vf citizen. Governed by the
same principles, all the States formed out
Of the territory embraced in the ordinance
Of 1857 have imposed upon him political
disability; and to secure and perpctuate
the dividing line between the negro and
a citizen, according 10 the ordinances Of
heaven, each Of them has incorporated
such disability in her organic law, by a
nearly unanimous vote Of the people; and
so strong has been this sentiment that
some Of them have gone 50 far as TO for
bid him even a resting place upon iheir
soil
Tempted by the foregoing inyeterate
prccedents, the Supreme Court Of the
United States has lately decided that a
defendant Of the African race have no
status in our federal courts.
Although that court, from its habitual-
ly conservative character, is far behind
tho5e formed under the agis Of the great
magma oAarta Of 1856, yet your commit
tee think it is plainly discoverable, in the
opinion alluded to, that if the point bad
been at issue, the court would have de-
eided that the negro is not, and for the
credit Of humanity ought not to bo
citizen Of the United States. II motives
Of policy required, the decision Of that
august tribunal might be disregarded, as
not being applicable 10 this sovereign
State, in her police regulations touching
this unfortunate race. Yet the fact can
not be disguised that the paramount ju-
dicial tribunal Of this State, moved by
the settled maxims Of the law, and inn
pressed with a lively sense Of the inferior
and degraded character Of the negro, has
lately, solemnly adJudged that be Is not
only not entitled 10 the privileges Of = eit-
zen and man, but that from his Inhe-