Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1859-12-29
Free Negro Legislation in Tennessee.

DEMONSTRATIONS FROM JUSTICE CARTON.
From the Nashville fTenn.) Union and American.
Editor Of the Union and American:
DEAR SIR: l have for several week,
past been auxiously waiting to hear what
the views of your leading Journal were on
the bill pending before our Legislature pro-
passing TO enslave, or 10 drive from the State
the free colorcd population now among US.
1t provides that these persons shall be sell
ged md sold if found here after the first
day of May next, if ithsy arc adults-and
that the children shall be bound cut, &c.:
the adults are allowed 10 emigrate to AZ
RIGA. in which case some slight aid is 10 be
furnished by the State 10 assist in their
Transportation; or, secondly, they may seek
master and 60 into slavery.
Now, who are these people? There IS
not one in one hundred OF them, to say the
least, that ever has been slave. Usually
their mothers, grandnotiers, or great
srandmothers were slaves, who were e.
mancipated by masters for meritOrious SER
vices, or from benovlent motives, by the
Courts of Justice and, according TO law
They all have a vested right 10 freedom by
the judgement and DEGREES Of Courts
Uunder our Constitution of 1876, the free
colored men voted at the polls. That the
old Constitution extended TO them and pro-
tected their rights to certain extent, is
free from doubt. But pas, by this ques-
ton.
NV objection 10 the bill is that il propo-
ses TO commit an outrage, 10 perpetrste an
oppression and cruelty, This is the plain
truth, and it is idle 10 mince words 10 soften
the fact. Let us look the proposition boldly
in the face. The depressed und helpless
portion of our population is designed TO be
driven out or TO be enslayed for life; and
their property forfeited, as no slave can hold
property. The mothers are 10 be sold; or
driven away from their children, many OF
them infants. The children are 10 be bound
out until they areitwenty one years OF age,
and then leave the State or be sold, which
means they are to be made slaves for life,
in fact. Now, ofthese women and children
there is hardly one in ten that is of unmix-
ed negro blood. Scme are half-white; many
have half-white mothers aRd white fathers,
making a cast of S7i l00hs of white blood
many have third crop, in whom the negro
blood is almost extinct. Such is The unfor-
tunate truth. This description of people,
who were born free, and lived as free per-
sons. are 10 be introduced as slaves into
our families, or into our negro quarters,
there 10 be under an overseer, or they are
10 be sold to the negro-trader and sent South
there to Re whipped by overseers, and TO
preach rebellion in the negro quarters-as
they will preach rebellion every where that
they NAV be driven to- by this unjust law,
whether it be amongst US here in Tennes-
see, or south Of us in the cotton ard sugar
plantations, or in the Abolition meetings in
the free States. Nor will the women be
the least effective in preaching crusade,
when begging money in the North TO re-
lievs their children left behind in this State
in bcndsge.
We are told that this ''Free Negro Bill''
is polite, popular measure. Where is ii
popular? In what nook or corner of the
State are ths principles OF humanity so de-
ploringly deficient. that majority OF the
white inhabitsats would commit an outrage
not committed in q Christian Country Of
which history gives an account. In what
country 10 it, this side Of Africa, that the
m.iority have snslaved the ninority--sold
the weak to the strong. and applied the pre-
cseds Of the sale to educate the children ei
the stronger side, IS this bill proposes? II
| is an opsn assertion that "mieht makes
right" 1. is re-opsning the African slsss
trade in fact. In that trade, the strsns