Des Arc citizen., 1859-12-21
From The Journal Of Commerce. THE CRUELTY OF FABOLI77ONISAl

| The slavery excitement so much intensified Of late in Virginia, is reSctng with crushing effect on the free blacks of the South. Louisiana and Arkansas have already passed laws for the exclusion of this class of popu- iation from their respective limits, and more recently the subject has come prominently before the Legislatures of six other States, namely, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi. Tennesse, Virginia and Missouri. In the State last named, and also in Georgia bill to compel the free-colored population to leave the State or be enslaved, has passed the up- per branch. These are the alternatives pre- scented in every instance, so far as we are in- | formed, and determination is evineed to rid the States named of class who are now con sidered as dangerous, from their liability to be employed by designing men as agents for propagating instructions. Thus, by the in- sane folly of abolitonism the progress of emancipation is arrested through the entire South, and large class, embracing many worthy people who have been liberated often at heavy pecuniary sacrifice on the part of masters, are returned to a condition of servi- tude, or driven from their homes.
 All the negroes ever spirited off by the Underground Railroad and sent to Canada or dispersed over the Northern States, are few in comparison with those who are now threatened with oppressive legal enactments. The subterranean operators who have been so industrious in seeking to evade the obli- gations of the Constitution, and break down laws essential to the preservation of social order, find that they have been saving at the spigot and losing at the bung-hole." To show more precisely the legislation contem- plated, we will here state some of the pro- visions of the bills under discussion.
 The Georgia bill, introduced in the Senate, is designed to compel all free colored per sons to leave the State by January, 1862. Any person of this class desiring to remain, can do so by selling himself into slavery to any citizen whom he may select ,-the pur- chase money to go into the treasury of the county, to defray the expenses of those who prefer to leave. This measure is regarded by many in the State as unnecessarily severe. The Augusta Constitutonalist says:-
 We believe that they ought eventually to disappear as an element in our population, and that measures should be taken at once, under the operation of which the State event. ually would be rid of them; but we do not believe that there is any necessity for their summary and forced repatriation.
 The number of free negroes in Georgia is only $500.
 The bill which has passed the lower branch of the Mississippi Legislature, with only five dissenting votes, and is likely to become law. is still more rigorous. By this no free negro can remain in the State after lst of July next, without special license from the Legislature In the meantime, he has an op- portunity to select master, who shall hold him for life.
 The bill which has passed the Senate of Missouri, ayes 22, nays 10, is of the same general character It compels all free mo- groes to leave the State, irrespective of age or length of residence.
 The bill pending before the Legislature Of Tennessee, provides that all free adult ne- eroes shall be seized and sold if found in the State on the lst of May next, and that the children shall be bound out. The former are allowed to emigrate to Africa, in which case some slight aid is to be furnished by the State, or they may seek master and go into slavery.
 To such extremities as these are natu- rally inofensive people reduced, or likely to be reduced, solely through the impertnent interference of their professea friends of the North, whose assaults upon the social system | of the South have made thls species of legIs- lation necessary, in the opinion Of those most deeply interested as a measure Of seIl-pro- | taotinO