Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-06-17

which enabled them to live in idleness
the more easily. The ratio now was
one free negro to twenty-six whites, and
it was load too heavy to carry. There
was no reason for this. The population
of the counties had notincreAsed because
the young left their homes in search of
employment. He did not believe it just
"to take the childrens bread and cast it
to dogs"
The State of Arkansas had passed a
law expelling the free negroes after next
year, and law to the same effect failed
in Missouri because of the want of time
to consider it in the Senate. 1t had
been declared by a member of the Cana
dian Parliament that If the swarthy man
did not cease to cover the land, the PEG.
pie would drive them out by force. Slav-
cry had existed in some form, in al
ages of the world, and had existed by The
fat of Omnipotence. The moral con
, dition Of the negro was slavery. They
are an infrm race aud should be subor
dinate to the white man. He spoke o.
the Methodist Church North as an instru
ment for the agitation of the question
, and its organ had called upon its minis
tiers to look after its colored brethren
but he thanked God, as a Methodist, be
had yet to acknowledge submission to any
ecclesiastical power. Take away the
restraints of slavery and the negro al
once goes back to vice and heathenism.
The interference of the Northern Meth
odists with the slaves of Maryland was
exhibited by petition from IA preach
ers of the Black River New York; Con-
ference, asking Gov. Hicks to pardon
Sam Green, free negro preacher con-
victed in Dorchester county, and sent to
the penitentiary for ten years, for tam
pering with slaves. But the Governor
knew Sam, and did not heed the petition.
Bradley +. johnson moved that in
discussion of the question no member be
permitted to speak more than half
hour; which was lost. Then period Of
twenty minutes which was adopted.
Judge Mason said, as one of the COM
mittee, he dissented from the majority,
and could not entirely agree with the
minority He thought that with the re-
moval of free negroism there should be
prohibition of emancipation. His idea
was that law should be passed requiring
all free negroes born after certain period
shall be removed from the State at a
certain age. He thought the report of
the majority was radically wrong, Us it
was calculated to perpetuate free negro
ism in the State.
Mr.. Key said he thought an excep-
ton of the time rule should be made in
the case Of the chairman Of the com
mittee.
Hon. Mr.. Pierce said he had en-
bodied his views in the report. He did
not want to hear so much talk, for he
was poor listener. If it became ne
cessary for him to reply to anything that
: might be said, the time determined on
would be sufficient.
Col. Southron, of the committee, said
he dissented from all the report, that hac
, been made, and submitted the following
) resolution, which he said he should a
= the proper time offer for the whole:
f 4" Resolred, That it is the sense of thi
convention that emancipation should no
f. be allowed within the limits Of this State
t and that free negroism should be gradu
t., ally abolished therefore resolved, that
$ committee of - be appointed to me
4 moralize the Legislature, and obtain tn
passage of such laws as will attain thcs
: desirable objects"
: Mr.. Pearce, of Frederick, moved t
: amend the reports of the majority an
minority by the adoption Of the resolu
. ton of Col. Southron.
= Marcus Duval, of Prince Georges, of
fered the following as substitute for til
substitute
D Whereas, it is believed that the portion
l of the African race now held in SLAYER
, in the United States are better provided
for and taken care of, and are happier
morally and socially, than any othe
portion of said race and whereas it j
known that the free negroes Of Maryian'
contaminate and corrupt the slave por
ton of our population, and looking upoI
the free negroes in Maryland as nui
sance, and an evil in our society, j
would not be equitable and just to driy'
them beyond the jurisdiction of this Stat'
into any Of our sister States, therefore
Be 1t resolved Ly The citizens Of Mayy
land in contention assembled, That we
recommend TO the voters Of this State,
tho propriety Of electing members this
fall for the General Assembly, who are
in favor Of enacting bill requiring the
levy court or tho county commissioners
of the counties in Maryland, and the
city Of Baltimore, as soon as possible af-
ter the passage Of the bill, TO cause
every free negro within decentralization
who is not over forty-fve years ofage TO
be sold to the highest bidder, and that
one-half of the proceeds of the sales be
forwarded TO the treasurer Of Maryland,
and the remainder retained by the com
missionors for local purposes.
The president stated that the first
business for consideration was the reso-
lutions Of the majority Of the committee,
and the first resolution was read.
Mr.. jacobs offered as a substitute the
first resolution of the minority report.
Judge Mason moved that the debate
be closed at 2 o'clock, and that tho con-
vention then proceed to vote on the
propositions which was adopted.
Mr.. jacobs said that he did not wish
by his substitute TO drive the free ne
groes out Of the State, because their
labor was wanted. He wanted tho door