Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-04-06
VOLUME XXIV....No. 10,
From the Darlington Flag.
Slaves Hiring their Own Time.


Slaves Hiring their Own Time.
The Columbia Bulletin, referring to thu
practise of allowing slaves 10 hire their OWL
time and to the many evils which result
therefrom, uses the following language:
"Despite the laws Of the land forbiding
under penalty, the hiring Of their time by
slaves, it is much to be regretted that the
pernicious practice still exists. Not few
who profess to be law-abiding citizens, and
are loud in their denunciation Of transsres'ors,
are knowingly, constantly violating a Law IN
tended to promote the interests OF the COM
munity, protect the rights Of masters, and
guard our slaves against evil. 1t is difficult
to find reason fyr such indifference to the
requirements of wholesome legislation; it
would seem that every consideration OF policy
would demand its rigid observance, and that
instead Of being regarded as useless restraint
upon the master in the use Of his property, it
would receive that respect which It's wise
provisions entitle it."
The law forbiddng the hiring of bis own
time By slave, is certainly founded in wis.
dom, for whose good, in part, the law was
enacted, should exhibit such an utter disre-
gard for its provisions. 1t is more to be re-
gretted, however, that these constant and
open violations Of we'll known lew, should
be allowed to 60 "unwhipped OF JUSTICE
Offences of minor character are zealou>ly
hunted out, and the offenders are dragged to
the court room to answer for their conduct,
while other violations of the law, the one to
which We are now alluding, standing among
the chef, are openly committed, and, being
winked st, the bold offenders stand justified
in the sight of the co immunity.
Negroes are not, naturally, fond OF work,
and if allowed to wander from place to place
in search of occupation, being only required
to make weekly or monthly returns to their
owners, we need not be surprised if in order
to meet these requirements, they resort 10
dishonest means. In our own community We
have illustrations of the truth of this asser-
tion. Here we see, daily, ne,roes who sie
known to have to pay large wages to their
masters, who are seldom or never seen work.
ing at their several trades 90 the contrary,
able bodied carpenters are seen, continually,
hawking fruits and fish about our streets.
This state of things is ruinous to the negro j.
as we'll as injurious to the community they
are too often the agents Of dishonest white
men, who being afraid to carry on their ne
farious traffic in their own persons, lind ready
and willing agents in these idle aud unre-
strained negroes and thus may we account
in measure, for the ready access which our
slaves have to the whisky bottle; for these
emissaries Of the groceries can move amony
them without suspicion and continue to sell
to them, for length Of time, without detec-
ton. Are we not right in this matter? We
put it to our readers to say if their minds
lave not already fixed upon one or more of
these privileged negroes, whose income does
not depend upon honest labor, but, rathe1a is
derived from such sources as we haveS1 In
dicated.
The violation of thi, law works not only a
moral injury to the negro and to the s'aya.
portion of tho community, but it also works
a great pecuniarys loss to;those masters. who's
owning negroes WHO have eiearnt S;trsda, have
too much respect for the law, aud resa." lor
the we'll being Of the community to allow
them to hire their time, or, in other words,
" sell them their freedom. For the negroes
who, outside of and beyond their trade, have
o many other sources Of income, can of ne
eessity, when inclined to work, sell their
labor cheaper than the master can afford to
sell that OF his negro, who is KEEP, under his
Erection and control 1t is unjust and in
furious to the white mechanic who cannot
compete with those whose expenses arc de-
+raycd by dishonest means, and who are al
;yays ready to underbid them for any piece
,f work to be performed
Another effect of the continued violation Of
this law is apparent 10 the impudence and in
dependence of the negro mechanics. They
constitute colored aristocracy, and while
they lord it over other negroes they seem to
think themselves just about as respectable
as the whites around them. We need not
dwell upon this point, it is enough that We
state it in order to convince our readers Of
its truth.
WHAT then shall We do to check this evil
and put stop to this open violation Of q
known law ? We suggeet to the police Of
our town and the patrol throughout the dis
trict, to pay no regard to monthly passes au-
thorizing negroes to pass and repass without
stating distinctly the roirts to and from
which they are permitted to 50 and return,
but to treat negroes travelling with such
tickets as though they had none at all. We
would suggest further, the strict enforcement
of the town ordinance, now of force, in our
town; let all negroes found hiring their own
time, be arrested and properly punished but
above all, let US see to it that the owners are
indicted for the violation Of the law. In this
way, and in this way alone, can We check
the evil, and rid our community of set OF
colored rascals, whose viliainy is only equslled
bg that of the white men who have seduced
them from course of honesty and sobriety.
lrtlis cannot be done let the law be repealed
aud let us either quietly submit to the wrongs
which we now suffer, or take the necessary
steps for our individual protection.