The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-12-07

State Of Mississippi the following Lii wa
recently introduced:
lst. Be it enacted By the Legislature Of tie Sta
of Mississippi, That from and after the lst day
july 1860. i! shall be unlawful for my free Negro
or mulatto, 10 be found in this State, under an
pretence whatsoever: aud every free negro, or mi
c latte, 80 found may be indicted in any count
: whercsiou or in any adjoining county, and o
conviction, shall be sold into absolute SLAYER!
, The Sheriff of the proper county shall sell sue
negro, or nuatto, at the door of the courthouse 9
said county, for cash, after such notice as tn
court shall direct, and shall pay the nett proceed
of sale into the treasury OF the county where tn
+ indictment was found, E
SEC. 2. Be 1t furthereaactea, That il any perso
shall, by pretending to be owner or by any othe
means, endeavorto shield or protect al y free negr
or mulatto against the provisions of this act, sUc
person 10 offending shall be fined in any sum 10
exceeding one thousand dollars, or imprisoned no
exceeding six months.
I SYc. 8. Bet further enacted That an indict
ment under this act by proof that the negro or mu
latto acted as if free shall be sufficient ra taeit
evidence Of the TACT
SIC. 4. Belt further enacted That if the owner
ofany slave shall permit such slave to hire his OF
her time or otherwise act as free, such owner shall
be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars. Ant
such slave may be Indicted and sold as free negro
uniawfully in the State
SIC. 5. Be ifeaactea, That free negroes and nlu.
bttoes are hereby declared incapable Of inhertng,
acquiring, Or holding any property in the State
nor shall any property be removed from the State
for the benefit Of any suchipcrson,
According to tho census OF 1850 there
were $50 free negroes in the State, their
number having diminished during the
preceding ter, years more than four hun.
dred. Atthe same enumeration there were
.309,s7S slaves, making the proportion Of
free negroes TO Slaves as one to more than
three hundred. The census shows also
that GAO Of these free negroes were born
lin Mississippi and all Of the balance
except thirty-fve were born in some other
portions Of the United States.
The proposed act seems to be somewhat
Objectionable on two grounds If free
negroes are expelled from Mississippi it
will be because Of their being ,nischeiv-
GUS and dangerous element, not compati-
bic with the welfare of the two normal
classes, the slaves and the whites Bnt|
If they are nuisancesf there they would, in
their state Of Punishment, be even greater
nuisanccs in the adjoining States where
they would take refuge. The bill contains
no provision for conveying them beyond
the boundaries Of the slave,holding States
There is nothing equitable in TINS forcing
upon her neighborsa pest which she may
resolve to remove from her borders. I'll
she resolves to be rid of this abnormal
Ind injurious class Of inhabitants let her
discover some means of accomplishing
hat object which will not initiate against
he wellbeing of Alabama, Louisiana,
Arkansas and Tennessee.
Again, it is not by their own fault Or
neglect that these negroes are free. The
vii is chiefly the result of the weakness
md mistaken sympathy Of those who
,mancipated them or the slaves from
whom they are descended, us we'll as Of
he Legislators who permitted such follies
% be perpetrated. Emancipation has
oeen suffered to introduce an abnormal
Ind unnatural element into the Southern
system, but the damage is chargeabIe
'ather to the persons who committed and
he laws which suffered this injury than
% those who have unfortunately been re.
cased from the control and deprived of
he projection of masters. Unless their I
immediate expulsion, therefore, is nee
'ssary for maintaining proper discipline
'mong slaves, it would be more equitable
nd more judicious to find some other
Method of dealing with them, some plan
0 prevent them from entailiug npon their
descendants the misfortune Of being with.
ut masters. For theft or selling liquor
0 slaves or long continued idleness or ,
Iaying weapons or harboring runaways
II any similar offences statute might be
Enacted for restoring the offenders to the
from which they ought never to
ave been released. Such law would
'cprive the worst Of this class of their
license and at the same titnel
'ct as potent stimulant for industry
nd good behavior among the better por-1
ion of them 1t might be required thati'
very free negro should select some CONF
'etent person as a guardian, who should
ave control over his wards such as
master has over servants and who should /
'e responsible for their good behavior.
The Mississippi hill has no provision
VI the case of such free negroes as would
atllraIiy nrpfpr ta chonsa p,asfnrs .nd