Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-01-20

evidence drawn entirely from Sonihern
sources. The Aholiiionists are not such an
ignorant set of fanatics as you suppose.
They knotc whereof they affirm. They are
familiar with the laws of the slave States,
which are alone sufficient to inspire abhor-
renee in any humane heart or rehecring
mind not perverted by the 2rciudiccs of ed
ucation and custom. might I'll many lrt-
ters with significant extracts from your stat
ute-books; but have space only to glance
at few. which indies the leading features
OF the system you cherish so tenaciously.
The universal rule of the slave State is
that the child follows the condition of its
mother This is an index to many things.
Marriages between white and colored pco-
pie are forbidden by law; yet very large
number Of the slaves are brown or yellow.
When Lafayette visited this country in his
old age, he said he was very much struck
by the great change In the colored popua-
ton of Virginia that in the time Of the
Revolution, nearly all the household slaves
were black, but when he RI turned TO Amer
lea, he found very few of them black. The
advertisements in Southern newspapers Of
ten describe runaway slaves that pass them
selves for white men, Sometimes they are
described as having Straight, light hair. blue
eyes, and clear complexion This could
not be- unless their fathers, grandfathcrs,
and great-grandfathers had been white men.
But as their mothers were slaves, the law
pronounces them slaves, subject to be sold
on the auction-block whenever the necessi-
ties or convenience of their masters or mis-
tresses require it. The sale of ones own
Children brothers or sisters, has an ugly as
| pect 10 those who are unaccustomed to it !;
and, obviously, ii cannot have good moral
Influence, that law and custom should rem
der licentiousness a proftable vice.
Throughout the slave States, the testimo-
ny of no colored person, bond or free. can
be received against white man. You have
some laws, which, on the face Of them,
would seem TO restrain inhuman men from
numbering or mutilaiing slaves; but they
are rendered nearly null by the law have
cited. Any drunken master, overseer, or
patrol, may go into the negro cabins and
commit what ouirages he pleases, with per-
! feet impunity, if no white person is present
who chooses TO witness against him. North
Carolina and Georgia leave large loop
hole for escape, even if white persons are
present, when murder is committed. A
law to punish persons for 'maliciously kill
| ing slave has this remarkable qualifica-
ton: Always provided that this act shall
not extend to any slave dying of moderate
correction We at the North find ii diff
cult to understand how moderate punish
ment can cause death. | have read several
of your law books attentvely, and find no
cases Of punishment for the murder of a
slave, except by fines paid to the oacner,
to indemnify him for the loss of his proper
IT,; the same as if his horse or COW had
been killed In the South Carolina Re-
ports is a case where the State had indict-
ed Guy Raines for the murder of a slave
named Isaac. 1t was proved that William
Gray. the owner of Isaac. had given him a
thousand lasheS. The poor creature made
his escape, but was caught, and delivered to
the custody of Raines, to be carried to the
county Jail. Because he refused to go
Raines gave him five hundred lashes, and
he died soon after. The counsel for Raines
proposed that he should be allowed to ac-
quit himself by his opR oath. The Court
decided against it, because white eih,esses
had testified; but the Court of Appeals af.
terwards decided that he ought to have been
exculpated by his own oath. and he was ac-
qlitted. Small indeed is the chance for
Justice TO slave, when his own color are
not allowed to testify, if they see him main,
ed or his children murdered when he has
shareholders for Judges and Jurors when
the murderer can exculpate himself by his
own oath; and when the law provides that
it is no murder to kill slave by moderate
correctinnp
Your laws uniformly declase that "a slave
shall be deemed chattel personal in the
hands of his owner, to all intents, consruc
tons. and purposes whatsoever This, o.
course, involves the right 10 sell his chill
drcn, as if they were pigs; also, TO take hi'
wife from him for any intent or purpose
whatsoever Your laws also make it death
for him to resist white man, however bru
tally he may be treated, or however mucf
his family may be outraged before his eyes
If he attempts to run away, your laws al
low any man to shoot him.
By your laws, all slaves earnings be
long to his master. Hc can neither receiv,
donations nor transmit property. If hi
, master allow him some hours to work fo
, himself, and by great energy and persever
ance he earns enough TO buy lis own bone
and sinews, his master may make him pa,
two or three times over, and he has no re
dress. Three such eases have come within
; my own knowledge. Even IA written prom
! ise from his master has no legal value, be
cause slave can make no contracts.
: Your laws also systematically aim a
keeping the minds of the colored people il
the most abject state Of ignorance. ]
white people attempt TO teach them TO read
or write, they are punished by Imprisonment
or fines; if they attempt to teach each other
they are punished with ficm twenty ic
thirty-nine lashes each. 1t cannot be said
that the Anti-Savery agitation produced
sach laws, for they date much further back
many of them when we were Provinces
They are the necessities of the system
which, being itself an outrage upon human
nature, can be sustained Only by perpetual
ouiragcs.
The next reliable source Of information
is the advertisements in the Southern pa.
pers. la The North Carolina (Raleigl)
.Stusdard, Mr. MIicajah Kicks adverti.es,
Runaway, a negro woman and two chill
dren. A few DAYS before she went off. !
burned her with hot iron on The left side
OF her face. Tried to make the letter NJ.