The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1860-01-21
The p,sro..so,asc nosbana.


Since The Abolition frenzy at tlH, North has
exhibited itself III such a form Of nren attack
npan the South, til Southern legislatures have
undertaken TO enact new and severe laws
against free neal<snes of all classes, erptnigrani
or resident. Al nearly every State the police
laws againststle introduction Of free negroes
from other States have been vefsy recently
strengthened, and III some the design IL meli-
tated Of excluding The whole class. or permit
ting them to remain only IN condition that
they go into n state Of slavery.
The Necessity Of a rigilant watch over This
anoi,faion@ class Of nnfortauates. is not 10 be
questioned. They lire AIMING us on snticrancc
without rights AMI without protectors, ex-
cept ID the common instincts If humanity, and
The prnvhlept care which every beniiieent gov
ernmcnt owes TO Inc ininblest and most help
less under its sssay.
Tn the Southern States. until VERY recently.
they have enjoyed immnnities and been treated
with Indulgence. Not u greal many years
ago free negroes voted in North Carolina. and
at file fnM election Of GenrJacksna. in 1928.
Il was alleged that lie willie nainr5sv il one
Of the precincts If a tiie water county, we
shall not say for which party. was made ep Of
negro votes. That anomaly was corrected iu
the amended constitution subsequently. bnt
the fact remains. That up to and after that
period a loyal .Soathe-n eonsiituener felt no
nneasiiess at the presence among them III n
small free negro class. having ~rniitierI rights.
a similar political philosophy has rnle,l that
they are mn inferior and dependent race, but IT
is an ontside aggressive pressure that has
driven the South into trcatiug them as aliens
among us. to be kept uhder perpetual and
rigorous surveillance, or TO be thrust away
from Us as clements is society too dangerous,
or too troublesome to- be tolerated.
0ficians philanthropy and partisan reckless
ness meddling with the slave question in the
North, connseling invasion and insr.rrection.
and lastly. canotiiziug as saiEs the fafHesy
leaders Of a bloody feray, have had the ineeit-
able consequence nf constituting the South TO
~legiS'ate ~.serrsy fas a ~aie ana ieen separation
between the servile population and all the IT,
strnmoutalities ts,rons!, ,wbieS disturbers Of
peace agg acii them with Indictments TO
crime. The negro. by q hard necessity. which
lis rrofessed friends have made ine3sat,le, snf-
iers in the cnntraetians, within narrower and
narrower limits, of all his ancient privileges /:
in The harslter surveilIance which is established
over every movement and in the menace
which is made, in various quarters. to drive
him entirely out, and force him to seek q
refage in the cold %regionR, where all Of his kind
who have ever reached 'here. wither away and
perish in abandonment and want. The wy
States which are most ciantornus. for the free
dom of the sontiefn negro, pass the most
anreenting laws to exclude him from, their
bf rders. and the ~iiieFcest ~fataiic whn Eliminates
in the Nortl, his deginas Of negro eanaiitsy "a
ftyn RShfnS Jootr;.a fn~ ff,..4... - -.
aitieal faith to live aftl die bv. In srite If hi
man hts rad gal3S5iiiltions. his never taken
INTO his iheaslts the problem now the slave
liberated, or the free negro exiiel by His
means, is to be saved from hnnseiessrrss. lfur-
ser and misery, in that inhospitable cline.
where ms kind ii'fd theirfsole resting place in
some pauTer grave yard.
For so mach of all this wretc' sal,iess as
may fall on the negro, driven from the place
when charity allowed him here, upon whose
conscience does the responsibility lie? On
ours, who have entertained him as dependent
Imd'igently here, or theirs, whose cruel folly
Will have forced hin, from tile asylum we ali
lowed, aid who Leave him 10 starve on no
door.s'f. while they c%lfannt hymns # ~elorieco.
ton TO Themselves for being t.. chosen amos.
ties of philanthropy. 'os
bnt the Soati,' IL DEALING With This aabannv
race. ought not to treat them ii d yi,plistixe
spirit, We are to stand between them o,,d
s1i'e Y aeiiier' nlcrcies 4 81 abolitiopism. ara u
~ @hat remnant we can from the total tyes
sitntion anu z;.a.ai,, extinction to ahlichh au
exodus into The tiee States would doom. them,
lie law of self preservation demands rigid
police on all residents !: and stern exclusion If
all immigrants. This is universal noaase;ty i,
which tllere ara M 5oa =, : u - ssetss'ty ~
onlv allowabIa axna,,,i III a. saish.tHes. ne
ciai norris wbasa IL IN 'n,s.as " 70 CONNER
have the ,ne,ns and tha ..nespai asssheri'es
a risid sena,afiaa b :. a.shuil'y 70 MAINTAIN
~ sel'a'a't'h oeiween The colored sailors
Is M, Gayn,ed ben. oas even inns exception
Tbe rar,la. nas. heT JAWS.