Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-08-04
From the New Orleans Delta.

The editor of the Richmond Enquirer has seen
some curious old record and papers, aud says the
most interesting of these relics is the following
proclamation, more than one hundred years ago,
which cannot fail to startle the pseudo-philan-
~thropisss Of Exter Hall, by disclosing the fact that
under the Royal Government Of England, in the
SD reign Of our Sovereign Lord, King George ii,
any person was fully authorized to lawfully kill
and destroy q runaway slave, without being liG-
bic to any penalty by so doingl' The present
humane lava on the subject should cause a blush
Of shame to mantle the cheeks OF British aboli.
%tionists who talk about the cruelty of the present
slave system Of the Southern States:
Hanover, Sc,-By Richard Johnson and Will
liam Taylor
Gent-Two of His Majesly's Justices of the
Peace of the said county.
A Observation-Disclosures, We have jcen
credibly informed that ore Mullatto Man Slave,
named Neiss, belonging to Duncan Graham, Of the
County Of Caroline, meroh't, is a runaway, now
lying hid, lurking and dring mischief within this
county: Therefore, in His Majesty's Name, We
hereby require the said slave forthwith to surren.
der himself or to return home to his master. We
oioO SHAi'N ~ Si' VI NV SbhhhJ ~
make di!igent search, and to appreherd the said
slave, and deliver him to his master, or to commit
to the Goal of this County, there to remain until
he shall be claimed BY bis owner, or otherwise
discharged as the Law directs. And the said
Sheriff is hereby Empowered to raise and take
with him such Power OF his County as he shall
!hink fit and necessary for the ~efectual apprehend'
ing the said outlying slave: And we further de.
Glare; II the said slave shall not surrender himself,
nor return home Immediately, after due pub!ica-
ton of these presents, that then any Person what
soever, may lawfully kill and destroy, him without
being liable to any Penalty for so doing. And
hereof all Persons are required to take notice
Given under our Hands and Seals, this l2h Day
Of April, Sovereign Lord, King George the Second.
RICHARD JOHNSON.
WV. TAYLOR.
1t is said-with what truth we will not aver
that a denizen Of a village can best ascertain what
he will have for dinner at homo, by seeking inior
nation Of his neighbors. From the above article
the South would appear in utter ignorance concern.
ing the character of her own laws and prac ices.
and in order to get enlishtment, we advise her to
ask her Northern neighbors for information. She
"s'A 49, hboL SANhSAh liz lSiC
sometimes contain advertisements Offering rewards
for runaway and outlawed negroes, so many dol
lars for them dead or alive and giving infotma.
lion that if not taken alive satisfactory proof will
be required Of their having been killed. before
the reward is paid. Indeed SO little progress has
the South made out Of tho barbariSms of the time
of George II, that she retains upon her statute
book lava which are fac similies Of the very one
referred to in the curious old record, az witness
the following from Heywood's Manuel-a digest
of the laws Of North Carolina-and Of the repeal
Of which law we have never yet beer informed
Mr.. Ii. says, "A slave outlawed for running away.
lurking in swamps, and doing mischief, may be
lagfuly killed by any person.
The Richmond Enquirer need not have gone
back to George IL, TO fnd a record of such detes-
table practices. In its own state, under the reign
Of no other George than George Washington, it
would have found a law authorizing any two JUS
tees Of the peace to outlaw slaves who had runa-
way, we're outlying. aud doing m~ischief; which act
of o~utlawry gave permission to any one to kill
them. 1t was not until 1892 that Virginia repeal
ed all her acts OF o~utlawry; so 1t is yet hardly fit.
ting time for her to turn up her nose at the philan-
~thropists OF Exter Hall, and thank the Lord that
her sons are not as other men were, who lived in
the State a century and a half since.