Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-02-02

not be. unless their fathers. grand
fathers. and great-grandfathers. hsd
+ been white men. But a. their a,osLers
were slaves. the law pronounces them
slaves, subject to he sold on the auction
block whenever the necessities or con-
venience of their masters or mistress
es require it. The sale Of ones own
children. brothers. or sisters, has an
ugly aspect 10 those who are unac-
customed TO it; and. obviously. il can
not have n good moral influence that
law and custom should render licen-
tionsness proftoJie vice.
Throughout the Slave. States. the
testimony Of no co!orei persons. bond
or free. can be received againsta white
man. You have some laws. which.
on the face Of them. would seem 10
restrain inhuman men from murder
ing or mutilating slaves; but they are
rendered nearly null by the law
have cited. Any drunken master.
overSeer. or patrol. may 20 into the
negro cabins and commit what out
RACES he plcases with perfect impunity
If no white person is present whc
chooses TO witness against him.
North Carolina and Georgia leave
large loop-hole for escape. even il
white persons are present. when mur-
der is committed. y law to punish
persons for "maliciously killing
slave" has this remarkable qnaliiica
ton: Always provided thar thi, act
shall not extend 10 any slave dying of
moderate correction" We At the
North find it difficult to understand
how moderote punishment can cause
death. | have read several of your
law. books at'cntivcly. and | find no
cases of punishment for the murder OF
slave. except by fines paid To the
orner. 10 indemnify him for the loss
of his property: the SANE Ms If his
horse o. COW had been killed. In the
South Carolina Reports is a ease where
the State indicted Guy Raines for the
murder OF slave named Isaac. il
was proved that William Gray. the
owner of Isaac. had given him a
thousand iashes. The poor creature
made his escape but was caught. ani
delivered TO the custody of Raines. 10
be carried TO the county Jail. Because
lac refused to 20. Raines gave him five
hundred lashes, and he died soon after
The counsel for Raines proposed that
he should he allowed TO acquit himseli
bv his omn oath. The Court dccilea
against it. because rhite wiiaesses had
testified; but the Court OF Appeals
aftcrward decided that he ought 10
have been exculpaicd by his own oath.
and he was acquitted. Small indeed
is the chance for justice 10 slave.
when his own color are not allowed L.
testify. if they see him MANNED or hi,
children murdered when he has slave
holders 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 a
slave 10y moderate corrcciionl"
Your laws uniformly declare that
"a slave shall be deemed a chaitc
personal in the hands Of his owner. to
all intents. constructions. and purpose,
whatsoever" This, OF course. involves
the right to sell his children. as il they
were pigs; also. to take his wife from
him ''ior any intent or purpose what
soever." Your laws also make il
death fo- him 10 resist a white man.
however b.utally he may be treated.
or however much his family may be
outraged before his eyes. Ii he
attempts TO run away, your laws
allow any man Ia shoot him.
BY your laws. all slaves earnings
belong to his master. lie can neither
receive donations nor transmit prop
erty. II his master allows him some
hours 10 work for himself. and hy
great energy and perseverance he
earns enough to buy his own bone,
and sinews, his master may make him
paw two or three times over. and he
has no redress. Three such eases have
come within my own knowlelse.-
Even a written promise from hi>
master has no legal valae. because a
slave can make no contracts.
Your laws also systematically aim
at keeping the minds of the colored
people in the most abject state q
ignorance. Ii white people attempt
to teach them TO read or write, they
are punished by imprisonment. OF
fines: if they attempt TO teach each
other. they are punished with from
twenty to thirty lashes each. VI
cannot be said that the Anti Slavery
agitation produced such laws. for they
date much further back: many oi