Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-01-21
THE CRITELTy OF ABOLITIONIsM

The slavery excitement so much intensified by
late events in Virginia is re-actng with crushing
effect OH the free blacks of the South. Louisiana
and Arkansas have already passed laws for the ex-
clusion of this class of population from their respec
tive limits, and more recently the subject has come
prominently before the legislature of six other States
namely, South Carolina, Georgia Mississippi, Ten
nessee, Virginia and Missouri. In the State last
named and also in Georgia, bill to compel the free
coored population to leave the State or be ensavcd
has passed the upper branch. These are the alter
natives presented in every instance so far as we are
informed, and determination is eSinced to rid the
States named Of a class who are now considered as
dangerous from their liability to be employed by
designing men as agents for propagating insurrec-
tons. Thus, by the insane folly of abOlitOniSm.
the progress of emancipation is arrested through
the entire South, and large class. embracing
thy people who have been liberated often at heavy
pecuniary sacrifice the part of masters, are re-
turned to a condition of scrvitude or driven from
their homes. All the negroes spirited off by
the underground railroad and sent to Canada, or
dispersed over the Northern States arc few in com
pariSOn with those who arc now threatened with OPP
preSSive legal enactmcntS. The Subterraneans who
have been Industrious in seeking to cvade the OBJ
legations of the Constitution, and break down laws
essential to the preservation of social order find that
I
the bung-hole" To show more precisely the legis-
lation contemplated will here state of the
provisions of the bills under discussion:
The Georgia BILL introduced in the senate, is de-
signed to compel all free colored persons TO leave
the State by January, 1852. Any person of this
class desiring to remain, can do so by selling him
self into slavery to any citizen whom he may select
the purchase money to go into the treasury of the
county, pay the expenses of those who prefer to
leave. This measure is regarded by many in the
State as unnecessarily severe The Augusta C0Hsti-
| tutionGljSt says:
ave believe that they ought eventually to disap-
! pear as clement in population, and that mca-
sures should be taken at once, under the operation
of which the State eventually would be rid of them
but do not believe that there is any necessity for
| their summary and forced eXpatriation"
| The number of free negroes in Georgia is only
$780,
The bill which has passed the lower branch of the
| Mississippi legislature, with only five dissenting
votes, and is likely to become a law, is still more
rigorous. By this no free negroe remain in the
State after the LIST Of July next without special
license from the Legislature In the mean time he
has an opportunity to select a master, who shall
| hold him for life.
The bill which has passed the senate of Missouri,
ayes %, nays lbs of the same general character.
1t compels all free negroes to leave the State ire
| spectve of age or length of residence
The bill pending before the legislature of Tennes-
provides that all free adult negroes shall be seized
! and sold if found in the State on the 1st of May
next and that the children shall be bound out
| The former are allowed to emgrate to Africa in
which case some slight aG is to be furnished by the
State, they may seek master and go into slave
ry
To such extremities as these are naturally inof-
fensive people reduced likely to be reduced sole
ly through the impeTtnent interference of their pro-
fessed friends of the North whose assaults upon the
social system of the South have made this species OF
legislation necessary, in the opinion of those most
deeply interested measure of selEprotection.