Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-02-03
What Should be the Policy of the
South towards Free Negroes.

that by recent act of the Arkansas Legis-
lature free negroes have been left but two
alternatives, to be sold into slavery or to be
banished from the State To the unpreiu-
diced and we'll meaning mind, this act, at
first view, will seem too rigorous upon the
lsecond sight, it will appear hostile to every
feeling of kindness and philanthropy. We
see persons, who, though degenerate in col
or and in mind, have, by their industry and
morality rendered themselves worthy of
= the society in which they moved, forced
from the sell that they love and the homes
that they cherish, merely because they be-
long 70 that species whom God, in his mys-
terious providence, has cursed with dark
ness of skin, and whom He, in His great
wisdom, hath, for the purposes of civiliza-
ton, subjected to the will of superior beings,
and whom, may add, these superior be-
ings have cursed with freedom. We see
the innocent suffer for the guilty We see
these Tho are industrious and law abiding,
compelled to suffer the penalty along with
those who are INDECENT and vicious.
Men are apt to be prejudiced in these see
tional times, and when prosecuted to perse-
cute in turn. They are apt to apply severe
remedies to great evils and, what is more,
that remedy which first suggests itself, let
it be ''traced in blood and tears" or the
offspring Of kindness and philanthropy
This act Of the ''wise mon" of Arkansas
seems to have been performed without pre-
meditation, and upon the very spur of the
moment. They saw that free-negdorom was
q curse, and il should be abolished. They
saw, as every one secs, that among that
mongrel race, cursed with freedom there
were some black liz crime as well as in color,
andspotted in immortality Who tempered with
| their slaves, and made their bondage as bit
ter as that of the lsralites upon the plains
of Egypt. They saw this, and concluded
that the only remedy was to leave them two
incorporating alternatives, viz slavery,
or expulsion from the State. And from
this storm decree of exile not one is except
| ed.
Now, am sure that have no more SYM
pathy than any other philanthropist for,that
unfortunate class Of beings, whom God in
his Providence has made black, and whom
man in his improyideneo has made free but
| am sure, too, that if the majority Cf them
are degenerated, degraded creatures, with
outthe leas3 knowledge Of virtue or the least
awakening of morality. there are some
who deserve the appreciation and encour-
| age1aent of every friend of civilization, who
arc far better in their personal character and
mode of life than the majority of the lower
white class, and whom to drive from friends
that they love and a country to which they
are attacked, would be in opposition to ev-
cry feeling of our better nature. Within
| the confines of our own ee,lnty--aye, with
in my own immediate neighborhood-the
are free negroes, who, by their industrious
and upright life, have amassed considerable
money, and have gained the applause of ev-
| cry good and honest man TO make such
persons exiles from their native state, would
be like driving them into a city ofthe plague
or den of robbers. They would be NOR
| ally as well as pecuniarily ruined. The
state of inferiority in which they are held
by our better citizens, and the honorable
| and honest manner in which they are dealt
with, is the secret of their success amongst
US. But send them to free State, and
they have no such bulWark to protect them.
They are placed upon an equality with the
highest, which renders them naughty and
indolent. They become the prey Of tho
subtle, are stripped of their honest ealninga
and thrown upon the world to perish in
want or in crime. How many cdisconso-
late wall has come back to us from that land
of freedom %! How many must still eonfe,
| if the remaining Southern States follow the
example Of Arkansas!
1t is to be hoped, then, that the Virginia
Legislature, if this subject be again brought
before that body will take the wisest course
and consult not only our own safety and the
safety of our property, but also the feelings
of goodness and humanity One of the
best remedies seems to be this Let law
be passed to The effect, viz That every free
negro must depart the State before a GER
tain time, or bring to the County Court Of
the county, in which he.or she resides, a
certificate signed by at laast six responsible
men, of his or her neighborhood, certifying
to bis or her good moral character and in
duatrious habits. Let this certificate be
placed upon record and renewed regularly
within certain given time; and, if this
does not remove an evil of which MANY COM
plain-if this does not purge our society of
the dross of this species, while the. purer
metal remains, then l say take the seyerer
remedy used by our sister State
In conclusion, and as proof of what l
have asserted, that there are some free ne
groes worthy of the sold Dominion"
would point to the conduct Of several during
the momentous events which grew out OF
"Old John Browns Raid" 1t is said that
when the soldiers were about to depart from
Richmond for Charleston, number of free
blacks came forward and wished to volun-
teer as soldiers, and when this was, of
course, denied them, offered themselves to
60 with the soldiers and attend them as
servants. Such a sentiment of patrotisnI
was shown by the better part of the free
blacks all over the State; and it is rumored
that even in our own County town of Staun-
ton, the contributions raised for the Yolun-
teers were greatly swelled from the purses
of free negroes. Is not such conduct praise
worthy, even in a negro? Is it not almost
Incredible? And would it not be cruel in
human, unphilanthropic aud un-Christian,
to drive such men to ruin. Thus I have dis
carded the name of "WAn," and plead iu
the name CT PEACE.
Jan. 80, 1860 e.v-...s.
FABLE.-A gourd had wound itselfaround