Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-01-20
Justice Catron on the Question Of En-
shaving Free Negroes.

lature, aimed against free negroes designing to
either drive them from the State, or enslave
them. Justice Catrcn, of the Supreme Court
Of the United States has written 10 the Nash
vile tIfon aad -3ndeifnIR the following letter
protesting against the passage Of this infamous
bill +:
DEAR Sin II have for several weeks past
been anxiously waiting to hear what the views
Of our leading journals were on the bill pend
! ing before our Legislature proposing TO IN
slave. or drive from the Slave, the free colored
population now among US. 1t provides that
these persons shall be seized and sold if found
here after the first day of May next, if they
i.adults-and that the children shall be bound
out, &c; tie adults are allowed to emigrltc to
| Africa, liz which case some slight aid is to be
fu:Dised by the State, to assist in their trans
portation; or secondly, they may seek master
and go into slavery.
/ Now, who are these people? There is not
one hundred of them, to say the least, that has
ever been slave. Usually, their mothers,
grandmothcrs, or grcat-grandmotlers, were
slaves who were emaneipated by masters for
meri.orious service. or for benevolent motives,
by the Courts Of Justice, and according to
law. They ali have a vested right to freedom
by the judgments and DEGREES of Courts I'm
der our Constitution Of 1906, the free colortd
men voted at the polls That tie old Colsi
tuition extended to them and protected their
rights to certain eNtcf, is free from doubt
But pass by this question. ..-... .....
My objection 10 the bill Is that it proposes
TO commit an outrage 10 perpertrate an oI-
preston and cruelty. This is the plain truth,
and it is idle to mince words to soften the fact.
Let us look the proposition boldly in the face.
This depressed and helpless portien Of our
population is designed to be driven out, or to
be enslaved for life, and their property forfeit
cd. as 10 slave can hold property. The moth
ers are to be Sod or driven away from their
children, many of thein infants The children
are to be bound out until they are twenty-one
years Of age and then leave the State or be
sold which means that they arc to be made
slaves for life, in fact. Now, Of these women
and children, there is hardly one in fen that is
of unmiXed negro blood. Some are llalfwhite;
many have haif-white mothers, and white fa-
theirs, making a cast OF 87lal00ths of white
blood many lave a third cross in whom the
negro blood is almost extinct; such is the un-
! fortunate truth. This description OF people
who were born free, and lived as free persons,
are to be introduced as slaves into our families,
or into cur negro quarters, there to be under
an oversecr, or they are to be sold to the ne
| gro trader and sent South, there 10 be whip
! ped by overseers-and to preach rebellion i'll
| the negro quarters-as they will p7eac'i rebel
| lion everywhere they may be driven to by this
unjust law, whether il be amongst us here in
| Tennessee, OF south of us on the cotton and
! sugar plantations, or in the abolition meetings
! in the free States. Nor will the women be
the least effective in preaching "a crusade
when begging money in the North to relieve
their Children left behind in this State, in bon
dage
! We are told that this Ere. Negro BIZ, > is
q polite, popular measure Where is it popu-
lar? In what nook or corner of the State are
the principles of humanity so deplorabiy de-
ficicnt that Il majority of the white inhabi-
tants would commit an outrage, not committed
in a Christian country Of which history gives
an account. In what country is it, this side
of Africa that the majority have enslaved the
minorty-sol the weak TO the strong, and
applied the proceeds Of the sale to educate the
children Of the stronger side as this bill pro-
poses? 1t is an open assertion that might
makes right" 1t is rc-opening the African
slave trade i'll fact In that trade, the strong
capture the weak and sell them and so it will
be here, if this policy is carried out
Nor is this half the truth. Take all the
free States, and how will the matter stand p
There, those staunch and upright men who are
struggling to uphold the constitution and laws
and to protect the rights of the South in the
enjoyment IF their slave property, will be met
by our law will be tainted before the mil
j lion: will have it put to them separately
whether they sanction this cruel measure as a
part of the Southern creed, to wit that all
negroes, and those of negro origin can be
righttulIy sold into slavery, or driven from
their children and the place of their birth, at
the unrestrancd will of the Southern white
man? What Northern mau, that has man.
hood ia him, will not exclaim, Il abhor such q
law T. 1t cannot be otherwise than odious in
the North. -
If such a measure of persecution was the
work of some new. weak State, and this thing
done in a corner, it would not be so bad but
Tennessee is a proud, successful community
that has for thirty years exercised u control
ling influence in the affairs of the nation she
) has made two Presidents; has long stood in
the trout rank of the great party that has gov
t erned the country so successfully for neari.:
, sixty years, and therefore HER legislation may
| we'll be cited before Northern crowds. as de-
/ claring the sentiments of the South. l put il
+ to any fair-ninded man to say whether this
law, if it is passed. will not go far TO crush ou
r our friends in the North, and yet more strong
ly mark the black sectional line between thu
3 free and the slave States?
! Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
r j. CATRON.