The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-12-07

Colored Exodus from south Carolina.

Colored Exodus from South Carolina.
Within the past month an extensive omi.
grafton Of tho free colored population has
sot in from Charleston to Philadelphia, tho
result OF recent barbarous legislative enact
ments against their race by South Carolina.
The provisions of the now law requires free
colorod persons to virtually become slaves
IA single man must become their guardian |;
they must be entorod in tho assessments as
slaves, and mus, carry about them certain
copper badges, whoroupon they are num-
bered. II found without trustee, they arc
to DO sold at the block If failing TO pro-
cure badges Of servitude, to undergo q fne
Of twenty dollars; and IL at any time dssti-
tute of thom, to DO fined or imprisoned.
Dospairing Of justice or moroy ia Carolina,
those who possessed sufficient means TO re-
move from heathon rule, looked 10 the
North as refuge Many were assisted by
conscientious guardians, and tho phiiadei-
phin Press says it hos tho bost authority for
tho statement, that, up to Nov. lst, more
than seven hundred aud ninety persons do
parted from the port Of Charleston alone.
II took all tho resources of some to roach
Now York. OF tho number named one
hundred and fifty made Philadelphia their
destination, two.thirds Of whom arc trades
people. Tho mon arc carpenters, tailors,
shoemBkers, and masons tho fomales man
tuamakers, milliners. .laundrosses and nurses.
Tho editor of tho Prcss has visited some
fiftoen of the families settled iu Philadel.
phia, and that paper says:
Wo road long list of certificates from
white ladies Of Charleston, stating that one
of these was an "excellcnt and faithful nurse -
One testimonial was addressed "to the ladies
of the North and certified that tho bearer
had attended her through 'long and dan.
gerous slckness" "a fact which docs not 20
far to show tho gratitude Of the recent Pal.
notto legislation.
Another party bore q certificate Of bis
proficiency in plastaring from u master
mason of Charleston.
A handsome married woman, almost
white, exhibited her "badge," or, as she
facutiously termed il, her "putty goola
watch" II was diamond shaped plato OF
copper, au inch square, bearing the iuscrp.
ton:
"Charleston,
1850.
Servant
l243."
This dolicate piece Of iewelry was pune.
tured with hole, aud suspended thereby
from string. Sho had given 81 for it,
Her husband had similar. one labelled
Porter" for which he gave 81. The man
and woman had been one day behiud+hand
! in taking out" those badges. and thcy wore
hned $40 for being diatory.
Wo asked the latter whether il was prob.
a. Al. 4 Al
She said that most of those possessing the
means to emigrate had already done 30.
We know ono of our colored residents who
has sent, at various times. TO these needy
people of his raco. $50 for passage nonoy.
Many of the refugees parted with their
property at ruinous rates, and many have
still some effects in Charleston. Tho latter
class mad0 revclotons Of their difficulties
with timidity, Garful that their property
would be jcoyardIzed by undue complaint
We could SOC, however. that property con.
sideratiops had little influence compared to
dearer relations. Many of those ebony
Evapgelines have loft in their Southern
Arcadia relatives and friends, for whose
safety their fears pre ceaseloss The mother
of yellow girl Told us that her daughte,
had "young lovor in de Souf whose safety
'pearod to weigh like on her mind" and as
she said this, her son, o tall young man
with glossy locks, was observed to wear or
anxious look, as if he, too. had lost some
body IN Carolina. We wero told that ono
Of tho refugees had left ar aged mother in
Charleston. Tho old lady, on being solicited
to come away with tho family, replied that
she had passed lifetime in "do Souf, and
please God, sho wanted TO die dar; nobody
wanted TO make slave of dc weakly ole
| oman"
Tho troubles Of these ebony people will
not be appreciated by the whito masses
| Parties incredulous of the sensitiveness o
feeling existing among them should visit
their humble boarding houses in this city
Many of them arc almost white. Severa
purchased their own freedom some year
ago. One woman was directed to leave ih,
State by her trustee, who was fearful tina
at his death certain unprincplod momber
of his family would attompt to coerce he
into absolute slavery. Tho refugees tool
passage In tho New York steamers, througl
white sponsors, who testified to their free
dom. Most of those unfortunates are desti
tute of employment.
Ii has been we'll remarked. that this com
pulsory exodus reminds US of the revocation
of tho Edict of Nants. or tho expulsion o
the jews from their European homes. Al
all enlightened Christianity condemns onor.
mites, so will this barbarous action of South
Carolina 10 denounced by tho civiised
Ipnrl,l