Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-06-21

: and purposes whstever'-[2 Brer
Dig. 229.
And here is the definition supple
by the Civil Code Of Louisiana.
, y slave is one who is in the powc
of master to whom he belongs. tn
master may sell him. dispose of hi
) person. his Industry. and his labor
He can do nothing. possess nothing
nor acquire anything. but what mus
belong to his master. Civil Code
Art. So.
Ia similar spirit. the law Of Mary
land thus indirectly defnes a slave a
an article:
In case the personal property of
ward shall consist of specific articles
such as slaves. working beasts. AMI
mails Of any kind, the Court, if i
deem it advantageous for the ward
may. at any time pass an order fci
sale thereof. : Statutes of Maryland
Not to occupy time unnecessarily
| present a summary Of the pretended
law defining Slavery in all the Slave
States, as made by careful writer.
Judge Stroud. in a work of judicial
as well as philanthropic merit
The cardinal principle of Slavery
that the slave is not to be ranked
among sentient beings. bu: among
things. an article of property
chattel personal-obtains as undoubtcd
law in all of these Slave States. =
(Stroud's Law of Slavery. p. ODD.
Out Of this definition, as from a
solitary germ, which in its pettiness
might be crushed 10y the hand. towers
our Upas tree and all its gigantic
poison. Study it, and you will COM
prehend the whole monstrous growth.
Sir, look at its palmer import, and
see the relation which it establishes.
The slave is held simply for the use of
his master, to whose behest his life.
liberty and happiness are devoted, and
by whom he may be bartered. leased.
mortgaged, bcqueathed. invoiced,
shipped as cargo. stored as goods,
sold on execution, knocked off at
public auction, and even staked at the
gaming table on the hazard of card
or die; all according to law. Nor is
there anything within the limits of
life. inflicted on beast may not be
inflicted on the slave. lie may
be marked like hog. branded like a
mule. yoked like an OK, hCbbled like a
horse, driven like an ass, sheared like
sheep, manned like a cur. and con-
stantly beaten like brute; all accord
ing to law. And should life itself be
taken, what is the remedy? The law
of Slavery. initiating that rule of cvi-
dence which, in barbarous days and
barbarous countries. prevented a
Christian from tcstifying against a
Mahomedan, openly pronounces the
incompetency of the whole African
race-whethcr bonI or free to test
ify in any case against white man.
and thus having already surrendered
the slave to all possible outrage,
crowns its tyranny by excluding the
very testimony through which the
bloody cruelty of the slave master
might be exposed. Thus in its law
does Slavery paint itself; but it is
only when we look at details, and de-
tect its essential elements-6ve in
number-all inspired by single mo-
tive, that its character becomes COM
pletel y manifest.
Foremost, of course. in these ele-
ments, is the impossible pretension.
where barbarism is lost in impiety, by
which man claims property in man.
Against such arrogance the argument
is brief. According TO the law OF ma
ture, written by the same hand that
placed the planets il their orbits. and,
like them. constituting part of the
eternal system of the universe, every
human being has complete title to
himself direct from the Almighty
Naked he is born; but this birthright
is inseparable from the human form.
4 man may be poor in this world
goods. but he owns himself No war
or robbery, ancient or recent, no mid
die passage, no change of cline. nc
capture, no purchase money, no trans
mission from land TO land, no matter
how many times, and no matter at
what price, can defeat this indefeasible
God given franchise. And divine
mandate. strong as that which guards
life. guards liberty also. Even at the
very morning of creation, when God
said let there be light-earlier than
the malediction against mUrder-He
set an everlasting difference between
man and chattel. giving to man do
minion over the FISH OF the seas. and
over the fowl of the air. and over every
living thing that inoveth upon tho
earth:
ssthat right we hold
BIZ His donation; but man over man
lie made not lord such title TO himself
Reserving, Human left from human free.
Slavery tyranically assumes pow
er which Heaven denied, while, undei
its barbarous necromancy. borrowed
! from n source Of evil n man Il ohanv