Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-01-12
The Free Negro Question--Jus-
tice Catron on the Question Of
Enslaying Free Negroes.

tice Catron on the Question Of
Enslaving Free Negroes.
A bill is pending before the Tennessee
Legislature, aimed against free negroes
designing TO either drive them from the
State. or enslave them. Justice Catron, o.
the Supreme Court of the United States.
has written to the Nashville Union and
American the following letter, protesting
against the passage Of this Infamous bill:
To the Editor Of The Union and American:
DEAR SIR; | have for several weeks past
been anxously waiting to hear what the
views Of your leading journals were on the
bill pending before our Legislature, propos-
ing 10 enslave, or drive from the State, the
free colored population nov smongst us, /,
provides thst these persons shall be seized
and sold, II found here after the first day Of
May next, if they are adults-and that the
children shall be bound out, &c the adults
ale allowed to emigraie to Africa, in which
case some slight aid is to be furnished by
the State, TO assist in their transp portation; !;
or, secondly, they may seek muster and 90
into slavery. '' tt" i7
Now, who are these people, There is
not one in one hundred ol them, to say the
least, that ever has been a slave. Usually,
their mothers, grandmothers, or great. grand.
mothers, were slaves, who we're emancipat
ed by masters for mcritorious services, or
from benevolent motives, by the courts OF
justice, and according 10 law. They all hate
d vested right to freedom by the Judgments and
DEGREES Of courts. Under our Constitution of
1906, the free coored men voted at the polls
That the old Constitution extended TO them,
and protected their rights to certain ex.
tent, 10 free from doubt. But pass by this
| question.
My objec, ion TO the bill is, that il propos. S
TO commit an outrage. to perFet, ale an oppres
sion and cruelty. This lie the plain truth
and 1t is idle TO tfince words IL soften the
fact. Let ds look the proposition boldly 10
the face. This depressed and helpless por.
,ion OF our population is designed to be
driven out, or to be enslaved for life, and
their property forfeited. as no slave can hold
property. The mothers are to We sold, or
driven away from their children, many of
them infants. The children are TO be bound
out until they are twenty-one years Of age,
and then 10 leave the State or be sold, which
means, that they are to be made slaves for
life. in fact. Now, Of these women and
children, there is hardly one in ten that is OF
unmixed n"gro blood. Some are half white;
many have half-white mothers, and white
fathers. making cast OF S74 IO0,hs OF white
blood; many have third cross, in whom
The negro blood 10 almost extinct; such is
the unfortunate truth. This description of
people who were born free, and lived as free
persons, are TO be introduced as slaves into
Otr families. or into orr negro quarters, there
to he under an overseer, or they are TO be
sold to the negro-trader and sent South,
there to be whipped by overseers-and 10
preach rebellion in the negro guarters--as
they will preach rebellion everywhere that
they may be driven 20 by this unjust law,
whether it be amonst US here in Tennessee,
tr South OF US on the cotton and sugar
plantations, or in tho Abolition meetings in
ohe free States. Nor will the women be the
least effective in preaching crusade, whom
begging money 10 the Nor.h 10 relieve their
children, lett behind In this State, in bond.
age. r-.
We are told that this "free negro biI" is
o pli,c, popular measure. Where is il pop.
ular! In phat nook or corner ,f Ms Slate
are the principles Of humanity so deplorably
deficient, that a majority Of lhs whole inhdbii-
ants wouM commit an outrage not committed
in Chrisiian country Of ,oaich history gives
any accounn In what country Ia Il, this
side Of Africa. that the majority have en-.
shaved the minority. void the weak to the
strong. and applied the proceeds Of the sale
to educate the children Of the stronger side,
as this bill proposes! 1t Is an open ssser.
,ion that "m'ght makes right" Il ID re-
opening the African slave trade, in fact. In
that trade the strong capture the weak, and
sell them; and lso it vi II be here, II this
policy Is carried out.
All over the State, those who are respon
sible for passing the bill win have to con.
tend with fear ful public opinion, made up Of
ali the women who have moral characters
and religious feelings; backed by the clergy,
and sssuredly by q very large msjority oil
the members OF all the churches; for we
must carry along with us the important faci,
that numbers Of the people sought to be
enslaved or driven out belong to, and are
members Of, our various churches. q nd in |
full communion. That these great bodies
Of Christian men and women win quietly
stand by and see their humble co-workers
sold on the block to the negro trader, Is not
10 be expected; nor will any set Of men bel
supported, morally or politically, who are the
authors Of such law.
Nor Is this halt the truth. Take oil the
free States, and how will the matter stsndf
There, those stsnch and upright men who