The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-12-31
The Washington Siave-Pen.

hC " tH'
re- We speak Of the Washington Jail
United States Marshal LAWSON reports to
The Senate that the Imprisonment of black
men and women, free and slave, in the
Washington Jail, which has lately SO
stirred the public Indignation, is strictly
according to law. Alas it is too true.
Ii is according 10 Slayery-law. The in
famous wretc!.es who earned blood mon
cy by examining the Washington jail
like the Calcutta blackhole and with per-
soHs as iunocent of offence as the Eaglish
Who del and suffered there, were only
fulfilling the law. They have not, in the
slightest degree transcribed the powers
conferred upon them and the three ruff.
aims who pursued JOHN CouRrEE" with
dogs and pistols might have shot him
down in his tracks, and if brought TO
Trial, must have been acquitted under The
slave code.
The law unler which these wrongs
are committed is as old enactment Of
Maryland, which was adopted with other
laws OF that Stale, for the government of
the District Of Columbia by act Of Con-
gress in 1891. Since that time slave
hiding Maryland has gone further to
wards justice than base Northern pro
sltvery dough faces she has stricken
this law from her statute books, but it is |
III in force in the District OF Columbia
GooDELL, in his american STARE code, |
says
g An &C. OF Maryland, G7l5,) chap. Al see &
for the better discovery of runawnys,' DC, re
quires that any person, or persons whatsoev-
err travelling beyoad the limits of the county
wherein they reside, shall have IA pass under
the seal of said county; otherwise, IF apprc-
hendcd mo- being sufficiently known nor able to
give good account of themselves, the gs-
tIate, al his discretion, may deal with them as
with runaways." STROUD, p So
:" To facilitate recapturcs section of the |
same act provides bounty in tobacco, (com-
mnted for six dollars, TO be paid 10y the owner
OF said runaway aud if such suspected runa-
ways lie not servants, and refuse to pay the
same, ha, she, or they, shall make satisfaction
Icy servItuac or otherwise, de- In l7l9, an
additional provision authorized the sheriff, in
ease of non payment of costs, DC, by these
wr1hged and innocent free negroes and muat
tos to sell them 20 the highest bidders
This moastrous provision was afterwards
expuagcd from the code of Maryland, but not
till after the ecssion Of the Federal District,
which, therefore, remains under the old law.
This furnishes the basis of those laws of the
corporation of Washington by which, at the
present day, free negroes and mulattoes, arrest
Cd rs fugitive slavas, and not being claimed by
any one, are I'D liable for their Jail fees, and,
in default of payment, sold into slavery"
By article J., Section 9, Of the Con-
stituiion, Congress has power to exercise
exclusive legislation, in all cases whatso,
ever, over the District OF Columbia 1t
depends upon Congress therefore, to
ch1nge and abolish these laws, which
are shameful blot upon our civilization
When hitherto the Dungeons of the
Spanish Inqui>ition, of the French Bias
tile, and lately tie horrid prisons of Ma
pes, v! en- hid open to the public View
all humane hearts shuddered Bat
here in this nineteenth century-in this
land of boosted Christianity, OF Bibles
Churches and Seminary Schools, are
horrors, equal TO any ever committed in
Spanish, French or Italian countries
performed, according to law, in the
capital OF the "model republic" in 'lhe
land Of the free and the home of the
brave" Oh, shame, shame How has
our country been diSgraced aud hutalized
by slavery! But now is reform and rep
Grafton demandel. The people look to
Congress 10 blot out these iniquiies and
m Ike laws in consonance with humanity, !
justice, and civilization