New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-04-01


security for bis good behavior, TO leave the State
within five days, if, after leaving the State, lie
shall return again within FIX months, such justice
may commit ssid free negro or pulatto to The com
non JAIL and if such offender 30 commttedshah not,
within twenty DAYS thereafter, pay his or her
prison charges the Sheriff, with the appreciation OF
any two Justices of the Peace, nay cell such free
negro or mulatto to serve Fix calendar months.
The wroDge, the outrages, the enormiles, when Tue
cupdIiy the dark passions Il the s0rdid ana tbe
tase have visited for the last siXty Year, npon the
unofendinp the helpless, under these laws of Mary
! land TeaiiFmed by the Congress OF the United
States will never be known until Tie secrets OF the
/ lasi day are revealed
Congress in 1890 gave to the Corporation Of Wash
ing,on - power and authority 10 restrain and pro
hibit the nightly and other disorderly meetings OF
slaves. free negroes and mulaitoes, and to punish
such slaves by whipping, not exceeding forty stnpes
or by imprisonment not exceeding six months Tor
any one oense; and tn punish such free negroes ana
mnlaitoes by penalties, not exceeding 80 Tor any
one ofiense and in OF the NAB lily OF any Tree
negro or uulatto TO pay any such penalty ana co''
thereon 10 cause him or her To be conhned 10 hoor
for any time not exceeding ak calendar months, I"
prescribe the terms and conditions upon which iIee
neRoes and rnulattOes NAV reside in the city, topun
in oorporaly sny colored servant or slave for a
breach Of any of their laws or ordinancesi' " ana
TO mas all laws which shall be deemed necessary and
proper for carrying into execution the powers vested
| by this sci in the said Corporation
! Clothed bv the Federal Government with INF
power of legislation the Corporation Of Washington
has passed ordinances relating 10 persons OF color
| bond and Free more oppressive, more nhuman, more
degrading, than the Colonial Black Code Of Mary
land which Congress resliFmed IN 1901.
Bv I'm ordinance passed on the 3lst Of May, lSG
the Corporation of the City Of Washington enacted
if any free coored person il found going at large
after 10 o'cock 1T night without pass from come
resrecta lie citizen, be shall be fined not exceeding
$40, and locked up till morning" This act, often
executed upon honest toilinR men and women whose
callings duties require them to enter the
streets after that hour, IL prOiigate, burden
some OBJ ressyo. OF cias, who too often look upon
the black race az tie prey Of ayarice ard passlon
under color of this enactment, seize their victims
going to or returning from their lawful oaihngs
Since have held seat III the Senate, have known
coored men, trusted and employed by the Govern
ment. while quietly hastening 10 their homes after
10 O'Clock, from their duties in the public servce 10
be arrested under color of this ordnance. An ord-
80 oppressive 70 barbarous should De annulied
by the Congress Of the nited Slater.
On the 2th Of October 1886, the Coronation Of
che City Of Washington enacted that
Every coored person eShsl 20 ,hs Mayo 81,
.hctory evidence of h' O. her tie TO freedom ard euter
Of 100 os the good sad orderly coueuc, II h' o. her
do usy be hned 20 snc sent O. bs wofshouse'
A statute ike this. which requires every free coli
ored person 10 furnish the Mayor OF the City of
Washington evidences Of his or Der title 10 freedom,
aud to give bonds annually tor he Der orderly
conduct aud failing 10 10 30 10 be sent 10 The Noit-
House places ten thousand free peFsons of color at
be mercy Of the Corporation oifcisls OF this city,
who may exercise under color Of this law, the moot
/ oppressive acts o. petty Tyranny.
On the 29th Of Octouer, 1863 the Corporation OF
! the CITY OF Washington, under the authority coD-
ferred upon il BY the Government OF tie United
States enacted that
All secret private mseiiu .s.sbl.ses whs.'oevsr,
and al m,,us, or religious wofP beyond TIE ho1, o. ten
be fol and any ooorsd person persons found such
sssembags. meeting who continue Al religious
meeting ster shs for each orsns@ pay
the - and IN tie event Of sny such mein o. s'se
hos. where such s.enol.re 10 held aud employ All lawful
fo.dste to dperse the same snd IN ease any po
lice constable aeI m notice aud ,nos edge Of 'lh mseiing
sha neglect uie 10 eIecuo the dgy hereby required
be sh oeit ard the sum 81 my dollars aud be inoAps
BE- o. holding Office OF power ~ ust snGeT the Cor
tieE ioT one yesT thereafter"
The Christian men of New-Eugland, Of the Cen
trial States and Of the Wet must not forget that
they not free from responsibility for the existence
in Their national Capital, Of statute which imposes
a fine Of five oollars upon Christian and women,
who may be found in religious meeting after the
hour Of ~ o'clock at night. 10 The Capital OF this
lCh,stian Republic II is made the duty Of police
cOnssb!e-, under penalties OF fine and disirsnchise
rnent 10 enter religious meeting after the hour Of
40 NJ night, and disperso Christian and women
listening to the story Of salvation or Offering up 10
him " hO made the huinblest Of the race in his own
image the praises and gratitude Of oOnrite hearts.
On the 18th OF July, 1871, the corporation Of The
City of arlington passed an ordnance empOw-
eIing the Mayor 70 grant any person Il license 10
trade and traffic IN slaves for the sum Of 500"
This ordinance legalZed IN the national capital the
revolving rlave-trase which had dishOnored the Dis
trct OF Columbia from the day it had been selected
a. tie seal Of the Federal Government. The Grapd
Jury of Alexandria as early IA 1902 bad presented
these dealers in the persons OF our fellow who
exposed their victims loaded with chains ia the pub
lie streets. in 1916, Judge MOTel OF tie Circuit
Court Of tho United States, in hs charge to the
Grand Jury, declared that "the frequency with
which the streets Of the city bad been crowded with
manaoled captyes sometimes on the Sabbath, could
not fail ~ shock the feelings Of all humane persons.
John Randolph, IN tho same year, denounced this
traffic in shaver "ss inbumsn and Illegal The n
eyohdria Ga-rtte, in 1877, denounced this traffic
which filed the streets not unfrequenily with men,
women, aud children hsndcuiod and chained to-
gether" In 1893, more than one thousand q the
citizens Of the District Of Columbia Dpiorcd Con-
gresr TO suppress traffic dlsgraoeiul aud deraorsi
lang in It's elects, and IA 1879 the Grand Jury oi
Washington made oommun cation 10 Congress. IN
which they declared that " the whole community
would h. gritiGed by tie interference Of Congress
for the suppression of these receptacle ana the
clusion OF this disgusting tnic from The District"
7 In 1880 The Warrington Spectator Indignantly de-
nounced these "pr0ccSsions 80 often seen III the
streets Il Wellington OF human beings Lsndcuiicd
IN pairs, or chained IN couples, vending their way
10 tho save-sbilr which were to bear them to the
distant Souih. Yet this trciic, denounced by Judges
and Grand .iuiics, citizens and presses was localized
in 1881 by The corporation If The City Of Waning
tom and Williams, Birch, Neal, Kephari, Richards,
Franklin, ana ArpfieId, polluted tie capital OF the
nation with this bruisl1ing traffic, under tho sane
ton Of law until il made Illegal by the egisla-
ton OF 1850.
The Corporation Of the City of Washington, from
1879 to 1884, enacted cruel and brutal laws for the
puni.hment OF slaves within the limits Of the city
i quote from these brutal and bloody laws these ell
actmons;
az slave breaks street lamp be shah DO punished by
whipping on The bar. back"