The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-06


cially they were exact equals. In tempera.
ment, disposition, and tastes, each found
the other boon companion. This was MOI
the result of the legal abilities or disabilities
Of either. He was free man, and she, I
believe, was-a slave. This association did
not spring from her liberation this social
equality was not the resdlt of abolition. II
occurred in slave State, in the bosom Of 4
slaveholding community. Nor was II an
isolated case, as is demonstrated beyond all
dispute or csvil by the presence ofan i'm.
mcnse mulatto pop llation in every slave.
holding State. as eif 5'.a s# Ha
II may be objected that this illustration
pertains more TO the family relations than to
social intercourse. But I answer, it is all
tho more conclusive on that account. The
family relations furnish the most sacred
means Of social intercourse; it gives society
a permanency which makes its members
more directly amenable to the civil authori-
ties. Hence, If even her men follow their
tastes regardless Of the restraints oil n,
how would you hope to control by legal en-
actments the more miscellaneous social in.
tcrcourse Of life. 1t is literally impossible.
1t does not depend on legal provisions.
Mr.. Davis. ask the honorable Senator
ifin good many Of the northern States the
free negro is not allowed to vote. -l-r.
Mr.. HARLAN. will come to that in a
moment.
Mr.. DAVIS. ask IL in the State of
Massachusetts, he is not allowed to prac-
Mr.. SUMNER. Certainly law to her
honor. ms ,s4s al ,si4t
Mr.. DAVIS, was addressing my ques-
tions to the honorably Senator from Town.
ask the honorable Senator, ton, whether
in Massachusetts, there was not law some
time ago forbidding intermarriage between
the white race and the negro race, and
whether that law wi hin the last few years
has not been repealed. Is that to your
honor, to0e
Mr. HARLAN. I have great respect for
the Senator from Kentucky. and have had
since began to notice our public men al
though he may have known but little Of me,
being somewhat his iunier. have known
him long time. and have contemplated his
character with great pleasure during his
whole political career. know that the
Senator does not trihe with any subject,
that he speaks with candor; and that he pro
pounds these questions with the expecta-
tion Of a candid reply.
The honorable Senator here gave way
temporarily for the consideration Of reports
from committees Of conference after which
he proceedcd.]
When gave way was stating that 80.
cial equality was the result of mutual
wishes, desires, tastes, and purposes on the
part of the individuals seeking social inter
course, and was not legitimate subject oi
legislation. will not pursue this further
than to say that the possession of wealth by
some, and the destitution Of others, render.
ing them unequal in ability to command
the means Of common enjoyment, must ex.
ert powerful influence on social inter.
course. With this modification, the posi-.
ton have taken appears to me to be i'm
pregnable. And this leads me to reply in
regular order to the interrogatories of thu
Senator from Kentucky. First. whereve,
the people of the free States Of differen,
colors are inhibited by the State laws from
intermarriage. will answer that in som,
Of the free States there is no such law. II
some Of them such laws existed for tim
and were then repealed. I remember tha
in Indiana, the State in which I wa
brought up, a law existed for year or so
requiring every young man, on application
for marriage license. to make satisfactor,
proof. by oath or otherwise, that his intend
, ed bride was not n negress but the youn
men rebelled against this requirement. The,
regarded it as an imputation on their tastes
habits, and associations, and the law va
Repealed. They did not deem that such
presumption, as applicable to them, va
just that no officer hal right to p,esum
that they could entertain desire to seek
negress for wife. suppose the Senate
is now sufficiently answered on that point
RI I were disposed to be facetious, I woul
inquire Of him il he deemed it necessary il
Kentucky to prevent the intermarriage Q
white people with negroes, to prohibit it b.
a penal statute. Such a Law would be
|, standing insult to the white population q
his State. There may be few slch inter
marriages in any State, either with or with
out the sanction of law and without tn
sanction Of law more of them occur in slay
communities than in the free States, so tha
an application Of the argument involved il
this inte,rogatory is directly in favor Of tn
liberation of the slave population. Hav
there been any such marriages CONSUMING
ted in Washington city between the whit
people and the slaves who were liberated
few months since by law Of Congress,
think mono have occurred and the appre
hension is perfectly groundless. Sir,
there no other reason for the separation I
the black and white races, in their matr
monial slliances, than the penalties Of th
criminal law Has the hand Of nature 81
ed no barrier to such loathsome association
Win they instinctively spring into eac
others arms in the absence Of legal n