New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-22
THE ILLINOIS BLACK LAWS.


the beginning of discussion that is destined,
we hope and believe, to expunge, OF no distant
day, from the statute-bOOk the infamous Black
Laws of that State The name is familiar, but
We presume few persons have any notion Of the
true character of the legislation which still in
Illinois has the validity, if it have not the force
Of law.
The Black Code was first passed IN 1917 Tor
the benefit of the few shareholders in the south
crn part Of the State. 1t was reenactcd in
lS45. Slavery at that time was either wholly
cxtinguishcd OF survived in so few instances
hat any legislation in its behalf was manitestly
absurd But Slavery in the South, in Ken
tucky and Missouri, was then dominant power,
and exercised control far over Illinois, as over
other Northern States. Hatred to the Negro
Was if possible still more potent influence, and
the two together were able TO pass such acts as
this:
sec o. II any slave or servant shall be found at
d,tauce of ten miles from the tenement Of his or her
MASTER or the person with whom be or she Ives with
ont pass or some letter token whereby 1t may ap-
pear that he or shc Is proceeding by authority from Lis
ny her master employer or overseer IL shall and may DO
lawful for any person TO apprehend and carry him or
her before Justice Of the Peace TO body hs order pun
shed with stripes not exceeding thirty five, at his dis
erection.
CSC TO- If any slave or servant shall presume to
come end he upon the plantation, or at the dwelling OF
any person Whatsoever without leave from his or her
owner not being sent upon lawful business 1t shall be
ful for the owner OF such plantation or dwelling
house 10 give or order such slave or servant ten ose
on his or her bare back"
South Carolina may be challenged to produce
anything more purely malignant than these Sec
tions; for though there are more cruel laws IN
that State, they are part Of system oil terror
aud oppression which were thought to be, and
perhaps were, necessary to oyerawe slave pop
ulation that exceeded in numbers the free. But
in Illinois such law is simplya piece OF bigotry
and spite, and is infinitely more disgraceiul to
that State than is the code of South Carolina to
her Slavery community.
Another law, proceeding upon the presump-
ton that slavery is the legal condition of
every colored person who cannot prove himself
free, considers that all colored persons attempt
ing to enter the State are escaping from ser
vitude aud throws all possible distractions III
tho way Of their settlement. 1t requires bonds
TO be filed In the sum of 81 900 each that the
negro shall not become charge upon the
county as a paupcr. We give the fifth sec
ton in full, rs a monument Of absurdity and
infamy together:
"SEc 3. Every black or mulatto person who shall be
found this State. aud not having such certificate as
is required by this chapter shal B. deened raS~oy
dor, srroH and il shall be lawful for any nhaboni
OF this State take such black mulatto person before
some Justice Of the Peace and should such black or
multto person produce such certificate as aforesaid
shall be the duty Of such Justice TO such black
nulatto person TO be committed 10 Tho custody Of The
S.sr.t Of Ge Coaaiy who shall keep such black or
mulaito person. aud In three days after receiving him
shall adrsri.s him at the courthouse door, and shall
transmit notice, and cause the same to he advertised
for Fix weeks in some public newspaper printed
nearest 10 the place OF Experiencing such bses
person or mulatto stating = description Of the
most remarkable features of the supposed run.
away and fsuch person so committed shall not pro-
ducc q certificate or other evidence Of his freedom with
IN The time aforesaid It shall be the duty o. the Sheriff
ing given five days previous notice thereof from month
To MONTH FOR tie space OF year. md II no owner
shah appear aud subsantate his claim before the es
piaton Of tie year the Sheriff shall give certificate
to such blnesor mulato person. who upon producing
the ut tie next crcuit court of the county may
obtain certificate the court stating the facts and
the person slall be deemed free person unless he
should be lawfully claimed by his proper owner or OWE
eis thereafter"
Is it necessary TO argue about such Law as
that But the climax is not yet reached. The
rest OF the case may be best stated rs we find il
in The Chicago Tribune:
Until tie year 1859 there other penalties or
prohibitions upon tie migration OF colcred persons TO
Illinois than the above, which declared rneons,tu.
tonnl by the Supreme Court. for the reason arec y
stated and there only iG colored persons IN the
State 10 $1,000 whites The Legislature OF 1883 turned
It's attention to tho subject with l,roe,y that would
have done honor to Arkansas or Madagascar. IT
enacted that If any negro or mulatto bond or Zee,
should come into the State and remon ton days, he
should be fined fifty dollars, and sold ut auction fur the
line to the bidder WHO would pay it for the shortest
period OF his service and thar II he did no. then lcnve
the State tic process should DO repeated till be would
leave
This barbarous law, il Is said, has remained
u dead letter in all but two OF three counties,
nor do there seem TO have been more than hail
a dozen executions of ID ia all the State, aud |
the Journal from which We quote aairns:
"Thcre il not a county in tho State where
public opinion would now tolerate sn attempt
to enforce The law, by selling black man for