Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-05

slavety
Thee = -aue question whesher thc drst sris-
ten law. ecissliy eslsh.isiiag slavery g - ~
ern wofi4 80 not -iuals t. Ncws EngituJ.
Elsewhere It vas accepted ancient in-tits-
ton. bit IN Massachusetts q Was lustiaeJ o.
scriptuFal grounds aud established by statutes and
treaties. As early "a 1911. the u tssachusetts
General Coar, adopted TIE folosi8g lss:
1T is ordered by this court and the authority
thereof. that there shall never De any bond sla
very fiiisnage0 or captivity amongst us. unless y
be lawful captives taken n just sars. a. wiling
" sell themselves or are sold 70 u. aud such
shall have the lberiies anl Christian usage which
tie "a. of God established il Israel concerning
such persons doth morally require. provided this
exemuts none fsDm servtude who SHALL be al
judged thereto by authority -
We doubt whether any earlier statute can be
found il modern civiliz st.on which recognizes.
aud in fact appoints and protects TIC institution
Of slavery We have heretofore shown low the
Puritan bought negroes. and shipped and sold IN
the Bermudas the captive Indians aud their child
rem. We have Tot tie space 20 quote tenth
part Of their legislation this subject IL any
one seeks the origin Of the fugitive slave law. II
which Massachusetts, now professes holy hor-
rOr, ne point 20 the Articles OF Confederation
Of the New England Colonies" made ia Ply
mouth close BY the rock. Sept. ,, 1912. IN which
il was provided:
See. Z IL is also agreed that il
sny servant run away from his master into any
other of these cOnfederated Jurisdictions that in
such case. uron the certificate OF one magistrate
in the jurisdiction out Of which said servant He'd,
or upon other due proof the said servant shall DC
delivered either To nj master or any other that
pursues and brings such certificate proof"
Here is the iirst fugitive sl-vs law. Here
no talk of jury tria!- or of the prirna faei, evi
dence of freedom until a man Wa proved To be
slave The certificate of magistrate was the
sole evidence req1ired for extradition.
In 1853 the General Court enacted law con
corning the right OF men 10 seh themselves Tor
csbts, and providing that the court of me county
should regulate the tim oil service that other
creditors should not be Gefraudei of their fair
share of the mans lifetime Here wasa carious
pTOvislon for men consecrated 10 human beFty
being nothing more less than establish
ment OF slavery for debt Long before this in
1896 they had forbidden any one who was a
Covenant servant in. housebold with any other,
10 vote or hold Office
The Puritan system involved three distinct
castles in society. The master or owner" the
servant" and the slave" The GRADES of gu
perioriv AID inlerioTity were regulated by law
and strictly observed The servant" was to all
intents and purposes a slave for = limited period
he could not buy or sell goods not even the pro
duct u his Own extra labor In this respect he
worse of than the South Carolina slave to-
day. He might become "A servant by ruling him
self, and in other ways. The idea of equality in
human rights or in the enjoymant of liberty
would have been rank heresy in the Puritan
church. Superiority aud nieri0rity. master and
servant. owner and slave. were relations de
Tended ont of scripture and firmiy held as scrip
tural by tie Pilgrim fathers
On the subiec; Of emancipation the Puritan
fathers he'll doctrines that would horrify Mr.
Sumner II he ever read history. They were de
cidcdly firmly opposed the indiscriminate
emancipation. They denied the right of & master
To cast OF his relation as master at viii. They
found freedmen troublesome AMI they made laws
against emancipation. In 636 they passed a law
on the subject OF covenant servants" OF which
Section this
1t Is ordered that no servant shall be set free
or have any 10, anil ne have served out the time
cOyenanted. under penalty % such fine rs the
quarters courts shall iullict. unless they
to remit the sumo
This provision forhddiug the master to eman-
clpate his covenant servant was continued ~ the
Law OF the colony for century. TIE question
OF lmmesliate emancipation which is discussed in
this country, was rot unknown to the Puritans
They held To the divine origin OF slavery aud IT'S
rghtfulness rs an institution having Bible sane
ton. They also held that emancipation was i'm
polite aud nexpeGent unless the master made
provision for the support of the freedman. The
wisdom Of their views this subject ought not
to admit o. dispute. But What will Mr.. Sumner
md the members Of the New England Society
say. when we show them that after holding slaves
for more than a hundred and fifty years, with full
knowledge of the evils Of .<lavery, the Puritan
colony OF Massachusetts, enacted a law TO pre-
vent the emancipation of Slavesl We quote the
statute ia full II enacted in June, l7o3.
AN Acr RELATING TO MrLATro AND MICRO SLAVES
w hereAs great charge and inconveniences
have arisen to divers towns and places by the re
leasing and setting at liberty mulatto and negro
slaves, for prevention whereof for the future.
BE it declared and enacted by his Excellency
the Governor Council aud Representatives. in
General Court assembled, and by the authority of
the same, that no mulattO or negro slave shall
hereafter he inanumttted. discharged or set free.
until sufficient security he given to the treasurer
of the town or place where such person dwells.
in a valuable sum. not les than fifty pounds To
secure and indemnify ihc town place from all
charge tor or about such mulatt0 o. negro. To be
mauumitted and set at liberty. III case he or she
by sickness. lamencss otherwise. be rendered
incapable To support him or herself
And no muatto or negro hereafter manu-
mtted shall tie deemed ar accounted free, Tor
whom security shall not he given as aforesaid.
but shall be The proper CD irse of their respective
master, or ulstresses, in case they stand IN need
OF relief anu support. notwithstanding any matu
mission or instrument of freedom them invade
or given; ami shrll also be liable W ali times to
be put forth % service by the se!ectmeu of the
town. uue. 1903
II may be a. ~eil 10 quo'e another statute of
1913 to show the close resemblance between
Massachusetts, slavery aud Sonth Carolina slave
~. II i a. follows:
''AN ACT TO PREVENT DISORDERS ~ THE NIGHT.
Whereas great disorders. nsolence and bur
garies are oittimes raised aud committed in the
night time. by fuditp>. negro ana mulitto ser
wants and slaves. u the dsquiet and hurt OF her
Msesty's good subjects for prevention hereof.
.' g. il enacted by H. Exc liency the Governor
Coaui aud Represent stives, IN Genr C0ur'
that Indian, negro, or malttto servant or
slave may presume % be absent from the FAM
lies whereto they respectively belong, or be found
abroad in the night time after nine O'Clock. IN
less il be upon some errand foo Their respective
masters or owners
Aud all justices Of the peice. coastahes.
tithingmen watchmen. ard other ni Her MsJes
tvs good subjects. being hou~eholder> within the
sane town, are hereby respectively empowered
to take % ani apprehend. Or cause 10 be appFe
hended any lndiau negro or rluiatto servant or
slave that shall he fouu abro ID after nine o'clock
at night and shall pot give cool and sitislsc
tory account ii their business. make ans disturb