The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-21
II am sir. respectfully

10 the notice of the proper United states
officers.
II am sir, respectfully
"Ycur ob't servt
"lSioned) r. s. DONALDSON,
lit Col Actg Asst Com
Another one bearing the same date
and issded from the same place. bears
this wording.
''To ,ghoB IL may CoUceIR Charles Pltard'
freedman. having furnished satisfactory evil
dence TO this Office that he is capable OF sup
nortinG himself and that he has been ap-
prenticed contrary to his own wishes, is mere
bv released from the obligation, thus I'M
posed upon him and permitted to choose his
own employer co~-
"(Signed) H. ,: DONADDoON,
Lieut. Col. Act'g Asst Com
Let us look into this matter. The on
" order issued by Gen. Grant which we
have seen, is General Orders No. 8, from
which we extract: "And also protecting
colored persons from prosecutions IN any
of said States, charged with offences for
which white persons are not prosecuted
or punished in the same manner and de-
gree" Prosecution implies offence on
the part of the person prosecuted. The
law then is rindicdtory and prescribes a
punishment commensurate with the Of
fence. The law of indentures for white
and black minors is simply directory, and
in no manner can it be said TO prosecute
the negro different from the white, for 1t
prosecates neither. The law binding out
white minors says it shall be done by the
Board of Police on report of the oFerseers
of the Poor. 1t provides that at the ex-
piration of the apprenticeship, the master
shall furnish the apprentice two good
suits of substantial cloth. If the appren-
tice is wronged by his master the con-
tract ia dissolved and the minor receives
no special remedy at law, but is appren-
ticed to another man. In the negro ap-
prentice law, the County Court takes the
place of the Board |of Police, and the
Probate Judge Of the Overseer of the
Poor. Ifthe negro during the period OF
his,apprenticeship leaves the master, the
circumstances are investigated, and if the
master is found to have wronged him, he
is fined one hundred dollars. No special
amount of clothing is furnished him at
the expiration of his term, but the con-
tract is to furnish him with certain cloth
ing and food, sufficient in quantity and
quality to feed and clothe him well and
comfortably. The law was specially
made with view to protect the negro
But it does not suit the Solomons who
PROFOUND to US our negro laws, nor the
Moses who have devoted themselves
to leading this people out Of bondage in
to their own pleasant walks of life, to SCI
any justice in anything that is done fo
the negro. Ifthey want to search fo
discriminating" laws we refer them t.
the one which fines the white 5000 ant
the negro but $50 for miscegenation
This is manifest class-legislation, and il
favor of the negro, too for it makes
luxury" to one class, a "cheap article
to another. 1t is evident, too eviden
that Gen. Grants order does not appl,
in the first cases mentioned. And il
looking for the motive that strains its az
plicability to the cases mentioned, W
can find it only in persistent, malignan
desire to "make case" upon every OF
casion possible, or in want of that on
article. the absence of which is no les
felt in the Freedmen's Bureau than
Congress. We mean common sense
not negro scents. If every little petit
official who assumes the care of so man
human souls and their rights and priv
leges in this world, is to arrogate TO hin
selffhe decision of the justice or inju
tice of our laws, and the country to |
goverened by little kings" why let +,
have one grand and "kingly king" ov,
all, and let our feelings change fro
that hearty contempt which insignifca,
"lords" engender by contemplate deed
to feeling Of awe and respect whic
real kingly power always inspires. III
printing of Gen. Grants order is so pla
that it seems to us itmight be deciphert
even in thefreedmen's bureau; and
meaning to us appears so clear, that ar
man ought to be able to properly tran
late it, no matter h0ac long has ears az
~ A letter from subscriber in Jeffers'
county says:
We have at last found man who CT