The Portland daily press., 1866-09-08


NOT HAVE THE RIGHT To SELL ANY corn
rice, peas, wheat, or other grain, any flour
cotton, fodder, hay, bacon, fresh meat of any
kind, animal of any kind, or any other product |
Of farm, WITHOUT HAVING WRITTEN Ev1-
DENcE FROM SUCH MASTER, OR SOME PER-
SONS AUTHORIZED BY HIM OR FROM THE |
DISTRICT JUDGE OR MAGISTRATE, that he |
has the right to sell such product.
Suppose the "Master' should refuse to sign
a statement that the eggs, pork, poultry or
garden sauce. raised by negro on his own
little patch, were his own property? Does
any one imagine that the Judge would do
SO? By the same law colored person, WHO
OWNS A FARM, may keep one hunting piece.
but no other description of military weapon.
No other description of colored persons shall
keep any weapon whatever, un Ger penalty of
confiscation thereof, and penalty in double the
value of the weapon, and, in case of failure to
pay the penalty, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
No person of color shall distil or offer for sale
spfrituous liquors. No person of color shall
migrate into the State without giving bonds in
the sum of $1,000 conditioned for his good be-
havior and his support while there. The an
tiquated punlshments of treadmill, stocks and
corporal punishment are provided for in case
of failure to pay fines. In case misdemeanor
committed by person of color, ANY PERSON
may arrest him and take him before magis-
trate, but in case of white offender complaint
must be made beforehand. Persons of color
are charged 500 per year license for plying
the occupation of shopkeeper or pedlar, and
ten dollars for engaging in any trade.
After this who shall say that Massa chus-
etts ana South Carolina walking up the aisle
of the Philadelphia Convention was farce?
What perfect harmony of principle and SEN
timent there is between them, to be sure p
OF course, one of those gallant soldiers who
| stormed Wagner, could 60 to South Carolina
to-day and be treated precisely as he would
be in Massachusetts. In less than month it
appeared that this whole infamous code was
mere sham and it was annulled by an order
issued by General Sickles Jan. II, 1866.
In Florida the law makes felony, punish
able with death, the exciting, or attempting
to excite, by writing, speaking, or by other
means, an instruction or sedition amongst
any portion Or class of the population.
| The Inv also makes it unlawful for any ne
gro, mulatto, or person OF color to own, use,
or keep in possession or under control any
bowie-knife, dirk, sword, firearms, or ammu-
milton of any kind, unless by license of the
county judge or probate, under a penalty of
forfeiting them to the informer, and of stand
ing in the pinory one hour, or be whipped not
exceeding thirty-nine stripes, or both, at the
discretion of the jury. ss.s5-
| In Virginia, the acts relative to colored per-
sons are similar to those above mentioned
The punishments are severer. Thirty-nine
lashes and one hour in the pillory are pre-
scribed for carrying weapons without license
and for getting into railroad car&c., set apart
for white people. This whole scheme of OPP
preston was annulled by an order from Cen
eral Terry. President Johnson, although ap-
piled to, did not take the responsibility of re-
voking it. The following extract from the or
der shows its necessity and shows further
more what will be the result when the Freed
mems Bureau shall be finally removed. AT
ter reading the substance of the law the Gen
eral goes on.
| In many counties of this State meetings of
employers have been held, and unjust and
wrongful combinations have been entered into
| for the purpose OF depressing the wages of the
freedmen below the real value of their labor,
far below the prices formerly paid to masters
for labor performed by their slaves. By reason
of these combinations, wages utterly made
quate to the support Of themselves and families
have, in many places become the usual and
common wages ofthe freedmen. The effect of
the statute in question will be, therefore to
compel the freedmen, under penalty of punish
ment as criminals, to accept and labor for the
wages established by these combinations of
employers. 1t places them wholly in the pow
er of their employers, and it is easy to forsee
that, even where no such combination now ex
lists the temptation to form them offered by
the statute will be too strong to be resisted,
and that such inadequate wages will become
the common and usual wages throughout the
State. The ultimate effect of the statute will
be to reduce the freedmen to a condition of ser
vitude worse than that from which they have
been emancipated-a condition which will be
slavery in all but its name.
1t is therefore ordered that no magistrate,
civil-officer or other person shall in any way
or manner apply or attempt to apply the pro-
visions of said statute to any colored person in
this department.
But why pursue the disgusting theme fur
Their? The plain, notorious facts of the con-
dition of the Southern people negative entire
~ the assumption that they are friendly to the
negro, except for their own private gain and
that they shave in good faith given mp slav.
cry" They have given up the name but not
the thing. Under the above set forth provis-
ions of law as administered by prejudiced
judiciary, the negro's freedom would be more
intolerable than his slavery, for he would re-
ceive the penalties and the white man receive
the benefit of these laws, and the system be-
ing under color of law, could not be held up
to the adherence and indignation of man
kind. RI