The colored American., 1866-01-13
THE REPORT Or THE COM
"a lleoI ONeRS ON LAWS
E0R EREEDMEN

IL
II p0R EREEDMEN. &
nat kad the pleasure Of peru
sio the sboEe report of the fCommis
loasl ppohted BY the Legislature .
this StaIofo compile code Of laws, !,
govern freedmen and with the exception o
two or three tin our opiuion) upius
ARTICLES, We are much inclined to approx,
Of them. But Why require specid
eode Of laws to regulate them, more thar
70 r:gplate any other branch Of society
Are their criminals sO0yss than white
criminals, and is virtue among them less
u substance, than among white society,
which demands 3 new system Of laws to
punish Or reward, as the case may be2
II afreedman is guilty of theft, is he .
seOrse thtsf than a white man guilty Of
the same crime? # he is caught at house
breaking, or horse stealing, or commits
ting any depreciation on property, other
than bis own lawful possession, does the
fact that he is freeman make the guilt
the more glaring, or the crime the more
despicable9 Or if he is to be rewarded
for doing right, is his measure of right,
less than that of white man who does
the same? If not SO, then what in the
name Of sense is the use of spelling good
pens and paper compiling laws and regu-
lations to guide him, wheL there are laws
and regulations already in existence,
which reach his case exactly ? IF be is
free, let him be free in good faith. Do
not take the shackles off his bands to
bind them on his feet, but let him stand
on the broad basis of his freedom and
manhood You cannot tell what he is,
nor what be will do, unless you trust
him, and you cannot but know and feel,
that be never betrayed that trust before.
He is not going to do SO now If he
stood to you as you now stand to him,
and heFWas to enact q special code of
laws to regulate your conduct, while
there was in existence code amply sufi |
oient, for that purpose, would you not
grumble and groWel about it ? Aye / there
would not be paper enough, nor printers
enough in the land to publish your re-
moastraDces against such an Innovation of
the rights of freeman. Why not do to
him as you would have him to do to you, |
If you were so situated?
The fact that a special code of laws
is prepared for freedmen, is proof that
a crime committed by a freedman is
greater in point of importance, than if it
was committed by a freeman or a white
and that existing laws, which would
re ch the whites case, could not possibly
reach the blacks. Is not this virtually
decIaring that slavery, though dead in
name, is yet alive and as rampant as ever. |
md that the constitutional amendment
$ declaration of rank bypocracy before
digh Heaven a seal Of nations per,
ury. You ma y deny them the right OF
'uffrage-they are not fighting SO hard
or that at present--but beyond that
here is no law, necessary to be enacted
o govern them, but what can be found
N the statute books of the state to day. /.
The whites criminal laws will do for
hem; the whites testimony laws will do
or them, the whites labor and contract
avs will do for them; and the whites
marriage and legitimacy laws will do for
hem. Is there necessity for other than
hese2 Reason and justice does not think
o, and it will be we'll for our law makers
0 remember that others have as been a !
ense Of reason aud justice as they have
iakenolclass laws, or you sap the very
oundation Of the superstructure Of re-
ublicanism. Better ten thousand times
anish that class BY an act of eviction .
han make one-sided laws for them, and .
ave the knaWiBg Of the worm Of con /
cience continually reminding you that 9
TRoNG is stamped upon your wisdom. IL
PARApE OF THE OOLoRED FIREmAH. b
IN Monday afternoon last the folloWingl /
oupsuies composing the eoiored portion /
7 the Savannah Fire Department, had al )
" nj