New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-29
people entirely at the mercy of the Whites by dis
arming them and armpg the Whites. -lr...-


" These laws establish system OF slavery more
odious and oppressive than the old system They pre-
scribe for every triaing oense the pillory and the
LASH To eyade the constitutional amendment which
prohibits Slavery or involuntary servtude except as
punishment for crime, they have enlarged the cata-
logue of crimes. These Florida Rebels have placed
it in their power to force the negroes into yagan
oy, and they have made vagrancy crime Tor winch
the freedman may be sold into servitude Tor year at
time. By these laws, the mere being out OF employ
ment is vagrancy although the poor man may oo
ing and anxious to work. could he but ma empty
ment. The negroes just freed from oia'eiy
are of course poor and destitute Ihey nave
no lands, no houses, no teams or tools
or other means of setting themselves
to work. If their former masters, who own all the
lands, will not employ them, they are, OF course
forced into yagrancy. If they are unable TO pay
fine or forfeiture for any ofense no matter how
trihing they may be sold at auction to whoever VIII
take them for the shortest me and pay fine and COSTS
These sales moreover. are cumulative; that 3D. man
may DO sold under several different charges at the
same time, and the perodof bis servitude may reach
twenty years or more We are assured that, In the
interior Of that State one negro has recently been sold
for four years and Others for less time. And sale
even for that period may be practically sale for hie
Suppose Florida readmted in her present state, ana
all check upon her legislation removed, all restraint
upon her vindictive passions taken of-what chance
will negro once sold have to regain his freedom, or
control of HIMSELF /" If the present authorities,
says thoroughly well.informed correspondent, "fee
that they arc to have the power and full swing to
carry out the law as it now stands, do not believe it
would be two years before half the negroes in Florida
would be sold into this kind Of Slavery" All that
restraints the establishment of the old system is the
doubt whether the policy of the President will prevail
If it should, woe to the negro at the South!
Nor is vagrancy the only crime which makes basis
for slave system. If colored man violates his coH
tract he may be punished as for vagrancy-that 49,
may be sold into Slavery. What is violating con-
tracti" Well, for one thing, "wanton impudence >
Isl and the planter his White neghbor or crony are
to be judges whether the negro has been mpudent or
not "Disrespcct TO the employer or his agent is
another crime punishable by Slavery. "Failure to
perform the work assigned him is third cause for
which the negro may DO sold on the aucton'Dlock
and Scared by the ash no matter whether such fall
ure may proceed from Illness or from the extortion-
ate demand of bis employer or from any other cir
cumstonoe. In either case, he may be sentenced to
labor for twelve months, or to imprisonment for the
same period, or by whipping, or the pory orboth' at
the discretion of the Jury The number of oenses to
which the latter punishments are made applicable Is
frightful and sufficiently shows the determination Oh
the Florida planters not to surrender the lash as
means of controlling the Blacks. Formerly the
planter Aoggod his slave whenever he chose, as
matter Of course, and public opinion sustained him
Now, he has not only revengcful and malicious
public opinion, but the express enactment OF the
statute.book Az the law now stands, the negro
suffers stripes the JAIL and slavery, for simple breach
Of contracts while the MASTER who is the other party
to that contract is merely liable in other cases, to
damages, to be recovered by the negro in suit at
common law, wherein the Judge, the jury, the law
yers. and all but the miserable Black plaintiff HIMSELF
will be Whites And this IS only a taste Of the beau
ties of Florida law it stands o-dayof law which
rules a State that Andrew johnson says ought to be
forthwith admitted into Congress to help to make
laws for the rest of the Union