The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-08-14

ro0m was rocking Win nlth. lhey had been
arrested under the
INFAMOUS BLACK LAWS OF MARYLAND.
The laws affecting the men in prison were
passed many years before, when Mary
land was Colony. If a slave went abroad
at night without leave he could be punished
by whipping cropping and branding with the
letter r. na slave were convicted Of treason
arson or murder, he was TO have his right hand
cut of aud then he was to be hung. his head
severed from his body. the body divided into
four quarters, and the head and quarters set
mp IN the most public place in the County
Il was lawful for any one to shoot and kill a
runaway slave.
LAW OF CONGRESS
Under an act Of Congress passed 1890, a slave
breaking street lamp, or tying horse to a
tree in the street. flying kite attending a
religious meeting, unless led by white man
was to be whipped. A free negro must prove
his freedom and enter into bonds with five
good bondsmen TO obey the laws. If he could
not obtain them, he must pay fine Of $1,000
or be sent 10 the workhOuse. A free col0red
person found in the streets after 10 O'Clock at
night was 10 be arrested and sent to Jail. The
police suspecting negro of being runaway
slave were TO put him in jail, and the negro
must prove his innocence or be sold TO pay the
fees.
The poor creatures in the jail looked up
wonde,ingly when ] entered. Had come TO
sell them into slavery? j asked them ques-
tiOns, and here are the notes written at the
time:
"James Munroe, JIG years old; belongs to
Capt. bennington, who was Captain of the
police at the Capitol during Buchansn's adj
1ninistrati0m He is now Captain of Confed-
erate battery. When he went 10 Virginia he
left James behind. who has been arrested be-
cause he has no master.
''ChaTles Jackson, from Fairfax County, Va;
owned by Mm. Dulin; lived near Fairfax
Courthouse; 80 years old When the Union
army entered Virginia his master sold his wife
and children. lie fed 10 the Union lines, was
arrested by the police, and has been in jail
three months
- You sec. sir he said, when master sold
my wife and children it broke me all up. /
am sick; ] can't eat j sha'nt live long but
j don't want 20 die here. O. sir, can YOU do
anything TO get me out?' There We're tears
upon his cheeks as he knelt in supplication at
my feet
s'6eorge Washington. The slave masters fire.
quently named their slaves for the great men
of the South. lie belonged to Benjamin Wal
Rer, near Oak Grove, Orange Co., Va. He ran
away and reached Washington. lie thought
the Union soldiers would be his friends. Lib
erty is sweet 10 me- he said.
a
been a slave. he lived in Alexandria; was az
rested by the police OIL the supposition that he
was slave. There was no one TO pay his jail
fees
1t was profitable business for the police
their arTestiug negroes and putting them in
jail They had fee for every arrest, which
was paid by the Government OF the United
States. Under the old law, if no one claimed
them, free negroes were sold into slavery to
pay the fees. The jailer and sheriff made a
Ene thing Of IT,
Robert Paine; owned by George Silkman,
near Occ0quon Mills, Va. His master was in
the Confederate army. He took boat, made
his way up the Potomac TO Washington to find
freedom. he had been at work on the fortifi-
cations around Washington for 40 days. Gov
ernment owed him for his labor. He was
arrested one night by the Georgetown police,
and had been in jail 10 weeks"
When the poor creatures saw me making
notes Of their answers they imagined / was
going 70 DO something towards getting them
out OF lall, and they were not wrong in their
conclusions, for my blood was boiling, and
determined that they should he free, and that
TIE law under which they had been imprison-
ed should be repealed.
Please put down my name, sir" each said.
erowding around me. The rags which they
wore were alive with vermin. Some of them
had caught cold from sleeping ON the stone
floor, and were fast going in consumption
God bless y0l, Enassa" was the chorus that
fell upon my ears as l walked away Fifteen
minutes later was in the Capitol reading my
notes 10
HENRY WILSON,
Senator from Massachusetts,. Together we re-
burned 10 the Jail.
Ny God is 1t possiblein he said. as he
gazed upon the poor creatures.
We wil have this thing ripped up as sure
ss there is God in heaven.
catirQ uftrn Charles Nuraue- .aad 80 A..
what ! had written, and he too visited the
jail and came out Of it with his blood at fever
heat.
WHAT CAME OF IT.
The next day Senator Wilson introduced
resolution into the Senate "direeting the dis
charge Of al persons claimed as fugitives from
service or labor confined ia the jail in the Dis
trict Of Columbia
have visited the jail and have found such
scene Of degradation as I never before wit
messed, said Mr. Wilson
There are persons there" said Senator
Sumner, almost entirely naked, some Of them
without even shirt. Some Of them are free
persons Most Of them have run away from
eisioEai masters. Some have been sent there
hy their masters for safe keeping till the war is
ever"
] think p said Senator Hale. of New Hamn.
shire, that when the Northern States find out
tnat they are supporting here IN jail the slaves
% tcDDt1 VINO are sS-tlhg against HS,-thaf we
are keeping az the public expense, their slaves
for them till tie war is overt will have
Tendency 10 eliighten the minds OF some of
them II answering the question What has
Tic North . DC with slaFeryl +"
Senator Grimes, Of Iowa visited the fail.
s. think he said, that there never was a
place c1 coafneIDent that can be compared 10
Ike Washington jail, except the French Bastile
or the Dungeon Of Venice ] found one negro
who had been there il months-arrested on
gusIicion q being d runaway"
4he resolution was passed. and the 60 negroes
SCI al liberty. had the salts 4etion OF seeing
them breathe the fresh air Of heaven. never
more TO bc arrested as runaway slaves.
IT MAS THE FIRST STEP
taken iy Congress towards abolishing slavery.
A few weeks later q bill was introduced for the
emancipation Of the slaves ia the District of
Columbia, which became law in April. 1862
There was great rejoicing throughout the
Northern States Those who saw that slavery
was the cause Of the war, hailed Ii as forecast
1ng its doom. John O. Whittier whose soul
was set Oh IRE for freedom 30 years before
wrote Of the event:
knew tllat truth would crush this lie
Somehow. sometime The end would be:
Yet scarcely dared hope 20 see
1he triumph with my mortal eye.
But now see H. IN the sun
"A Free Esq floats from wonder dome
And at tlc Nation hearth and home
a. .ter3fr Iqfa -saI &. ..Qs.-