Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-13
SLAVES IN THE DISTRICT,
How the Laws Treated Them and Free
COlOred Persons.
scANTY PRIVILEGES ALLOWED THEM BEFORE THE
wAR-REMINIsCEScEs THAT ARE APPROPRIATE
IN VIEW OF THE APPROACHING EMANCIPATION
CELEBRATION IN THIS CITY.

| CELEBRATION IN THIS CITY.
| On the 10th inst the anniversary of the eman-
cipation of the slaves in the District of Column
bia occurs, and the occasion will be duly cele-
brated by the colored citizens. 1t is only the
| older ones who realize the full significance of
that emancipation. for the act took place
twentv-six years ago, and the present genera
ton are all free born. In order that these may
appreciate the difference in the condition from
that of the negro or mulatto before the war,
search among the old court records
has been made by a STAR reporter to
show how severely the law bore upon the
race, even though some had bought their
freedom and were no longer simply chattels.
| one OF our old colored residents and leader
| of the race states that I'm the days of slavery
! the white people of the District were always
better than the laws. and, through the kind
nesses shown the race, the effect of the OPP
pressive laws was notified" In the language
| of another free-born colored citizen of the
! olden time: "A negro IN the slave days
who was sold OF was one of the
| mean kind. as general rule. and
slaves. if they behaved themselves and OBJ
served the laws, were always more slaves in
name than in reality. 1t is true that as all
| slaves were not of the good description there
were also masters who were hard on their pos
sessions In the slave line, but there were really
! put Few such masters, and numberless Incl
| dents can be recalled by our older residents
where. when slave was caught out after hours
| and locked up, the owner would pay the fine
| rather than have him or her whipped, and
would not themselves take it out of their
| hides, either
THE LAWS WERE SEVERE.
! 1t is not to be denied, however, that the laws
in regard to slaves as well as free-born colored
bore severely upon them. 1t is well known
that the old Maryland laws to which We became
heirs were OF this character and the earlier acts
OF Congress relating to the District no i'm
proyement on the state laws far as any let-up
on the coiored wrong-dOer was concerned. By
the charter of the city of 1920 power was given
ito restrain ana prohibit the nightly and other
dlsorderly meetings of slaves. free negroes. and
muattoes and to punish such slaves bv whip
ping, not exceeding forty stripes. or by impris-
onment, not exceeding six months, for any one
ofense. and to punish such free negroes and
mulattoes by penalties not exceeding so for
any one oifense, and in case of the inability of
any such free negro or mulatto to pay any such
ptnalty and cost thereon, to cause him or her
to be confined 20 labor for any time not ca
ceedlng six calendar months"
THEY HAD TO BE REGISTERED.
Under this clause an ordinance was passed,
May 81, 1927. concerning free negroes. mulat-
toes, and slaves. This provided that all free
black or mulatto persons upward of sixteen
years OF age should furnish the register within
| thirty days, evidence of freedom and in de-
| fault, to be liable to a penalty OF sc; and the
register shall keep a record of such and fur
nish such a written permit to reside here. All
disOrderly or tumultuOus assemblages so as to
disturb the peace or repose of citizens were
prohibited and the participants on conviction.
were required to give bond for peaceable. Or
derry behavior for six months ANY black or
mulatto was liable to a fine on conviction. for
playing cards. dice. or other game having an
immoral tendency, or being present thereat
1hey were liable to fine of SO for having a
dance. ball, or assembly at their houses with
out first having a permit from the mayor. A
like penalty was imposed on them for going at
large after 10 O'Clock at night without a pass,
unless engaged i'll driving. They were liable
TO fine OF % if found drunk ON the street or
open grounds or in tipping houses. or guilty
OF obscene or profane language. If the fines
were not secured to be paid they were liable to
commitment TO the workhouse for six months.
The obligations were also imposed on slaves,
| and the penalty WAS whipping, not exceeding
thirty nine stripes on the bare back.
A BOND FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR.
Free persons coming into the city were re-
quired to give bond i'll $500 with two sureties
conditioned on good behavior for three years,
or in default were subject to commitment to
the wOrkhouse. Every negro or muatto who
Jailed to establish title to freedom was liable
to commitment as an absconding slave.
The act of 1886 prohibited the granting of
licenses to any free negro or mulatto except to
drive carts, drays, carriages, or wagons and it
was required that he should be registered
resident. They were prohibited from selling
liquor, keeping tavern, shop. porter-cellar. or
clearinghouse under penalty of $40 All secret
or private meetings whatsoever and meetings
for religious worship beyond 10 o'clock at night
were declared unlawful, and fine of So on
each otfenSe was imposed, land it was the duty
nOIIrH-TOnStahlp HiGnarCn oil
gatherings
On March ~. 1888, the colored race began to
realize that better times were in store for them.
| for on that date the mayor approved an act en-
towering all free persons OF color who had
families or were housekeeping ito own, DOS
sess. and keep any animal of the dog kind. +"
Many who remember the number of dogs kept
Ill ante-bellum days by colored people have
some idea how much this privilege was appre-
clated. They were, however, taxed for them,
and 1t soon became a proverb that the poorer
the family
THE RICHER THEY WERE IN DOGS.
Keepers OF ordinaries and taverns were pro-
hibited under penalty of fine of $40 to 800
from selling liquors to any person of color be-
tween sunrise and shutdown
In the 40 and SOS there we're but two police
cOnstables to each ward. and the thirty auxil-
larry guardsmen were paid by Congress at the
rate of $50 per month. The constables were
GulltItu 10 ices, ana IN some instances the fees
were incentives to make arrests 1t was. how
ever, not often that any hardship was imposed
thereby, for there were always to be found. as
at the present day, among the colored race.
bond or free, number who seemed to be
wrong-dOers by nature, and it was but seldom
that the officers were not looking for some
such. OF course there were some instances
Ill which the officers seemed to stretch their
consclences to make cases. but free or slave. if
well behaved were not molested if they showed
disposition to live within the spirit of the law
H. after 10 o'clock, party on the way from
church moved along quietly to their homes
they were not molested. but if they showed a
disposition to any disorderly conduct it would
not be long before they would be run in and
the next morning at the Central guard-house
Chen modest little brick building about the
center Of what is now known as the wholesale
stores OF the Washington market,) the fines and
penalties would be imposed If there were
slaves among them and their masters did not
pay their fine
THEY WE'RE WHIPPED.
This was done at the Guard house and in the
cell room, the prisoner being stripped to the
waist, the hands being thrust through the graf
ing and handcuffed on the opposite side.
An officer with raw hide would then Law
on the prescribed number of lashes
Doubtless some of the colored pocketbook
snatchers whose faces are familiar in the Grim
inal Court would prefer to take the lash as then
prescribed than the penitentiary terms of the
present day.
During the administration Of President Pierce
his niece and a lady friend in WALKING naar 81