The National tribune., 1899-11-02

children, even to will them away, and that
the mother had no property rights that he
was bound to respect. The laws relating
to servants and slaves were, if possible, more
severe.
The debate on the original District bill
seemed to be entirely on the necessity of
passing the bill as whole, leaving the
character of the law out of consideration.
The result is that it has proved to be dis
grace in this day Of advanced civilization,
coming from Nation whose flag stands
for liberty, freedom and equality before the
law. We are not called upon, happily, in
this paper to condemn or defend the position
in which women found themselves under
! the law as accepted by our fathers; neither
are we compelled to bring out of shadowy
past the politics Of slavery, where free
lance had often been used and broken,
until pruning-hooks became swords of
argument, whereby the question was settled
for all time; our object is to give the history
OF slavery in the District of Columbia. In
word, IL was part of the Nations inherit
ance with the "ten miles square" and was
recognized as legal by the North and the
South; If any objected they had not the
courage to make judicial issue of it.
1t is fact well established that the steal
ing OF free negroes and selling them to
traders TO be carried South went on with
lmpunlty for years in the District. Private
ana secret prisons were numerous. Negroes
known to be free from Virginia, MARYLAND
and the more Northern States, We're seized
and brought TO these prisons and kept until
cargo was collected for the Southern
market. If there were any laws against it
they were not enforced
In 1881 Congress passed law prohibit
ing this traffic. The slave trade had a
firm foothold here. AS early as 1902 the
Grand Jury OF Alexandria complained of it.
In 1916 John Randolph became yery
indignant at the sight of gang of slaves,
daily marching through the streets of the
Capital. He said: "Such proceedings are
crying shame before God and man, a
practice which is not surpassed for
abomlnauon in any part Of the world, for no
where Is there SO great, 30 infamous a
slave market as in the metropolis, in the
seat OF Government of this Nation, which
prides itself on freedom"
Mr.. Randolph moved a resolution in
Congress that inquiries be made of an
"inhuman and illegal traffic in slaves in
and through the District, and report on the
expediency of its abolition" A committee
was formed, report brought in, to be laid
on the table.
By Corporation law Of 1881 license to
traffic in slaves was made, and a license
could be obtained by the payment of S4OO.
IT would have been necessary only for these
statesmen to walk to the foot of Capitol Hill
to come to slave pen where daily sight
was some negro man, woman or child
mounted on the auction block to be sold to
the highest bidder. A fitting monument
now marks the place of this slave pen-a
church for colored people.
An incident in connection with this
church was related to me by Gen. Logan:
In the days when the "Old Commoner" of
Pennsylvania, Thad. Stevens, was in
Congress, he was walking toward the
Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue one morn
ing, when he was accosted by a colored
trying to raise the money to build church
on the ole slave pen ground. Would you
help us a littIe?
Mr.. Stevens put his hand in his vest
pocket, and taking out a bill, said: Uncle.
here is 800 bill j won gambling last
night; if this will help you on in your church
you are welcome to it,"
There was no hesitation on "Uncle's"
part. He quickly transferred the bill to
his own pocket, saying: "De Lord moves in
a mysterious way his wonders to fulfill"
Until very few years ago the visitor to
the Octagon House on 18th street and New
York Avenue could see the relics OF slave
days-the long rows of buildings for their
shelter and the great block and the staple
| 10 which they were chained when the bid
ding was going on. IL was as well that
some one between two days carried away
this emblem of barbarism. Where it went,
| or who was the-Shall we call call him
transgressor-is not known.
Ihe octagon House ranks as one of the
haunted houses OF Washington. 1t is said
by many that the uncanny ringing of the
bells was a frequent occurrence. Some
say it was the returning of the spirits Of the
old slaves when death released them from
| their chains. Then again we are told that
when mirth, wit and dancing made the old
halls ring with gladness sorrow sat upon
| the threshold. We only know it is house
that seems TO be tabooed.
Jan. 10, 1S49, when Abraham Lincoln
was in Congress, he introduced a bill for the
abolition of slavery in the District The bill
was lost. In 1850 VIM. 81. Seward tried to