The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-02-04

The MOors.
by GEO. W. SPICER.

"A
hundred, there was about thirty
five oil these people that voted the
Democratic ticket, thus saving the
hundred to the Democrats. As the
schedules are now prepared IN the
registering Of voters there Is only
two designations, one for whites
and one for colored or negroes.
They wish 1t so changed that one
shall! be provided for their race un
der the heard OF "Moors. - l believe
myself they are separate aud dis
tinct race from the negroes, as
much as they are from the whites.
Their manners. habits. costumes,
and lives proves it, even their hair
is entirely different from the negro
type, which is of different !orn1a.
ton from any other nation. Many
OF these people are located near
Cheswold 10 Kent county. and just
before the Civil war several families
from that section left for the state
Of Michigan and settled about ~
miles from Detroit.
Up to 1865 no one was a legal vo-
ter in the state Of Michigan except
whites and Indians, who were not
members Of a tribe. Those Moors
from Delaware settled in a town-
ship in sufficient numbers to change
the results of the township political
ly. Three OF the men were indicted
for illegal voting in the state, tried
at session Vi court held in Detroit
in May 1865, before Judge Campbell
OF French-Canadian descent. Their
former status under the laws OF
Delaware were the salient points
made by Deputy Attoruey-General
Gardn for the prosecution; the de.
fense relied on the testimony OF
members Of their colony for their
vindication and acquittal as they
had voted as whites or rather as
not having any blood relation with
the negro race. After aprotracted
trial and after an appeal for a new
trial, arrest OF Judgment ETC., the
passage of the fourteenth and tlt-
teenth amendments to the Constltu-
ton of the United States caused the
cases to be quashed in the court.
The former and present statutes OF
our state have never made any dis
tinction between these people
(Moors) aud negroes and mulattoes.
Before the Civil War If any OF the
above classes wished to 60 out OF
Delaware on a visit to another state
they had to get letter from some
reputable white person, well and
widely known, certifying that the
applicant and bearer Of such letter
was we'll known to the writer as
freeman or lreewoman before any
steamboat captain or stage line
proprietor would take them as pas
sengers aud these Moors were SUBJ
iect to these conditions and laws;
neither could they have and hold
any firearms or buy ammunition Tor
the same. | am sure that such
laws and conditions caused the
| heavy migration from this state to
the northwest Fair education was
not 80 general among these people
then as now and they never legally
tested the matter OF their status as
citizens, but they never were taxed
to support free schools, neither were
negroes.
But in the last twenty years they
have become better educated, more
enlightened and possessing more
me ans, they have become restless
under their social conditions and
ask some recognition as to their
proper status in our state.
knowing these people as | do,
their natures aud ambitions, do
not think either OF our polite al
parties can well afford to ignore
their request to be classified as a
! separate race from the whites or
coiored race, by the reason that
they poll too many votes. They
have no incentive for freedom from
slavery as many colored folks have,
for they never were slaves at any
time in their lives and as Tor former
laws oil the state that bore hard on
them, both the Wing and Democr attic
parties were equally responsible.
Their domestic lives are very much
like the average OF their white
neighbors. Their houses arc often
we'll furnished. with all the neces-
sary things up-to.date, have fine
horses and carriages, all convent
enccs of modern civilization. Tbev
are here with us, they are here to
stay and increase. l think it but
Just and fair that they should re-
ceive proper recognition by our
law makers and citizens as no peo.
pie can elevate themselves simply
by subjug ating and abasing any
-, ,n,~ ~ ly;pI