The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-21

been too often and unhappily resorted to as a mode of adjusting or settling diff ferences of small magnitude between in dividuals: And whereas, this barbarous and savage conduct has of late obtained @ great degree of prevalence, to the de- struction of the lives of some valuable members of society, and involving the feelings of others who, from principle and respect for the laws of their country will not engage in this pernicious prac- tiee: Be it therefore enacted, ......' etc The act provides that killing in a duel amounts to murder. and fighting a duel
 is punishable with 5000 fine, twelve months imprisonment, and incapacity Tor holding any government office of honor, trust or profit.
 A fact that seems 8 little inconsistent with the strict moral Legislation quoted above, is the prevalence of lotteries, au- thorized, for various purposes, by the legislatures of that day. We find vast number of acts passed for the express purpose of authorizing two or more citi- zens to raise, by means of a lottery, a certain amount of money for some public. or quasi public, enterprise of some sort; and nearly every school and academy organized during these times, was made possible through money so acquired.
 While many of the laws enacted with reference to slavery still remain in the rGCOlleCIlOu or the OlutT tlllHthSf anu will have no very strange sound to them, nevertheless, to the present generation they form perhaps the most unique and interesting study of the earlier codes. It Is probable that from no other stand ponit does the practice of slavery ap- pear as revolting as from a reading of these cold and, seemingly, inhuman statutes enacted with reference to the slaves We cannot arrogate to ourselves the claim to possess any large increase of virtue over that of our fathers, as an explanation of this. however, but must confess our attitude toward slavery to be largely the outcome of. custom; never having known its favor, the enormity or it's evil Is much more easily apparent.
 With reference to the trial of slaves, a law of 1872 provided that for any crimes, "any three justices of the quorum, or any two justices of the quorum with one or more justices of the peace tex cepting always the justice who commit ted the slave) shall constitute com petent court, ...... and such ..... small proceed in the trial of said slave or slaves without presentment or indictment. and pass sentence and order execution. , There were a great many statutes, Of course regulating the government ana conduct of slaves and it would require a book to set all of these out; 1t is pos sible to mention only few here.
 A slave could no go from the planta- tion on which he lived without a pass; and If any slave presumed to come and be upon the plantation of any per son whatsoever, not being sent upon lawful business, it shall be lawful for the owner or overseer of such planta- ton to give or order such slave ten lashes, on his or her back for every such offense." There was also a statute against any owner or overseer of a plantation 1,Iu tn rn. main upon his plantation. Nor was a slave allowed to keep or carry any gun, powder, shot, club or other weapon what soever, offensive or defensive and any person, by seizing a slave so carrying any such weapon, might take him before