The Washington bee., 1911-02-11
TheNegrO
HUMILIATION OF COLORED
CHILDREN.
The Story of Charles the Slave.
Maryland's Disgrace.

Editor The Bee: The damnable laws
which have for their aim the segrega-
ton and humiliation of the cOloTed
citizens and taxpayers in Baltimore.
Md, but indicate the fact that slavery.
which is driven from every other Dart
OF the civilized world and can find no
place Tor It's polluting foot, IS seeking
again to light on our flagstaff and
build its nest and rear its young in
the folds OF the Stars and Stripesl
Oh, Maryland, you have busted
yourself tOT many years in enaCtiDg
laws against your inoffensiye colOred
citizens, which have failed to stand
the test at the bar Of your own court
And think you not what will he your
doom when you appear before the bar
OF the great Judge who knows no col
or! All, the poet says:
That awful day will surely come.
The appointed hour make haste.
When l must stand before my Judge,
And pass the solemn test" etc.
Let us state briefly some of the past
history OF Maryland. We will 90
back prior to the civil war. During
that memorable period there were two
gentlemen IN business in Maryland,
owning, III partnership, besides other
property, several slaves. After
time they dissolved partnership and
one OF the firm moved from MARYLAND
to Delaware. One of the slaves, bv
the name Of Charles, in the division
fell to the Maryland master. Charles
was a very intelligent man, and by
his fidelity, uprightness, industry and
energy secured to so high a degree
the respect of his master that the mas
ter, dying soon after, gave Charles
his freedom.
Charles bought a small farm Ca
privilege some of the present Mary.
landers are trying to take from the
cOlOred citizens Of that State tO-day)
and became a prosperous man, built
a neat house, owned a horse, a yoke of
oxen, two or three COWS, a lot of poul-
try, and from the produce of this little
farm carried supplies to d neighbor-
ing market. He had a wife and four
little children. Charles was a Chris
tIan. Ihe voice OF morning and even
ing prayer was ever heard in his
dwelling, and on the Sabbath, in ac-
cordance with the usages Of Methodist
persuasion, to which he belonged, he
was IN the habit of preaching to the
colored people in the vicinity.
Just after the Harpers Ferry alarm
a vigilance committee in MARYLAND
called upon Charles and told him that
he was too enlightened and thrifty
n1gger to be allowed to live in the
State. Charles, in dismay. asked
II he had committed anv crime-if he
had said or done anything that was
wrong or to excite suspicion. No"
was the reply; but it IS not safe for /
us to have IN the midst Of our slaves ,
a free niger as rich and intellioent
as you are, and you must leave the I.
State before such a day, or you will f.
fare badly"
Where to go he did not know 1t
was midWinter. His crops were in /
the barn. How to dispose Of his farm
his stock and his crops at such short /
notice he did not know. He consult /
ed friends They shook their heads .
and said: Poor fellow, we are sorry .
for you, but we can't help you. Your .
presence endangerS the cOntentment
OF our slaves, and you must 60" The .
vigilance committee again called upon .
Charles and said in tones of menace, /
which almost frOze the blood in the /
veins OF the helpless man: Charles, if
we find you here tomorrow, as sure
as you are a living man we will hang
you to the limb Of that tree"
Charles IN his terror abandoned /
everything-his house, his fields, his
crops, his cows, his oxen, his poultry