Year: 1879

OF its editorial space last week in an a.
tempt to reply to our article Of Thurs
day on "Slandering Delaware" Of
which We had been accused by a
newspaper Of this city and from which
our down State contemporary took its
cue. It says it is vain for us to attempt
to shelter ourselves behind the flimsy
defence that certain laws which were
virtually repealed by the recent amend
ments to the Federal Constitution, re-
main on our Statute books. We have
thou ght that there are two ideas in
regard to what is called fimsy defence,
and our accuser does not intimate that
q particle of our article is untrue, but
it simply Accuses us Of being a gross
libeiler of the State, and an enemy to
tbe prosperity and fame Of the peopls
of the State. We are glad to see a
change in the manners of the "Dela-
warean." Last winter during the
session Of the Legislature, in its zeal
GUS defense Of a drunken carousal in
which the most of the members were
concerned, it lied so outrageously about
1t that even since we have had no con-
fldenoe in what it says, and so closely
did we pin it to the wall that it resolved
as it could do no better, to have
no more to say about us. We were
quite too insignificant to notice. In this
it followed in the footsteps of its great
prototype in this city, but we treated
all such little childish points with the
Indifference they deserved, and when
ever it suited us we stirred them
up in their lairs and generally
provoked them to reply. Al
ter three months silence on the
sdbject and the "Delawarean" finding
that we still live, Notwithstanding its self
imposed let alone spell, 1T has come once
more to the rescue Of the loyalty of the
State; hat:kind of loyalty that suitedit.
Iu replying to us it simply deals in
invectives, but advances no arguments.
We said that the whole slave code as it
existed in the palmest days of slavery,
yet remain upon on: statute books un-
altered and unrepsaled. The "Dela-
warean" does not deny this, but thinks
We had little to do to refer to it, and it
calls that slandering and libellipg the
State. But there is a great improve
lnent in the "Delawarean." 1t al


mts now that the recent amendments
to the Federal Constitution virtually
repealed those laws, but somehow they
still remain upon our statute books.
This is the first time to our knowledge
that our contemporary ever admitted the
validity of the recent amendments, to
the Constitution. The world moves
and so does the "De,awareau. -
The Federal constitution repealed
those laws did they Very we'll
we are glad to hear the admission,
and to know that our down State friend
has 50 far given up its State Rights
heresy as to come forward and place IT.
in the Republican code of prinoi-
nlas we are AFRAID however that this
admission is for purpose, and that the
"DelawHrean" is as inSinctre in it's
declarations as it was three months ago.
We have very distinct rec2o' lection of
John H. Paynter, Esq, then being Sec
retary Of State under Governor Ponder,
having been employed to codify the
civil and criminal code. 1t was NJ.


Paynter's desire to leave out Of
the code which is now in use all that
related to slavery, and for that pur-
pose prepared several bills repeating


the old slave laws aud laid them i fore


the Legislature which was then ia ses-
sion, with a request that they /" be


passed" Did they pass Not one OF
them, and Mr.. Paynter was compelled
to 90 on and codfy the laws retaining
the old obnoxious slave code upon GU r
statute books where they remain to the
present day. The Democratic party at
that time did not seem to think that
the laws were repealed, and we are
Ijust little apprehensive that the
Delawarean" has taken an advanced
step that it cannot hold.


When people want to immigrate to
another State they generally want to
know something about the laws of that


State in which they propose to make
their future home. Suppose an intel


ligent man from the north wanted to
settle in Delaware. and wanted for him
self to see what our laws we're, and sup.
pose the digest Of our State were sent
to that man, he would be confronted
with the old slave laws staring him in
tn = face at every page uualtered and un-
repealed. He would be- completely be
wildered, and he would say "Why II
thought that slavery was abolished but
here see they still hold on to 1t dow
in Delaware" He might be told that
the law was imperative, but then he


would ask why the obnoxious statutes
were not stricken from the statute look


A. /. La ~ H.