The upholders of slavery will in vain contend with the liberal spirit of the age; it is too strong for them.—They may as well try to bottle up the sunshine for their own exclusive use, as to attempt to keep knowledge and freedom to themselves. We all know that such an experiment would result in bottling up darkness for themselves, while exactly the same amount of sunshine remained abroad for the use of their neighbors.
In North Carolina, free negroes are whipped, fined, and imprisoned at the discretion of the court, for intermarrying with slaves.
In Georgia, free colored persons when unable to pay any fine, may be sold for a space of time not exceeding five years. This limitation does not probably avail much; if sold to another master before the five years expired, they would never be likely to be free again.
Several other laws have been passed in Georgia, prohibiting slaves from living apart from their master, either to labor for other persons, or to sell refreshments, or to carry on any trade or business although with their master's consent. Any person of color, bond or free, is forbidden to occupy any tenement except a kitchen or an outhouse, under penalty of from twenty to fifty lashes. Some of these laws are applicable only to particular cities, towns, or counties; others to several counties.
Sundry general laws of a penal nature have been made more penal; and the number of offences, for which a colored person may suffer death, is increased.
A law passed in Tennessee, in 1831, provides that negroes for conspiracy to rebel, shall be punished with whipping, imprisonment and pillory, at the discretion of the court; it has this curious proviso—"Householders may serve as jurors, if slave-holders cannot be had!"[1] The Southern courts need to have a great deal of discretion, since so much is trusted to it.
Class Second.—In Virginia, white persons who teach any colored person to read or write, are fined not exceeding fifty dollars; for teaching slaves for pay, from ten to twenty dollars for each offence.
- ↑ The Common Law assigns for the trial of a foreigner, six jurors of his own nation, and six native Englishmen.
