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II.
THE CONSTITUTION' AND,TUK h A W S T II E G V A It D I A N S , 0 F 0 U U LIBERT YY' K .
Vol. XLVI." '
; HILLSBOROUGH, N. C.; APRIL 18, l86G" "...
- - No. 2333.
, 1 i i
t I S I f I nl ' I E J IL1 ILI ... ft. ,1 I I 1 1
ik'j ii hi i . i i p i i
If. 1 H- In til
"AN ACT
Concerning Negroes and Person of Color or
of Mixed Hood. ,.
.-;.vy v vr '.'-'-" :i
j lie it enacted, &c, That negroes and
their Jue, even where una ancestor in
each ucceeding generation to the fourth
inclusive, is white, shall be deemed peraous
of color. , ':: .,..,.. ' t
2. Be it further enacted. That all per
sou of color who are no inhabitants of
this State shall Uu entitled to the uuu fri
v ilexes, and subject to the kam burden
and diiibilities 4 by the Jaw of the State
were conferred, on, or were attached to,
lice persons of color prior to the ordinance
ul emancipation, except as the same may
t.c changed by law.
3. " I! it further enacted, That person
of c nW fttall be entitled to all the privi
leges of white peikuns in the mode f pros
ecuting, defending,' 'Continuing,' removing
and transferrin;; their mils at law and in
tquitv; and likewise to the fame mode uf
trial oy jury, ami su priuesf jperi4in
ing thereto. And in all proceeding in
trijuitv, by W gtinst them, their answer
f hull We tlie ame force and erIVct in all
i expect! a the aniwer of white person.
4. He it further enacted, That in all ca
c ! apprenticeship of perioni nf color
tn ler chapter fie of the Kevued Code,
the master Miall be ounl to Uuclurge the
ame dutir tu Ihem & to white appren
tice, and the uiriH"a4 ac white in ec
ti:t three, lite iliree, are h-reby repealed,
i tift the worl an.'ien'if v" -hall be read
after th? word ,,uh," m ai l line, aul
the word ' if a whi!- j r n," ii the se
cond line ofectKii m hereby repeal'
rd: IVovufcd I'll it in ihe binding
nut of apprentice ul col.ir, t'ie lonrtT ma
ten td s'jcli apprentice. hvu they shall
b; rrgirded a jiuh!c prr--i y th
touiti, hall be entitled tw have such ap
preiHiCri Loan- to ihem in prrlctence l
tt'.K-r ft ron.
3. ik it further enacted. Tint in all ca
cl where men nd women, both or t:e ol
Jum were lately -lave and are nnw email
cipatfd, ntiw Cohabit togrthrr in the tela
tin i i f hu,jand and w ile, tie jartie shall
le define I to Iutc been lawfully marrinl
as man and wife at the time ol the con-1
ttiiiKi;inent d" audi cohabitation, although
they may hot he been nurri-d in due
ftirni of law. And all pen whoe culialj
it 4tin i hereby rttihed intn a Matt? ui mar
riae, ha! go before the Clerk ol the Court
I'.eat a til Qjarter e4io:H of the coun
ty In whuti tliey ieide, at hi office, r'
before some Justice of the IVace, and ac
ki o-A ledge thf fact of luch cii?ubit.tti'i,
if nd t tie lime of it ciiiumerceinent ; ami
the cleik shall enter the ime in a bonk
kept fr that parpoe; and il thencknuwl
i!gmuit be made before a Justice ol the
I'tate, xuch justice hall report the name
in writing to the Clerk of the Court ol
I'lean and Q urter Ssin, ;ud the Clerk
.halt enter tne iimr a though the acknowl
idgmeiit bad been made la-f ire bun ; and
uh entry t-hall be deemed rini Jutie e
st! iice ol the allegation therein cnntained.
I'ur inking kuch entry and pifing a cei nli
tate of the aame, the clerk shall be entitled
to a fee 'f twenty-five ecu, to be paid by
the party for whom ths enicc re rcn
ifl !.
C. He it li rtfier enacted, Tint il any ol
such eront hall lad l t hef .if ihc clerk
t tie Count? t'tiatt or some Ji.iic . the
IVite id the county m which tlny tccide,
ni J have their inarriag.' leroiJul bvlore
the firt of epteiii'ivr It'', thy slull hi
i!emed g'litty of a niideni'-amr, ty pun
i.htt ul li e diCittioii ol ih! l!tmrt, ami
itii it dilute Lr -4 c a iiio:iUi iu-ie dtvr, stull
ioititale fit -(urate anl ttrt oliVnee,
T. He it further enacted, I'm' all eon
tract between any piro i wh.t'fvcr, where
ol nnc or inure of them h'ia 1 lit- a p.M -on of
tul-ir, fur the a!c or punli.ie i-f ufjr h ire,
inwle, aS jeiiiid, liettt-CiUlv', hog, fc'ieep
or goat, whatever may be. the value d mil.
ait tle, aid all contiaeU between )uch
perron lor any other nnic!es of j roperty
whatever ol the value ol ten tlollnmir more:
nd all contract, executed or executory,
tclwrvD eu'h person a for the paviucLtot
monev of the value b( ten dollars or more, i
fthaii be void'as to all persons whatever,
unless the same be put in writing and sign
ed b? the vendors or debtors, and witness-1
ed by a white person who can read and
wntc , . . ,
8. Be it further enacted, That mar
riagea between white person and persons
of color shall be void ; and every pmnn
authorized to t-olemnUe the right of m i
triinony, who aha) I knowingly . aulenmi.e
the same between fcucli persons; and every
clerk of a Court w!ioshll knowingly issue
liceiwe fur their. marriage, t!ialt be deem
ed guilty of a misdemeanor, and moreover,
iduU pay a penalty of five hundred dollars
to any person suing for lh- katne.
; 9. lie it further, enacted, That persons
of color, not otherwise incompetent, thall
be capable of bearing evidence in all cou
troveraie at law and in equity, where the
rights of persons or property, of person of
cdur, fe'iail be put l issue, and would be
concluded by the judgment or decree of
Court; and also in plea of the State.Vhere
the violence, fraud or injury alleged shall
be charged Jo have been done by or to per
vim of color, in all other civil and crimi
nal cae kuch evidence khall b? deemed
inadmissible, uole by .cunen. of the par
tiea of record : Provided, That this sec
tion shall not go into effect until jurisdic
tion in matters relating to freed men shall
be fully committed to tha Court of tlii
State i "Provided, further, That m pers n
k!idl be dectaed incoatpcteut to b.-ar 'esti-J
m iny in such caes, because d being a
party to the record or in intcret.
10. Mi it further enacted, 'l'.'iat w!i?n
eer a person uf odor s'ull a e liuiucd as
a witnr, the Court shall warn t'ic wit
ness t'i declare the truth.
11. .Ucit further enacted, .That any per
koa ol co! or. convicted by dae course of
law, of"ai asault with m i:it ist to commit
a rape ujrn t!ic body of a white female,
shall kudVr death.
Uv it (uiiher ruactc !, Taattl ecti
ruiiial Uw uf the Male, einbraciog and af
fecting a white p ron, are hereby ti tend
ed tu prrssrsf color, xcept v. hi e it is
otherwise provided iu l'n act, and wncn-.
ever. they, khill be cuvatid of any act
nu.le criminal, if ioio.oiacd by a wliite
pei son, they khtllbe punished in likeunii
ner, cicept in kuch ca-. when otti-r and
diUVrent puntphm'iit may Lc piesti bed oi
aliowrd by thia St t. '
l. He it further enacted, Tht ol the
tine now provided for the tlee'.ion of uar-
" fences." Section twenty-eight, chapter
fifty-nine, entitled " insolvent debtors."
Section thirty-nine of chapter eighth-four,
entitled " pilots." Sections fifteen, sixteen,
seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twentv
of chapter eighty-six. Secondly : Certain
acts pissed since the enactment of the Ki
v ised Code,-to-wit: an act ratified on the
sixteen!!! day of February eighteen hund
red a id fifty-nine, chapter thirtv , entitled
" an act for the hiring out of free negroes
in certain rases an act ratified on the
same day, chapter tliu ty-one, entitled "an !
act to prevent the sale ot spirituous liquors
to free persons ot color;" an act ratified on
the thirty-first day, of, January eighteen
hurt Jrtid and ixty-one, chapter thirty-seven,
entitled i an act to prohibit manci
pation of slaves by will ;" an act ratified
un t!ie twenty-third day of February eigh
teen h wired and sixty one, chapter twenty-three,
entitled an act to amend the
sixteenth and seventeenth sections of chap
UTi thinv-four, Revised Code an act ra
tified on" the same day, chapter thirty-four,
ntitleil M an Set to amend chapter one
hundred and seven, section sixty-six, of the
Ueviseil Cole, relating to free negroes hav
ing urns;" an act ratified on the same day,
chapter thirty-five, entitled:" an act to
change the rule of evidence in indictments
for trading witli slaves ; an act ratified on
the same day, chapter thirty-six, entitled
' an act to prevent free negroes from hir
ing or having the control of slaves ;' an act
rattS'i! t"i the twcnytirst day of Septem
ber c-!. teen hundred and sixty-one, chap
ter tuii.'v -sis, tntitled arn aict to amend
section fi.'teen, of the one hundred and se
vciit i chapter, of the llevised Code ; an act
rallied oo the twentieth day of December,
eighteen hundred and sixty-two, chapter
dxteei:, entitled an act to authorize the
(oveni'if la employ klave lbrin errcting
firt.!icaiiuMS and other works." , ,
16. lit it farther enacted, That all oth
er cU and pi ts of acts pasnl before the
present seion of the (ieneril A-emb!fi
besides those enuiieraird in the foregoing
section, the.. subject ' whereof are revised
a;i4 re-enacted in Uu act, or which are re
pugaiiit to' the provikions hre.n contain
ed, ure hereby dVclaic I to be tepealcd, aud
of n force and t fled from anJaf .er the ra
tiikatioii of this act, witl the exceptions
ai.J limitati'KH hereinafter iaentiatd.
17. He it farther enacted, Tint the re
peal of the act r.icnti' ne I in ue preced
ing .vctiuns s!iall n i aiftct anv a-t dene,
or any suit or .proceeding had or com-
d;-!. of" the pour, the Juhces of the Court I ne med in anv cue before tiie rutification
ol Plea and flatter t,ii eac t coun
ty, under the rule and regu'.titin now
prrcr!ed, may, in their iliietin, tie
two dislinct ard in Ifpci'.'etit court !
warden ; one of whom s'uli act as the war
den of th white pu ir, ami the other a ;h.
warden of the colored po ir.
14 , lie it further tii if ifl, Tii.it the p-r
Hoik constituting raen i'oirt s'.mII be qua
lified a now pruvuletl; and tlte v;i;! !
neverally, at d each outt iiiall have a!! the
powers ami authorities ti-r,v c -i:fc?rrcil v.-.
them, anl they an I the oifcrs of eac1'
Court, and all other prons wh.ttryer, s i .li
be kuhiect to all ti e duties. !u!.I;tiis ' !
penalue impo.'d on them bv chapter I I! -n in
of the llevisvd t'o.'e. i ). lie i? f.-itur rn cted, Tint no suit
IS. H it further cnaeted, That the 11 . r j n-s.-i a. ;. p.. id:.:.; at the tone of the
lowing law am! pvtt of Uw aie I !'; J ,( j v.if, l.i n tUwv t oniit'ed, or lor
teptalfil; First. Certain li o'iiit;td ml ncomv "of i.v penalty or folfeiture
t'te Hevs-'d Codt i.a iiely : Toe et.i.ie.n. urinl i hu i I tin a. t icpealed,
chapter o f hui !r d an I eui, e'r.itled : ..di be a.fct led bv aih . repl.
lave and free i.egroes," except scctumst In CiM-ial Ass-nu'jIv re-.dthne limes,
f lty-fmr, fifiy-Cvr. fif'.v..ix, f.n-eve:i, ai. l.i;-:io. d l Ms i uv ol Mn'Jii A. I).
ui act.
iv. Ue it fj'tlier eta:tcd, Tiijt no of
lii.ee idt:i:iiiied u.idcr a i y oi the act
he.vby itpe,.!cd, and before t'..e tiaie when
il.v-v ceastd tu be Saws of the Nate, khall
allectsil by kiicfi repeal, except that
wiei artv puiii-h iieiit khall hat- been nuti
.;',v I by tof . o isi-i.s of t!ii act, kuch
piovision sliaii be extended an I applied
! utty judgineois to be 'prouoanjcil alter
the rrpta!, vt ciksatioti to luve vfl'ect:
Provided, however, Tn.it t -e of the
.Mtiinii of any person of cw i fr any
..ch oih to e. I t shall be pj;i,!icd therefor
.ii iir e mtniai lily a il he were l while
lillv-eiglit and sivrv ', a'td l!i fc.ctiir. j
fthaii he . Hineiul' d "i t'c.i.f, ,t ro;!
ol coloj " tiisii-fd it Iter ni':rn.' it; a.'
case when i!ie l it'ir won! orc.tr. Ser
tioii two of cImj ir ioiiuei, ittiiku
" boats an I canoe." Sw-ctiotis ten, clevt j;,
twelv, thinetn, 'ghty -one, rlghty-iw.-,
eigluv -three, tight -lour.eighiv -hu, u!.
tv-kix, righty-kev. n, eight v-nitie, ir.neiv,
ninety-one, 'n'tisety-iwo, i.tnetv three
ch.ipter ihirly(ii5it, entitled, " ti inu mid
punishment," hectioin kcventeen, nine
teen and twenty -i ne tf chapter t!iiity-e
ven, entitled, dvt! and ciiiivry.itiri,,'
cctiji) four of tippler fiMiy.cig';t,eiiiit!c'J
s. r. pah.upsj,
. ejler II -use of t'o.nnions.
c.s. i.sii:.i,
Speaker vl ."retiate.
I certify ll at lite lei eg i' a i a true co
pv i f t!ic oripiti.d on liic i t '.ii Once.
li. W. li:Tt rec'v 1 1 Stale.
w- ' -f
I'tj'.a ih- .j:i):al Iuh .rca.ert
J hat all rim within the jjiidiction of
t!f I'niteJ States are fiee i an establisheJ
I'lii.ciple, to vb'cli all claci f t'e Amer
ican people tie p'.ct'gcd by iter? di-ctrinc
or line of policy with which i, any , party.
sec t, or school proposes to advance the pub
lic good. This is an imoortant fact; ' Ve:
suppose it will be acknowledged" to'; be a
fftrf - f??!ifa!a tAitl nr. C-l. - .J. ....) r
.uvv. vau iTwuiu uui lllitlllC US IOC UI-
fering to prove that they are so pledged ;
fiut conservatives too are equally so pledg
ed. The favorite argument of every hue
of conservatives is the Constitution. 4 But
the freedom of all men under it is as much
a part of the Constitution , as any other
i n i r i tr w niovnr. a, n intir epnrvni r i in
ocrals, who are so liberal as to refuse to
see cood in anybody but themselves, or any
. - . , .
movement out tneir own whose very re
ligion is bound up in a platform, and whose
god is a prisoner in the temples of their
faith- are pledged by every word they con-;
kistently utter to stand by, the freeman,
whatever his color, should the strong at
tempt to reduce him to involuntary servi
tude, contrary to the Constitution of the
United States. The whole South is so
pledged. There isnof a parpose which has
been imputed to or charged upon them, or
any of them.'by friends, opponents, or en
emies, which they do not hope, or which,
they must not be" supposed to hope, to ef
fect under color and by the aid of the Con
stitution of the United States. . Even the
attempt to re-establish slavery or revive
uie reueinon is inconceivaate out opon
some principle of misconstruction of the
Constitution, and, consequently, upon the .
concession that the Contitation must be-obeyed.
;r.v, it there is no diilerence of opinion
as to the constitutional freedom of all the
inhabitants of the country, and there U vet '
----,
the uifh'st anil mnit iiniortiinntu sntatrn.
nism of parties on the subject, it must fol
low that the true cause of the difficulty is
mere di$trugtihe distrust of each other's
fidelity to the acknowledged cnnstitutional
obligation, or, to come to the practical
point, a sitipicio on the part of the North
ern people that the Southern people wiT
not live up to the constitutional law, that
there a'ull be no slavery or involuntary
servitude in the United States. Is this all:
We humbly submit that it is all, Tne peo
ple in the North do not suspect themselves
of the possi'j lity ol violating the ordinance
of freeJom; but they suspect those of the
South. Hereupon we beg to cfler a few
suggestion.
in the first place, is it usual io r.uke
laws for a hypothetical subject: especial
ly where circumstances have occasioned a
morbid public. sensibility, rendering statu
lory regulation a matter of more than com
mon hazard. It will not be pretended that
there is now any general violation of the
ordinance of freedom iu the South. The
civil rights bill i professedly preventive.
If anything in the world could tend to es
tablish polygamy in -New r.ngianJ, a law
to prevent it would have mch a tendency.
Wait.. far the mischief then provide the
remedy, and adapt it exactly to its end.
1 it just to declare i ne's self above
suspicion, but to claim a right to acton
suspicion against a neighbot ? If the whole
i-outh proles to accept the freedom of their
late slaves, and to be willing to censerve
it, and ask for a trial of their giod faith, is
it just to refuse the trial? The Southern
people might be just to the negroes. They
might make fair, liberal law for their pro"
tectum, and ini'it execute them h food
faith. There may really be a giowii.g pub
lie sentiment in favor of slut t n: appy lace.
With what great regret we '.nay m re
morse we khould find that we had u d vJ
'to trut kuch a sentiment, and hid thus
i discouraged and finally penciled i: ! They
all, w:u oie voice, 'assure us t'u v lave
such a feeling .uch a purpese, Mav. wc
proclaim the cxtraoidin.try beiivf thtt ait
entire people of our lilmnl v.n I brovthod
are les truthful d;an o'.trsi hes ? Havewc
any warrant in our ktnie. !e.!.; o' wc t:
er for kuch a chn--: Il wc :i.ie any
do.) lit about this sh'.il we n tbe
So j tli tie benefit ti !i.l ara
mistaken about it :
3. I it vc(!sa.u!- f"i- i! ' d.s-.nMt the
Southsin people ; i tu mitre: N - ciiir.i
that slavery tm iii ci the v (eo
pie, as a question ef ir.ter:i. T.. were