OCR Text |
Show 234 Al~PENDIX 1'!/ NOTES. there that the llla\'C is n. man nnd a brothc t·; tlmt Ond tn:l.!lc him; that tJod lonJS him; thn.t C..:hri~t Jicd for him ; a.nd ti.r~t Ood will nut Li es~, a11d GJu·i~L will uot IO\(', the mnstcr who docs not lu\'C hi~:~ Flill\'C, or the s la\'C who docs notlO\'C n.nd o iJPy hi'i m:t~tcr. \ Vith_thil'l Rimplc tcn."hin c~, and withdt'!twing them :-:('he~. a~ the Apostle d1rcctt~, from those wJ10 tcat.:h othcrwisl', the.'' h:wc been la\;orin,:!; quietly and unus· tcntatiously, amids t ull the dn~coura:.;ruH'lltS cau11Cd by the cunw of s la.nwy on one sitlc, n.nd the ag itation!! of abolitiouistl-! on the other, to C!Stabliz;h schoo l~:~ and churelu"l'l, aud tu fit the uc~;ro for the enjoyment of all tho happ inP;;~ of whieh ln.: ia c:~p:1blc ht•t·c and hercll.ftcr; and witil f;;u('lt sul·o..:e~~. tlmti thry and their co-l1~borcra rouut, it~ one oi' t.he l'ruitH of their toil, more than :>00,000 negro memiJcl'S of cvnngclical churches-:~ greater munher, as has been frequently stated, th:m the aJ,!g rcg;atc number in all the churches under Protestant missionaries in all the couutries of the heathen world." Al'l'ENDIX, E. ExTR,\CTS J'RO.\r TilE STATUTES .A:\D DECISlONS OF SOYE OF THE S 1 •. HB S'I'A'l'ES. 1. Slnvcs nrc persons nnd not mere chattels. Devereaux's .N. C. R ep(J)·ts, 4. 3-W. ST,\n: n. l •:nliO:m, A SLA n:.- This was n trial fur cun cen.ling n. f;I:J,\'C on Uon.rd a vcs:-.d \\'ith intent to con\'cy her out of the State and onal~l c her to escape. On this charge the prisoner was convicted, Lut various exception!:! being taken to tho ruling of the Court below, it came up for :1. he:1.ring before the Superior Court, where it was contended, nmong:Rt other things, tha.t tho prisoner, being n. sla.vc, was but tt cha.Ucl, n tbing, nnd not to be con ~idcred a "person" within the meaning of tho Act of Astoembly. l>ecit!eJ Ly the Cour t that," The prisoner, nil hough n. slave, i1:1 n. 'person' in the 'ltaluml acccplalion of tltat term." ''A ~> l:n·e is a person ca pable of committing: ca·imc, a.nd sul~cct to puniRhmcnt." "1 th ink the prisoner is a. pcn!On, within the words n.nd meaning of the Act of' J\ &scm! Jly." (Sec nl:so the pas~mges in italics be low in the ncxtcita~iun.) 2. Power of tile Master over hi8 slu \'C :- Docs uot extend to hfe or limb. 'l'uE STATE OF !IIISSI:<:SII' I'r vs. Joxts. June 1'. 1820. Walker'$ Rep. 83. J'cr Our. Clw·J.·e, J. "The quc!'tion in this Cl~Sc, n.risi.ng in :tl'l'e8t of judgment, transferred un doubts from J.\da.ms supcn or cmu't is whether in thi ~:~ Stt\tC, munJ.cr can !Jc comuutted on a. sh1xC. Bcca~~e' in? ividu;lls may hu.vo bcf'n deprived of manJ: of th?ir riqh~s by r;oc1cty, 1t dncH not follow, tUn.t they h:1.vc been dept·1vcd o1 all tlle.Jr rights. itt some ?·espects, slaves may be considered as chattels, but m ollters, they w·e regarded as men. The bw yicws th?m.as capable of committing crimes. 'l'his can only be upon the prmc1ple, that tl~ cy are mcu and rn.tioo:JJ Leing!i. The H.omun law lms been much rehcd APJ'Ji:NDlX TO N OT E S. 235 on hy th,c ('~un.~e~ ~f' !ho deft·tHlant. That law was confitlf'd to the Homan J•.mptre, ~n·:ng the ,power of life and tlea th ovet· captiYcs in ~nr, ~~~ sl:t\'CS, but 1t 110 mot·e C.'\tPndcd hct·P, than the similat· powct' gn·cu to prn.ents on:-r tho li\·cs of tltf'ir child ren. .Much stress has ;\h;o been hal hy the de fcnd:mt's conn~cl, on tlti3 caso citc.l ft·om ]:~ylot·'s Hcports, dc>eidcd in North Cat·olin:t · _yet in that c·uw two jwtgr-!1 a~:ti nf't one w?rc of opi nion, tliat k i llit~g; a ~lavp wa-, ~~ u,t'(lf'r. Judge I.laJJ, who .dr•ln·crf'd tlw dilj_S<'llting opinion in tho above (::lf.ll', bll:.uJ~l h~::~ coucluswns, :~s we concct\:c, n/)un crronr:ouf:i princi ples, l..y consulct·mg tho laws of Home n.]•pl~eaL c hero. I lis inference also t_h:~t a. pcrso•.• .cann~t b~ condcnmr>d et\pitally, because he n;ay ))~ ltn.Uic Ill :L CIVJI ttct!On, IS not s ustained by reason or authority but ll~J~C:u·~ to. us. t? be in direct opposition to both. At a very ~arly pen~~ Ill V1rgmw, the power of l tfc O\'cr sla\'CS was given by l'ltalutc; but luckcr obscr~cs, that as so_on as these statutes wct·c repealed, it W~ij at once eons1dered by lhc1r courts, thn.t the killing: of' a slnve nught ~e. murder. qommonwcalth vs. Dolly Chu.pman; indictment fu~· mn._hcl~~lsl,v ~tabb1ng a slave under:\ statute. It has been dctcrmn~ ed m 'lt·gmm tltat slaves are persons. I n the Constitution of tho U1_utc(l Stat~~· slaves arc exp1:esst,IJ dcs('Jilaled as "persons." ]n thi(ol St:ltte th~ lcguslatu_rc have con:s!dercU slaver; a.s rcnsonnUie :md accountable bemgs, and 1t wuulll IJ? ~' s tig.m'l. upon the ebarnctet· of the State nnd a rcpt·oach to. the. adm1111r;tratwn of justice, if the life of a sln.v~ <;ould b~ taken WJ.th ~tupunity, Ot' if ltc could Uc murdered in cold blood, w~th.out ~~~~~JCCttng the oH'cndcr to t he hig hest penalty known to the cruu_m:~l Ju.r,spru~lcr.lCC of the country. ]Jas lite slave uo ri!Jitls, because lte 18 deprtved_qf Ius .(·ee~om f _He is still a human bcin~, and. poss.~s~es all thOFJO r1g hts of_ wln?lt IJC 11:1not dcpt·i\·ccl b.y the po:;.ili\o pro' ISIOn!!. of the law; but m vam shnJJ wo look for any law pa!iS<'d Uy the enltghlcucd and f.hilauthropic legislaturo of this State, giring: even to tile master, muc t less to a stmnger, power O\:Cr tho JiJC of a s lave. Such a statute w-ould be worthy the age of Draco or Calig uht, ao_d _would be contlemnctl Ly the unanimous voiec of the people of tins _S,tate, where. cruelty to sl.lns, muc~llcss [_more ?] the tnking away of hie meets wttlt tmtwraal reproiJahon. Hy the prm·is ions of nror la.w, ~ ~la.vc may commit n~urdcr, and be punished with (](':\1/t, why then Is Jt not murde1· to loll a s/;u·c? (.(m (t mac cltattet couunit murder, aud be sul{ject to puuislnnentf Villcius, in England, were mot·e degmdcd than our sl:wcs. It is true, that for~nct·ly tho mlll'Jet· of a. villein was nut punishf'd "'ifh ?.eath, but ~1~1th cr Wllf:i the murdct· of a fr('cm:ln then HO punir;hcd. lite ?nly ddl\'I'CHCO . between the f•·ccman and the slave was iu the magmtudc o~ t.he fmc, In Eug lund, killing n villcitl was :1s mul'h I_n,u~·der ns kdlmg n lord. Yt't \'illcins were then the most a hjcet tii,\\ C~, and could bu bou;;,:ht and tiOltlns cha!tcl~ : Lut Uccausc sl:~\·ca c~n _be L~l~ght _and sold, 1t Joes not fi.Jilow that tit£'.)' can be dt"prin•d o. ltfe. J he. r1ght of the _ma!.'l('l' r>xists, not by ltn·cc of' tho Jaw of' ~,\lure or natwns, b~ t by Vtl·tue only of the positive law of the ~tate; ,\~td nlthougb that gtve~ t.o tho master the right to C(llllmnnd Lho SCI'· t ees ?f the sl:~Ye, r cqumug the master to feed nnd clothe the Bl:n·c rom mfancy hll dct\th, yet it gives the master no right to take th~ |