In the year 1850, there were fifty thousand free colored people in
the slave States, the greater number residing in Louisiana, Maryland,
Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. In all the States these people
were allowed but few privileges not given to the slaves; and in many
their condition was thought to be even worse than that of the bondmen.
Laws, the most odious, commonly known as the “Black Code,” were enacted
and enforced in every State. These provided for the punishment of the
free colored people--punishment which was not mentioned in the common
law for white persons; for binding out minors, a species of slavery,
and naming thirty-two offences more for blacks than had been enacted
for the whites, and eight of which made it capital punishment for the
offences committed.
Public opinion, which is often stronger than law, was severe in the
extreme. In many of the Southern cities, including Charleston, S. C., a
colored lady, free, and owning the fine house in which she lived, was
not allowed to wear a veil in the public streets.
In passing through the thoroughfares, blacks of both sexes were
compelled to take the outside, on pain of being kicked into the street,
or sent to the lock-up and whipped.
As late as 1858, a movement was made in several of the Southern States
to put an exorbitant tax upon them, and in lieu of which they were to
be sold into life-long slavery. Maryland led off with a bill being
introduced into the Legislature by Mr. Hover, of Frederick County, for
levying a tax of two dollars per annum on all colored male inhabitants
of the State over twenty-one years of age, and under fifty-five, and
of one dollar on every female over eighteen and under forty-five, to
be collected by the collectors of the State taxes, and _devoted to the
use of the Colonization Society_. In case of the refusal to pay of a
property-holder or housekeeper, his or her goods were to be seized and
sold; if not a property-holder, the body of the non-paying person was
to be seized, and hired out to the lowest bidder who would agree to pay
the tax; and in case of not being able to hire said delinquents out,
they were to be sold to any person who would pay the amount of tax and
costs for the lowest period of service!
Tennessee followed in the same strain. The annexed protest of one of
her noblest sons,--Judge Catron, appeared at the time. He said:
“My objection to the bill is, _that it proposes to commit an outrage,
to perpetrate an oppression and cruelty_. This is the plain truth,
and it is idle to mince words to soften the fact. Let us look the
proposition boldly in the face. This depressed and helpless portion
of our population is designed to be driven out, or to be enslaved for
life, and their property forfeited, as no slave can hold property.
The mothers are to be sold, or driven away from their children, many
of them infants. The children are to be bound out until they are
twenty-one years of age, and then to leave the State or be sold;
which means that they are to be made slaves for life, in fact. Now,
of these women and children, there is hardly one in ten that is of
unmixed negro blood. Some are half-white; many have half-white mothers
and white fathers, making a cast of 87 1-2-100ths of white blood;
many have a third cross, in whom the negro blood is almost extinct;
such is the unfortunate truth. This description of people, who were
born free, and lived as free persons, are to be introduced as slaves
into our families, or into our negro quarters, there to be under an
overseer, or they are to be sold to the negro-trader and sent South,
there to be whipped by overseers--_and to preach rebellion_ in the
negro quarters--as they will _preach_ rebellion everywhere that they
may be driven to by this unjust law, whether it be amongst us here in
Tennessee or south of us on the cotton and sugar plantations, or in the
abolition meetings in the free States. Nor will the women be the least
effective in preaching a crusade, when begging money in the North, to
relieve their children, left behind in this State, in bondage.
“We are told that this ’free-negro bill’ is a politic, popular
measure. Where is it popular? _In what nook or corner of the State are
principles of humanity so deplorably deficient that a majority of the
whole inhabitants would commit an outrage not committed in a Christian
country of which history gives any account?_ In what country is it,
this side of Africa, that the majority have enslaved the minority, sold
the weak to the strong, and applied the proceeds of the sale to educate
the children of the stronger side, as this bill proposes? It is an open
assertion that ‘might makes right.’ It is re-opening the African slave
trade. In that trade the strong capture the weak, and sell them; and so
it will be here, if this policy is carried out.”
In some of the States the law was enacted and the people driven out
or sold. Those who were able to pay their way out, came away; those
who could not raise the means, were doomed to languish in bondage till
released by the Rebellion.
About the same time, in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, strong
efforts were being made to re-open the African slave trade. At the
Democratic State Convention, held in the city of Charleston, S. C., May
1, 1860, Mr. Gaulden made the following speech:--
“MR. PRESIDENT, AND FELLOW DEMOCRATS:--As I stated to
you a few moments ago, I have been confined to my room by severe
indisposition, but learning of the commotion and the intense excitement
which were existing upon the questions before this body, I felt it
to be my duty, feeble as I was, to drag myself out to the meeting
of my delegation, and when there I was surprised to find a large
majority of that delegation voting to secede at once from this body. I
disagree with those gentlemen. I regret to disagree with my brethren
from the South upon any of the great questions which interest our
common country. I am a Southern States’ Rights man; I am an African
slave-trader. I believe I am one of those Southern men who believe that
slavery is right, morally, religiously, socially, and politically.
(Applause.) I believe that the institution of slavery has done more
for this country, more for civilization, than all other interests
put together. I believe if it were in the power of this country to
strike down the institution of slavery, it would put civilization back
two hundred years. I tell you, fellow Democrats, that the African
slave-trader is the true Union man. (Cheers and laughter.) I tell you
that the slave-trading of Virginia is more immoral, more un-Christian
in every possible point of view, than that African slave-trade which
goes to Africa and brings a heathen and worthless man here, makes him
a useful man, Christianizes him, and sends him and his posterity down
the stream of time to join in the blessings of civilization. (Cheers
and laughter.) Now, fellow-democrats, so far as any public expression
of opinion of the State of Virginia--the great slave-trading State
of Virginia--has been given, they are all opposed to the African
slave-trade.”
DR. REED, of Indiana.--I am from Indiana, and I am in favor of
it.
MR. GAULDEN.--Now, gentlemen, we are told, upon high
authority, that there is a certain class of men who strain at a gnat
and swallow a camel. Now, Virginia, which authorizes the buying of
Christian men, separating them from their wives and children, from
all the relations and associations amid whom they have lived for
years, rolls up her eyes in holy horror when I would go to Africa,
buy a savage, and introduce him to the blessings of civilization and
Christianity. (Cheers and laughter.)
MR. RYNDERS, of New York.--You can get one or two recruits
from New York to join with you.
THE PRESIDENT.--The time of the gentleman has expired. (Cries
of “Go on! go on!”)
The President stated that if it was the unanimous wish of the
Convention, the gentleman could proceed.
MR. GAULDEN.--Now, fellow Democrats, the slave-trade in
Virginia forms a mighty and powerful reason for its opposition to the
African slave-trade, and in this remark I do not intend any disrespect
to my friends from Virginia. Virginia, the Mother of States and of
statesmen, the Mother of Presidents, I apprehend, may err as well as
other mortals. I am afraid that her error in this regard lies in the
promptings of the almighty dollar. It has been my fortune to go into
that noble old State to buy a few darkies, and I have had to pay from
one thousand to two thousand dollars a head, when I could go to Africa
and buy better negroes for fifty dollars a-piece. (Great laughter.)
Now, unquestionably, it is to the interests of Virginia to break
down the African slave-trade when she can sell her negroes at two
thousand dollars. She knows that the African slave-trade would break
up her monopoly, and hence her objection to it. If any of you Northern
Democrats--for I have more faith in you than I have in the Carpet
Knight Democracy of the South--will go home with me to my plantation
in Georgia, but a little way from here, I will show you some darkies
that I bought in Maryland, some that I bought in Virginia, some in
Delaware, some in Florida, some in North Carolina, and I will also show
you the pure African, the noblest Roman of them all. (Great laughter.)
Now, fellow Democrats, my feeble health and failing voice admonish me
to bring the few remarks I have to make to a close. (Cries of “Go on!
go on!”) I am only sorry that I am not in a better condition than I am
to vindicate before you to-day the words of truth, of honesty, and of
right, and to show you the gross inconsistencies of the South in this
regard. I came from the First Congressional District of the State of
Georgia. I represent the African slave-trade interests of that section.
(Applause.) I am proud of the position I occupy in that respect. I
believe that the African slave-trader is a true missionary, and a true
Christian. (Applause.)
Such was the feeling in a large part of the South, with regard to the
enslavement of the negro.