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CHAPTER V.

SLAVERY UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS.

Ar the last census, there were in the territories of Arkansas, Florida, and the District of Columbia, twenty-six thousand one hundred and thirty-eight slaves. We will confine our remarks at present to slavery as it is exhibited at the seat of the federal government, and in a portion of territory, over which the Constitution of the United States has given to Congress exclusive jurisdiction." In this District of ten miles square, there are six thousand slaves; and the laws under which they are held in bondage, are among the most cruel and wicked of all the slave laws in the United States. This District, moreover, placed as it is under the immediate and absolute control of the national government, is the great slave mart of the North American continent.

In 1829, Mr. Miner, a member of the House of Representatives, from Pennsylvania, introduced a resolution for the gradual abolition of slavery in the District. In his speech in support of this resolution, many appalling facts were disclosed. It appeared, that in the last five years, seven hundred and fortytwo colored persons had been committed to the public prison of the city of Washington. And were these persons accused or convicted of crime? NOT ONE. Four hundred and fiftytwo were lodged in the UNITED STATES PRISON by slave traders, for safe keeping prior to exportation. The residue were imprisoned on suspicion, real or affected, of being fugitive slaves; and if not claimed as such, were by authority of Congress, to be SOLD AS SLAVES FOR LIFE, to raise money to pay their JAIL FEES!!!

Such are the facts in regard to the prison in the Capital of our confederate Republic; and let it be recollected, that there are other prisons besides this in the District of Columbia.

Of the practical operation of a system sanctioned by the laws of Congress, take the following sample:

"Visiting the prison," says Mr. Miner, "and passing through the avenues that lead to the cells, I was struck with the appearance of a woman, having three or four children with her one at the breast. She presented such an aspect of wo, that I

could not help inquiring her story. It was simply this: she was a slave, but had married a man who was free. By him she had eight or nine children. Moved by natural affection, the father labored to support the children; but as they attained an age to be valuable in the MARKET, perhaps ten or twelve, the master sold them. One after another was taken away and sold to the slave dealers. She had now come to an age to be no longer profitable as a breeder, and her master had separated her from her husband, and all the associations of life, and sent her and her children to yoUR prison for sale."

The law of the District, virtually the law of Congress, by which any colored person, without the allegation of a crime, may be seized and thrown into a cell, and unless he can there prove his freedom, or is claimed by another, is sold for life as a slave to pay his jail fees, is for unblushing injustice and atrocity utterly unrivalled by any enactment of the despots of the old world. Mr. Miner states, that in 1826-7 no less than FIVE persons were thus sold into perpetual bondage, for jail fees. In one case, the UNITED STATES MARSHALL lost his fees. Hear Mr. Miner. "In August, 1821, a black man was taken up and imprisoned as a runaway. He was kept confined until October, 1822-four hundred and five days. In this time, vermin, disease, and misery had deprived him of the use of his limbs. He was rendered a cripple for life, and finally discharged as no one would buy him. Turned out upon the world a miserable pauper, disabled by our means from gaining subsistence, he is sometimes supported from the poor house, sometimes receives alms in your streets."

Mr. Miner thus speaks of the AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE, as carried on in the District.

"The slave trade, as it exists and is carried on here, is marked by instances of injustice and cruelty scarcely exceeded on the coast of Africa. It is a mistake to suppose it is a mere purchase and sale of acknowledged slaves. The District is full of complaints on the subject, and the evil is increasing. So long ago as 1802, the extent and cruelty of the traffic, produced from a grand jury, at Alexandria, a presentment so clear, so strong, and so feelingly drawn, that I shall make no apology for reading it to the House."

Mr. Miner then read the following:

"January Term, 1802. "We the grand jury, for the body of the county of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, present as a grievance the practice of persons coming from distant parts of the United States into this District, for the purpose of purchasing slaves, where they exhibit, to our view a scene of wretchedness and human degradation, disgraceful to our characters as citizens of a free government. True it is that these dealers, in the persons of our fellow men, collect within this District from various parts, numbers of those victims of slavery, and lodge them in some place of confinement until they have completed their numbers. They are then turned out in our streets and exposed to view, loaded with chains as though they had committed some heinous offence against our laws. We consider it a grievance that citizens from distant parts of the United States should be permitted to come within this District, and pursue a traffic fraught with so much misery, to a class of beings entitled to our protection by the laws of justice and humanity; and that the interposition of civil authority cannot be had to prevent parents being wrested from their offspring, and children from their parents, without respect to the ties of nature. We consider these grievances demanding legislative redress"--that is, redress by Congress.

As illustrative of the horrors and iniquities of the traffic, Mr. Miner informed the House of an incident that had occurred during the previous Session of Congress. A free colored man had maried a slave—with the avails of his industry, he had, in the course of some years, purchased the freedom of his wife and children. He left home on business, and on his return found his house tenantless. His wife and children were missing. It was soon ascertained that they had been kidnapped by slave dealers, and confined in a private slave prison, in Alexandria; from whence they had afterwards been sent to a distant market and were forever lost to the husband and the father.

"There is a man now in this District," continued Mr. Miner, "who was in the hands of the slave dealers, about to be sent off to the South, when he laid his hand on a block, and with an axe severed it from his arm. Can the slave trade, on the coast of Africa, be more horrible, more dreaded, or more prolific of scenes of misery? To me all this is dreadful, and I think it should not be tolerated here."

In 1828, a petition for the suppression of this trade, and for the gradual abolition of slavery, and signed by more than ONE THOUSAND of the inhabitants of the District, was presented to Congress. From this document we extract the following.

While the laws of the United States denounce the foreign slave trade as piracy, and punish with death those who are found engaged in its perpetration, there exists in this District, the seat of the national government, a DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE scarcely less disgraceful in its character, and even more demoralizing in its influence.—These people are without their consent torn from their homes; husband and wife are frequently separated and sold into distant parts-children are taken from their parents without regard to the ties of nature, and the most endearing bonds of affection are broken forever.

Nor is this traffic confined to those who are legally slaves for life. Some who are entitled to freedom, and many who have a limited time to serve, are sold into unconditional slavery, and owing to the defectiveness of our laws, they are generally carried out of the district, before the necessary steps can be taken for their release.

"We behold these scenes continually taking place among us, and lament our inability to prevent them. The people of this District, have within themselves, no means of legislative redress, and we therefore appeal to your honorable body, as the ONLY ONE vested by the American Constitution with power to relieve us."

We will now exhibit the flourishing condition of the slave -trade under the PROTECTION OF CONGRESS in 1834. The following advertisements are all taken from the same sheet, printed a few months since at the capital of the American Republic:

"CASH FOR TWO HUNDRED NEGROES.

We will give cash for two hundred likely young negroes of both sexes, families included. Persons wishing to dispose of their slaves, will do well to give us a call, as we will give higher prices in cash, than any other purchasers who are now, or may hereafter come into this MARKET. All communications will meet attention. We can at all times be found at our residence on Seventh-street, immediately south of the Centre Markethouse, Washington, D. C.

September 13, 1834.

Joseph W. Neal & Co."

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'CASH FOR FOUR HUNDRED NEGROES.

Including both sexes, from twelve to twenty-five years of age. Persons having likely servants to dispose of, will find it to their interest to give us a call, as we will give higher prices in cash than any other purchaser, who is now or may hereaf ter come into this MARKET.

Franklin, Armfield & Co.

Alexandria, September 1st, 1834."

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CASH FOR ONE HUNDRED NEGROES, Including both sexes, from twelve to twenty-five years of age. Persons having likely servants to dispose of, will find it to their interest to give us a call, as we will give higher prices in cash than any other purchaser who is now in this city.

We can at all times be found at Isaac Beer's tavern, a few doors below Lloyd's tavern, opposite Centre Market, Washington city. All communications promptly attended to. September 1st, 1834. Birch & Jones."

Thus we find cash offered for seven hundred slaves at one time, in the District of Columbia. Does any one inquire how these slaves are to be disposed of? We call his attention to the following advertisement in the same paper.

ALEXANDRIA AND NEW ORLEANS PACKETS.

Brig TRIBUNE, Captain Smith, and Brig UNCAS, Captain Boush, will resume their regular trips on the 20th of October: one of which will leave this port every thirty days throughout the shipping season. They are vessels of the first class, commanded by experienced officers, and will at all times go up the Mississippi by steam, and every exertion used to promote the interests of shippers and comfort of passengers. Apply to the Captains on board, or to Franklin & Armfield."

Alexandria, September 1st.

Most grievously disappointed and astonished would any northern gentleman be, who had taken passage in one of these Alexandria and New-Orleans packets, on finding himself on board a SLAVER.

From a letter of the 23d of January, 1834, by the Rev. Mr. Leavitt, and published in New-York, it appears, that he visited the Slave-Factory of Franklin & Armfield at Alexandria, and was "informed by one of the Principals, that the number