Show of the past and the future vf the american anem negro by D W culp A M M D IL 11 WE ax do not desire to detract any thing from the greatness of abraham lincoln for we heartily believe that he was honest patriotic and wise hut but as we have heretofore stated we can never regard or look upon the war president as bein ing the special friend and the only protector of the negro rate race in order to dispel all the doubts which may be still lingering in the minds M anas of our many readers and especially those who may amay happen to belong to the opposite side of the house politically speaking who may be dis inclined oi or wa unwilling willing to be convinced that they are still floundering around in total darkness and ignorance e respecting pres ident Lincol ns friendship for the members of our race for the benefit bf all those who may ente entertain these erroneous ideas we shall now proceed to quote from several sections of the black laws of the great state of illinois and mr Lincol ns connection therewith we do not wish to colv convey 7 the idea that mr lincoln was in in s st in helping to enact those black laws but we ve believe that it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he used au all of his influence and worked very hard in trying to secure the enforcement 0 of those adious and moat wicked laws long after the dose close of the late war vw in the united states the laws of the sovereign state of illinois contained this heartless I 1 provision no black vr JOT mulatto person shail be permitted to reside in this 74 diate state until il such person shall ahall pro A alga S i to the coun county tf commissioners cammi sione rs court where he or she is desirous seft ling certificate of his or hir herfi fie edom which shall be duly authenticated in the same manner f I 1 q aired to be done in the cases arasin A arising under the acts and judicial proceedings gs of other states aud and until icib 1 such person shan shall have given bond with sufficient sie security carity to the people tva state for the use of ther the proper t polity in the pen penal alsum sum aviu of e abas and dollars I 1 conditioned that clift suck perseo will wi 1 I a not at fatime anytime bec become a charge rge to said 01 cann or any other county ae this S state as is aboor apor p person e 4 son aa and 4 that at jai aimes y jbf cy y I 1 demean awty at isa is 5 s iha conff af b state hereafter I 1 af be bi bl awful 77 7 7 7 SV 75 sst Z IS 7 A 7 B for a u Z M m yue 0 mulatto 1 to cesido S fite e aussy AwS sy ff asi tafv sed f n ty a nt t person alil liia r suc lan ro ci g 1 m Y ammi t tak ca of 4 mot h v ti ate SS tl mavi sa t c e 6 S ai a qa er I 1 W ass ass i vety 40 VZ ra abw i sg S and placed oatha tat g for contending for the liberation of the negroes neg roea and al all I 1 who were in favor of upholding those heinous and most matroci OUR bluck laws the court records of coles county inform the world that in the latter martof part of 1850 abraham lincoln endeavored deavo red to deprive anthony bryant his wife and their four helpless children of their rights as free american citizens by upholding and defending the laws which we have already mentioned we are informed that during the year 0 of f 1843 robert matson of bourbon county kentucky purchased a large tract of land in the I 1 northeastern portion of coles county and he proceeded to stock his new purchase with slaves for farm labor and household purposes but as soon as the crops w were ere gathered he would return the negroes to kentucky and speedily replace them with another contingent from the same section he did this under unde the impression that by making frequent changes each installment would if interrupted by the officers of the law I 1 be held to be in transit and thus not lose their legal status as slaves or acquire auy any of the rights of freemen by having resided in the state of illinois anthony bryant his wife and his children were owned by robert stobert giatson AI atson and while he was engaged in transferring them backan and A forth S some ome of his neighbors conspired against against 6 him with the view of depriving him of his property it appears that dr hiram rutherford and gideon M ashmore assisted anthony bryant and his family to escape e from the home of mr matson and when he learned what these gentlemen had succeeded in doing he brought suit against them in the circuit court under the black law demanding damages in in the sum of three thousand dollars or five hundred dollars for each slave this celebrated case was carried on up to the supreme court of the state for adjudication and when judges wilson and treat went down to Ch charleston Aleston to si sit t in judgment on it abraham lincoln appeared before that august court in behalf 0 of f robert matson and his st slaves laves the case was one of far reaching importance and lawyers and people gen generally arai ly were wen interested in its out home CO me but to sum it all up op in a nut shell the fates and the court were wem against against t mr Lifa lincoln coln and his slave holding friend judges wilson and d treat handed down aown an am opinion tor to the effect that anthony bryint Brys nt his wife jane an and d A their four c children are dis discharged charged from athe the custody as well of the sheriff as of robert matson and a nd all pars persons ong churning them by through or oc inda un dar lum lim as slaves anc and I 1 I 1 they th e y shall be and remain free ana ap from am all servitude whatever W joany M aay person or persons tip bohr we hate the testimony of 0 dr an p po fact berhe te rhe h 7 ZIN N S t it 3 tj W WE awn b A nou P amz jj u T I 1 aahl crow 25 aa linen and crumpled court papers and struck out across the ideas measure less prairie he gave no burthe sign it if he experienced experienc ec I 1 it of V Y regret because I 1 as a lawyer he ha ad upheld the cause of the strong against the weak to ie be continued |