Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/397

 slaves as that company furnished was chiefly engrossed by Jamaica and other sugar colonies.

In 1671 an act was passed by Maryland encouraging the importation of slaves.

In 1682 the slave code of Virginia received some additions. Slaves were prohibited to carry anus, offensive or defensive, or to go off the plantations of their masters without a written pass, or to lift hand against a Christian even in self-defense. Runaways who refused to be apprehended might be lawfully killed. The condition of slavery was imposed upon all servants, whether negroes, Moors, mulattoes, or Indians, brought into the colony by sea or land, whether converted to Christianity or not, provided they were not of Christian parentage or country, or Turks or Moors in amity with his majesty. An unsuccessful attempt was made in the council, whether dictated by humanity, by policy, or by a wish to promote the interests of the Royal African company, to reënact the old law prohibiting the enslavement of Indians.

The attempt in Maryland to prevent the intermarriage of whites and blacks seems not to have proved very successful. The preamble to a new act on this subject recites that such matches were often brought about by the "instigation, procurement, or connivance of the master or mistress," who thus availed themselves of the provisions of the former law to prolong the servitude of their female servants, and, at the same time, to raise up a new brood of slaves. To remedy this evil, all white female servants intermarrying with negro slaves were to be declared free at once, and their children also; but the minister celebrating the marriage, and the master or mistress promoting or conniving at it, were subjected to a fine of ten thousand pounds of tobacco.

The settlement of South Carolina commenced about 1660. In the scheme of government for this colony, drafted by the afterwards celebrated metaphysician, John Locke, there was inserted a provision that "every freeman of South Carolina shall have absolute power and authority over his negro slaves, of what opinion and religion whatsoever."

In the code of laws known as the "Duke's laws," enacted for the government of New York in 1665, there is a provision that "no Christian shall be kept in bond slavery, villeinage, or captivity, except such who shall be judged thereunto by authority, or such as willingly have sold or shall sell themselves," in which case a record of such servitude shall be entered in the court of sessions, "held for that jurisdiction where the master shall inhabit." This provision, borrowed, with some modifications, from the "Massachusetts Fundamentals," did not exempt heathen negroes and Indians from slavery.

In Virginia, in 1692, an "act for suppressing outlying slaves," after setting forth in a preamble that "many times negroes, mulattoes, and other slaves unlawfully absent themselves from their masters' and mistresses' service, and he hid, and lurk in obscure places, killing hogs, and committing other injuries to the inhabitants of this dominion," authorizes any two justices, one being of the quorum, to issue their warrant to the sheriff for the arrest of any such outlying slaves. Whereupon the sheriff is to raise the necessary force, and if the