Not So

A late numbór ofthe Coldwater Sentinel has an article írom a correspondent, purposingto correct the misrepresentations of Messrs. Bibb and Treadwell on Slavery, when lecturing at that place. Their own statements they can of course defend for themselves. But their article contains several gross, though. probably unintentional false statements ofthe writer which we will notice. He argües that the slaves are in better condition than was represenled by Mr. Bibb, because they had "rel igious instruction," and many of them were "member of evangelical churchcs." That the ñames of many of them are enrolled on the church records, is true : but that they have all the rights nnd privileges of members, is not true. Thcir teslimon)' is notreceived in the church aginst a white man or woman. They cannot hold offices in the church, and have no vote in receiving or expelling church members : and whentricd for offences, slaves are tried exclusively by free persons. In many cases, they cannot be rece i ved into churches without the written consent of their masters. That they are baptized and admitted to partakc of the sacrament and go to meeting for such a timp as the wliile portion of the church may picase to allow them to do so, is true: büt beyond this, so far as we can see, the horses of their masters might as well be enrolled on the church lists as the slaves. In matters of discipline and _ government, the slaves have no more voice than the horses What is such a membership in such an {Cf"ev angelical" church worth ? It affords no protection ngainst the grossestoutrages on the rights or persons of the slaves of either sex by members of the same churches, nnless the fact caft be proved by lohtle witnesses. Concerning laws against the education of slaves, the writer says : "So f ar as I have been áble (o gan any inf.rmation, no such laws existed, uut tl ihe abolitionists of the South began to circuíate, amrng thehitherto contentv bklcks, insurref'tionary and incendia' ry publicationai. The primary object of these laws was self prescrvation, by preventing their servante from reading inflamótory arpeáis, which inciied them to acts of violence, ( niangiring the property I and lives of the white popukt'on. For the consèquéncèa the Abolitionists onhj aro a'astverablè. This may be an unwelcome truth, but truth it is." So far f rom this paragraph being the "truth," ih ;re is n-t a true sía'einent in it. Anyn the millions of publications on slavery put forth by antislavery Convcntions and socielies, wc challenge the writer or any other person to produce one "insurrectionary or incendiary publication" which incited them [the slaves] to acts of violonce. The writer is bound, as ai hcnest man, to mal-, e good h:s charge or withdraw it. Tne writer's "informalion" on Slavery must be extremely limited, or ho would not have even n !ma'edthat no laws against the education of the slaves existed till after the antislavery rggltaticn commenced. We will adduce a few instances which may enlarge bis information. South Carolina. - In 1740, more than one hundred years ago, while yet a province, this law was enacted : "Whcreas the having of slaves taught to write. or sufiering them to be employed in writing, may be atlended with great inconvcnienees: Bc it enacted, That all and every person or persons whatsoever, who shall hereaftcr teach, or cause any slave or slaves to bé taught io write, or shall use oremploy any slave as a scribe in nny manner of writing whatever, hereafter taught to write, every such person or persons, for every such ofience, shall forfeit thesum of one hundred pounds current money." BrevarTs Digcst,2á': Stroud's Laws of Slavery, 88. Another law of the same State was passed in 1800, nearly a half a century ago, enacting "that assemblies of slavecj free negroes, mulattces, and mestizoes, met together for the purpose of mental instruclion in a confined or secret place &c. &c. are declared to be an unlawful meeting, and magistrates, &c. &c. are berebyrequired, &c. to enter into such confined places, &c. and break doors &c. if resistcd and to difpirse such slaves, free negroes, &c. and the officers dispersing such unlawful assemblages, may infiict such corporal puniskvicnt, not excceding tieenty lashcs, upon such slaves, free negroes, $c. as they may judge necessary for deterring them from the LIKE LNLAWFUL ASSEMBLAGE IN FUTURE.' 2 BrevarcPs Digest, 254. Another section of the same act makes it unlawful for slaves to meet for "mental inslruciion" before sunrise, or after sunset. - Slroud, 89. Georgia. - This state adopted the law of South Carolina first named (except that the penalty isless) in 1770, or three fourthsof a century since. - Prince's Digest, 455. A city ordinance of Savannah is thus noticed in the Port Folio, of April, 1818, (thirteen years before the antislavery agitation commeneed. ) "The city has passed an ordinance by which any person that teaches any persons of color, slave or free, to read or write, or causes such persons to be so taught, is subjected to a fine of thirty dollars for each ofience : and every person of color who shall keep a school to teach reading or writing, is subject to ajine of ti irt y dollars, or to be iaiprisoned ten DAYS, AND WHIPPED THIRTV-NINE LASHES." Virginia. - The revisedcode of 1818 declares that all meetings of slaves or free negroes or mulattoes mixing and associating with such slaves "ai any school or schools for teaching them reading or viriling either in the day or night, under whatsoever pretext, shall be deemed and considered aü unlawful assembly :" and certain officers are authorized to disperse such meetings, "and to infiict corporal punishmenl on the ofiender or ofienders at the discretion of any justice of the peace, not exceding twenty lashes." 1 Rev. Code, 424-5. Stroud, 89. We might quote the statutes of othér Statas, and show that similar laws were enacied long since, but we have not room for further quotations. These certainly oüght to put to shame the lies of unblushing demagogues about our "free institutions being open to all without reference to rank or birth," and the numerous other falsehoods proclaimed each Fourth of July and confirmed by the thunderings of the cannons. Such laws are neeëssary for the protection of tyrants from those they oppress : and their rigor and severity are proportionate to wretchedness of the oppressed and the cold blooded ötrocity of the oppressor ín this röspect, we doubt whether the statutes just quoted can be matched by the governmental tyranny of Europe : and they cause American Democracy to become a hissing and by word among all nations. O Several Communications nre on hand. We will attend to them shortly.