| Free People of Color |
| ¶ |
FREE PEOPLE OF COLOR. |
The Evening and the Morning Star, vol. 2 no. 14 (July 1833), 109, W. W. Phelps editor. | ||
| Blacks
coming to Missouri State laws |
¶ | TO prevent any misunderstanding among the churches abroad, respecting Free people of color, who may think of coming to the western boundaries of Missouri, as members of the church, we quote the following clauses from the Laws of Missouri. | ||
| Court record of free status required | ¶ | SECTION. 4. Be it further enacted, That hereafter no free negro or mulatto, other than a citizen of some one of the United States, shall come into or settle in this state under any pretext whatever; and upon complaint made to any justice of the peace, that such person is in his county, contrary to the provisions of this section, he shall cause such person to be brought before him. And if upon examination, it shall appear that such person is a free negro or mulatto, and that he hath come into this state after the passage of this act, and such person shall not produce a certificate, attested by the seal of some court of record in some one of the United States, evidencing that he is a citizen of such state, the justice shall command him forthwith to depart from this state; and in case such negro or mulatto shall not depart from the state within thirty days after being commanded so to do as aforesaid, any justice of the peace, upon complaint thereof to him made may cause such person to be brought before him, and may commit him to the common goal of the county in which he may be found, until the next term of the circuit court to be holden in such county. And the said court shall cause such person to be brought before them, and examine into the cause of commitment; and if it shall appear that such person came into the state contrary to the provisions of this act, and continued therein after being commanded to depart as aforesaid, such court may sentence such person to receive ten lashes on his or her bare back, and order him to depart the state; and if he or she shall not so depart, the same proceedings shall be had and punishment inflicted, as often as may be necessary, until such person shall depart the state. | ||
| $500 fine for aiding illegals | ¶ |
SECTION. 5. Be it further enacted, That if any person shall, after the taking effect of this act, bring into this state any free negro or mulatto, not having in his possesion a certificate of citizenship as required by this act, [he or she] shall forfeit and pay, for every person so brought, the sum of five hundred dollars, to be recovered by action of debt in the name of the state, to the use of the university, in any court having competent jurisdiction; in which action the defendant may be held to bail, of right, and without affidavit; and it shall be the duty of the attorney-general or circuit attorney of the district in which any person so offending may be found, immediately upon information given of such offence, to commence and prosecute an action as aforesaid. |
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| Exercise
great care Church has no special rule Shun appearance of evil |
¶ | Slaves are real estate
in this and other states, and wisdom would dictate great care among the
branches of the church of Christ, on this subject. So long as we have no
special rule in the church, as to people of color, let prudence guide; and
while they, as well as we, are in the hands of a merciful God, we say: Shun
every appearance of evil. |
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| State constitution good | ¶ | WHILE on the subject of law, it may not be amiss to quote some of the Constitution of Missouri. It shows a liberality of opinion of the great men of the west, and will vie with that of any other state. It is good; it is just, and it is the citizens' right. | ||
| Freedom of religion | ¶ |
1. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no man can be compelled to erect, support or attend any place of worship, or to maintain any minister of the gospel or teacher of religion; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person can ever be hurt, molested or restrained in his religious professions or sentiments, if he do not disturb others in their religious worship: |
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| ¶ |
5. That no person, on account of his religious opinions, can be rendered inelgible to any office of trust or profit under this state; that no preference can ever be given by law to any sect or mode of worship; and that no religious corporation can ever be established in this state. |
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| ¶ | THE EVENING AND MORNING STAR | Qtd. in Times and Seasons, vol. 6 no. 4 (March 1, 1845), 818. | ||
| Extra | ¶ | Extra July 16th, 1833. | ||
| Article
misunderstood Intended to stop blacks from coming to state and prevent them from joining the church |
¶ | Having learned with extreme regret, that an article entitled, "Free people of color," in the last number of the Star, has been misunderstood we feel in duty bound to state, in this Extra, that our intention was not only to stop free people of color from emigrating to this state, but to prevent them from being admitted as members of the church. On the second column of the one hundred and eleventh page of the same paper, may be found this paragraph: | Actually the quoted text is on the first (inner) column of p. 111, in the middle of a lengthy article titled "The Elders Stationed in Zion to the Church Abroad, in Love, Greeting:"The immediate context for the quoted paragraphs is the requirement to obtain certificates in home branches before coming to Zion. | |
| Great
care Appearance of evil Colonize Africa |
Our brethren will find an extract of the law of this state, relative to free people of color, on another page of this paper; great care should be taken on this point. The saints must shun every appearance of evil. As to slaves we have nothing to say, in connection with the wonderful events of this age, much is doing towards abolishing slavery, and colonizing the blacks in Africa. |
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| Fear
insurrection Blacks ignorant, disturb peace |
¶ |
We often lament the situation of our sister states in the south, and we fear, lest, as has been the case, the blacks should rise and spill innocent blood: for they are ignorant and a little may lead them to disturb the peace of society. |
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| Oppose
free blacks in state Admit none to church |
To be short, we are opposed to having free people of color admitted into the state; and we say, that none will admitted into the church, for we are determined to obey the laws and constitutions of our country, that we may have that protection which the sons of liberty inherit from the legacy of Washington, through the favorable auspices of a Jefferson and Jackson. < |
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