The Missouri PersecutionsRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
History
The Missouri Persecutions
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saints -- Missouri -- History -- 19th century
The charge of sowing dissensions and inspiring seditions among the
slaves, and inviting free people of color to settle in Jackson County,
has no foundation in truth. The July number of the _Evening and Morning
Star,_ for 1833, contains an article on "Free People of Color," and
publishes the laws of Missouri relating to that class of people. "Free
people of color" were negroes or mulattoes who were set free through
the kindness of their masters, or who, by working extra hours, for
which they were sometimes allowed pay, were able at last to purchase
their liberty. Concerning such people the Missouri laws provided that:
If any negro or mulatto come into the State of Missouri, without a
certificate from a court of record in some one of the United States,
evidencing that he was a citizen of such State, on complaint before any
justice of the peace, such negro or mulatto could be commanded by the
justice to leave the State; and if the colored person so ordered did
not leave the State within thirty days, on complaint of any citizen,
such person could be again brought before the justice who might commit
him to the common jail of the county, until the convening of the
circuit court, when it became the duty of the judge of the circuit
court to inquire into the cause of commitment; and if it was found
that the negro or mulatto had remained in the State contrary to the
provisions of this statute, the court was authorized to sentence such
person to receive ten lashes on his or her bare back, and then order
him or her to depart from the State; if the person so treated should
still refuse to go, then the same proceedings were to be repeated,
and punishment inflicted as often as was necessary until such person
departed.
And further: If any person brought into the State of Missouri a free
negro or mulatto, without the aforesaid certificate of citizenship,
for every such negro or mulatto the person offending was liable to a
forfeit of five hundred dollars; to be recovered by action of debt in
the name of the State. The editor of the _Star_ commenting upon this
law said:
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.
Publishing this law, and the above comment, was construed, by the old
settlers, to be an invitation to free people of color to settle in
Jackson County! Whereupon an extra was published to the July number of
the _Star_ on the sixteenth of the month, which said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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