History of the Negro Race in America Volume II Part 17

"PERO RUSSELL, [his x mark.]

"PERO COGGESHALL.

"Dated at Dartmouth, the 10th of February, 1780.

"Memorandum in the handwriting of John Cuffe:

"This is the copy of the pet.i.tion which we did deliver unto the Honorable Council and House, for relief from taxation in the days of our distress. But we received none. JOHN CUFFE."[55]

Not discouraged at the failure that attended the above pet.i.tion, the indefatigable Paul Cuffe, addressed the following to the selectmen of his town the next year.

"A REQUEST.

"_To the Selectmen of the Town of Dartmouth, Greeting_:

We, the subscribers, your humble pet.i.tioners, desire that you would, in your capacity, put a stroke in your next warrant for calling a town meeting, so that it may legally be laid before said town, by way of vote, to know the mind of said town, whether all free negroes and mulattoes shall have the same privileges in this said Town of Dartmouth as the white people have, respecting places of profit, choosing of officers, and the like, together with all other privileges in all cases that shall or may happen or be brought in this our said Town of Dartmouth. We, your pet.i.tioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray,

[Signed] "JOHN CUFFE, "PAUL CUFFE,

"Dated at Dartmouth, the 22d of the 4th mo., 1781,"

As early as 1788 Ma.s.sachusetts pa.s.sed a law requiring all Negroes who were not citizens, to leave the Commonwealth within two months from the date of the publication of the law. It has been said, upon good authority, that this law was drawn by several of the ablest lawyers in the Bay State, and was intended to keep out all Negroes from the South who, being emanc.i.p.ated, might desire to settle there. It became a law on the 26th of March, 1788, and instead of becoming a dead letter, was published and enforced in post-haste. The following section is the portion of the act pertinent to this inquiry.

"V. _Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid_ [the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court a.s.sembled], that no person being an African or Negro, other than a subject of the Emperor of Morocco, or a citizen of some one of the United States (to be evidenced by a certificate from the Secretary of the State of which he shall be a citizen), shall tarry within this Commonwealth, for a longer time than two months, and upon complaint made to any Justice of the Peace within this Commonwealth, that any such person has been within the same more than two months, the said Justice shall order the said person to depart out of this Commonwealth, and in case that the said African or Negro shall not depart as aforesaid, any Justice of the Peace within this Commonwealth, upon complaint and proof made that such person has continued within this Commonwealth ten days after notice given him or her to depart as aforesaid, shall commit the said person to any house of correction within the county, there to be kept to hard labor, agreeable to the rules and orders of the said house, until the Sessions of the Peace, next to be holden within and for the said county; and the master of the said house of correction is hereby required and directed to transmit an attested copy of the warrant of commitment to the said Court on the first day of their said session, and if upon trial at the said Court, it shall be made to appear that the said person has thus continued within the Commonwealth, contrary to the tenor of this act, he or she shall be whipped not exceeding ten stripes, and ordered to depart out of this Commonwealth within ten days; and if he or she shall not so depart, the same process shall be had and punishment inflicted, and so _toties quoties_."[56]

The following notice, with the subjoined names, shows that the cruel law was enforced.

NOTICE TO BLACKS.

The Officers of Police having made return to the Subscriber of the names of the following persons, who are Africans or Negroes, not subjects of the Emperor of _Morocco_ nor citizens of the _United States_, the same are hereby warned and directed to depart out of this Commonwealth before the 10th day of October next, as they would avoid the pains and penalties of the law in that case provided, which was pa.s.sed by the Legislature, March 26, 1788.

CHARLES BULFINCH, _Superintendent_.

_By Order and Direction of the Selectmen._

_Portsmouth_--Prince Patterson, Eliza Cotton, Flora Nash.

_Rhode Island_--Thomas Nichols and Philis Nichols, Hannah Champlin, Plato Alderson, Raney Scott, Jack Jeffers, Thomas Gardner, Julius Holden, Violet Freeman, Cuffy Buffum, Sylvia Gardner, Hagar Blackburn, Dolly Peach, Polly Gardner, Sally Alexander, Philis Taylor.

_Providence_--Dinah Miller, Salvia Hendrick, Rhode Allen, Nancy Hall, Richard Freeman, Elizabeth Freeman, Nancy Gardner, Margaret Harrison.

_Connecticut_--Bristol Morandy, John Cooper, Scipio Kent, Margaret Russell, Phoebe Seamore, Phoebe Johnson, Jack Billings.

_New London_--John Denny, Thomas Burdine, Hannah Burdine.

_New York_--Sally Evens, Sally Freeman, Caesar West and Hannah West, Thomas Peterson, Thomas Santon, Henry Sanderson, Henry Wilson, Robert Willet, Edward Cole, Mary Atkins, Polly Brown, Amey Spalding, John Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, George Homes, Prince Kilsbury, Abraham Fitch, Joseph Hicks, Abraham Francis, Elizabeth Francis, Sally Williams, William Williams, Rachel Pewinck, David Dove, Esther Dove, Peter Bayle, Thomas Bostick, Katy Bostick, Prince Hayes, Margaret Bean, Nancy Hamik, Samuel Benjamin, Peggy Ocamum, Primus Hutchinson.

_Philadelphia_--Mary Smith, Richard Allen, Simon Jeffers, Samuel Posey, Peter Francies, Prince Wales, Elizabeth Branch, Peter Gust, William Brown, b.u.t.terfield Scotland, Clarissa Scotland, Cuffy c.u.mmings, John Gardner, Sally Gardner, Fortune Gorden, Samuel Stevens.

_Baltimore_--Peter Larkin and Jenny Larkin, Stepney Johnson, Anne Melville.

_Virginia_--James Scott, John Evens, Jane Jackson, Cuffey Cook, Oliver Nash, Robert Woodson, Thomas Thompson.

_North Carolina_--James Jurden, Polly Johnson, Ja.n.u.s Crage.

_South Carolina_--Anthony George, Peter Cane.

_Halifax_--Catherine Gould, Charlotte Gould, Cato Small, Philis Cole, Richard M'Coy.

_West Indies_--James Morfut and Hannah his wife, Mary Davis, George Powell, Peter Lewis, Charles Sharp, Peter Hendrick, William Shoppo and Mary Shoppo, Isaac Johnson, John Pearce, Charles Esings, Peter Branch, Newell Symonds, Rosanna Symonds, Peter George, Lewis Victor, Lewis Sylvester, John Laco, Thomas Foster, Peter Jesemy, Rebecca Jesemy, David Bartlet, Thomas Grant, Joseph Lewis, Hamet Lewis, John Harrison, Mary Brown, Boston Alexander.

_Cape Francois_--Casme Francisco and Nancy his wife, Mary Fraceway.

_Aux Cayes_--Susannah Ross.

_Port-au-Prince_--John Short.

_Jamaica_--Charlotte Morris, John Robinson.

_Bermuda_--Thomas Williams.

_New Providence_--Henry Taylor.

_Liverpool_--John Mumford.

_Africa_--Francis Thompson, John Brown, Mary Joseph, James Melvile, Samuel Bean, Hamlet Earl, Cato Gardner, Charles Mitchel, Sophia Mitchel, Samuel Frazier, Samuel Blackburn, Timothy Philips, Joseph Ocamum.

_France_--Joseph ----

_Isle of France_--Joseph Lovering.

LIST OF INDIANS AND MULATTOES.

The following persons from several of the United States, being people of colour, commonly called Mulattoes, are presumed to come within the intention of the same law, and are accordingly warned and directed to depart out of the Commonwealth before the 10th day of October next.

_Rhode Island_--Peter Badger, Kelurah Allen, Waley Green, Silvia Babc.o.c.k.

_Providence_--Polly Adams, Paul Jones.

_Connecticut_--John Brown, Polly Holland, John Way and Nancy Way, Peter Virginia, Leville Steward, Lucinda Orange, Anna Sprague, Britton Doras, Amos Willis, Frank Francies.

_New London_--Hannah Potter.

_New York_--Jacob and Nelly c.u.mmings, James and Rebecca Smith, Judith Chew, John Schumagger, Thomas Willouby, Peggy Willouby, John Reading, Mary Reading, Charles Brown, John Miles, Hannah Williams, Betsy Harris, Dougla.s.s Brown, Susannah Foster, Thomas Burros, Mary Thomson, James and Freelove Buck, Lucy Glapcion, Lucy Lewis, Eliza Williams, Diana Bayle, Caesar and Sylvia Caton, ---- Thompson, William Guin.

_Albany_--Elone Virginia, Abijah Reed and Lydia Reed, Abijah Reed, Jr., Rebecca Reed and Betsy Reed.

_New Jersey_--Stephen Boadley, Hannah Victor.