The Journal of Negro History | Page 7

law-abiding citizens were held on Saturday to pass
resolutions, denouncing abolitionists and mobs and making an appeal
to the people and the civil authorities to uphold the law. The Negroes
also held a meeting and respectfully assured the mayor and citizens that
they would use every effort to conduct themselves orderly and
expressed their readiness to give bond according to the law of 1807 or
leave the city quietly within a specified time. But these steps availed

little when the police winked at this violence. The rioters boldly
occupied the streets without arrest and continued their work until
Sunday. The mayor, sheriff and marshal went to the battle ground
about three o'clock but the mob still had control. The officers could not
even remove those Negroes who complied with the law of leaving. The
authorities finally hit upon the scheme of decreasing the excitement by
inducing about 300 colored men to go to jail for security after they had
been assured that their wives and children would be protected. The
Negroes consented and were accordingly committed, but the cowardly
element again attacked these helpless dependents like savages. At the
same time other rioters stormed the office of The Philanthropist and
broke up the press. The mob continued its work until it dispersed from
mere exhaustion. The Governor finally came to the city and issued a
proclamation setting forth the gravity of the situation. The citizens and
civil authorities rallied to his support and strong patrols prevented
further disorder.[42]
It is impossible to say exactly how many were killed and wounded on
either side. It is probable that several were killed and twenty or thirty
variously wounded, though but few dangerously. Forty of the mob were
arrested and imprisoned. Exactly what was done with all of them is not
yet known. It seems that few, if any of them, however, were severely
punished. The Negroes who had been committed for safe keeping were
thereafter disposed of in various ways. Some were discharged on
certificates of nativity, others gave bond for their support and good
behavior, a few were dismissed as non-residents, a number of them
were discharged by a justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and the
rest were held indefinitely.[43]
This upheaval had two important results. The enemies of the Negroes
were convinced that there were sufficient law-abiding citizens to secure
to the refugees protection from mob violence; and because of these
riots their sympathizers became more attached to the objects of their
philanthropy. Abolitionists, Free Soilers and Whigs fearlessly attacked
the laws which kept the Negroes under legal and economic disabilities.
Petitions praying that these measures be repealed were sent to the
legislature. The proslavery element of the State, however, was equally
militant. The legislators, therefore, had to consider such questions as
extradition and immigration, State aid and colonization, the

employment of colored men in the militia service, the extension of the
elective franchise, and the admission of colored children to the public
schools.[44] Most of these "Black Laws" remained until after the war,
but in 1848 they were so modified as to give the Negroes legal standing
in courts and to provide for their children such education as a school
tax on the property of colored persons would allow[45] and further
changed in 1849[46] so as to make the provision for education more
effective.
The question of repealing the other oppressive laws came up in the
Convention of 1850. It seemed that the cause of the Negroes had made
much progress in that a larger number had begun to speak for them. But
practically all of the members of the convention who stood for the
Negroes were from the Western Reserve. After much heated discussion
the colored people were by a large majority of votes still left under the
disabilities of being disqualified to sit on juries, unable to obtain a legal
residence so as to enter a charitable institution supported by the State,
and denied admission to public schools established for white
children.[47]
The greatest problem of the Negroes, however, was one of education.
There were more persons interested in furnishing them facilities of
education than in repealing the prohibitive measures, feeling that the
other matters would adjust themselves after giving them adequate
training. But it required some time and effort yet before much could be
effected in Cincinnati because of the sympathizers with the South. The
mere passing of the law of 1849 did not prove to be altogether a victory.
Complying with the provisions of this act the Negroes elected trustees,
organized a system, and employed teachers, relying on the money
allotted them by the law on the basis of a per capita division of the
school fund received by the board of education. So great was the
prejudice of people of the city that the