slaves, free negroes, mulattoes, and mestizoes, whether
composed of all or any such description of persons, or of all or any
of the same and a proportion of white persons, met together for the
purpose of _mental_ instruction in a confined or secret place, or with
the gates or doors of such place barred, bolted, or locked, so as to
prevent the free ingress to and from the same," are declared to be
unlawful meetings; the officers dispersing such unlawful assemblages
being authorized to "inflict such corporal punishment, not exceeding
twenty lashes, upon such slaves, free negroes, mulattoes, and
mestizoes, as they may judge necessary for deterring them from the
like unlawful assemblage in future." Another section of the same act
declares, "that it shall not be lawful for any number of slaves, free
negroes, mulattoes, or mestizoes, even in company with white persons,
to meet together and assemble for the purpose of mental instruction or
religious worship before the rising of the sun or after the going down
of the same." This section was so oppressive, that in 1803, in answer
to petitions from certain religious societies, an amending act was
passed forbidding any person before 9 o'clock in the evening "to break
into a place of meeting wherever shall be assembled the members of any
religious society of the State, provided a majority of them shall be
white persons, or other to disturb their devotions unless a warrant
has been procured from a magistrate, if at the time of the meeting
there should be a magistrate within three miles of the place; if not,
the act of 1800 is to remain in full force."

On the 17th of December, 1834, definite action was taken against the
education of free Colored persons as well as slaves. The first section
is given:

"SECTION 1. If any person shall hereafter teach any slave to read
or write, or shall aid or assist in teaching any slave to read or
write, or cause or procure any slave to be taught to read or
write, such person, if a free white person, upon conviction
thereof shall, for each and every offense against, this act, be
fined not exceeding $100 and imprisonment not more than six
months; or, if a free person of color, shall be whipped not
exceeding fifty lashes, and fined not exceeding $50, at the
discretion of the court of magistrates and freeholders before
which such free person of color is tried; and if a slave, to be
whipped, at the