"keeping fire-arms without a license from a Justice of the Peace"

   "Legislation.--At the session commencing January 3d, 1832, the Legislature passed 86 acts and 8 resolutions..."

   "An act prohibiting, under a penalty of $5, free negroes or mulattoes from keeping fire-arms without a license from a Justice of the Peace. Also prohibiting under a penalty of $10, all meetings of free negroes or mulattoes of more than twelve in number, which shall continue longer than ten at night, unless under the direction of three white men: and prohibiting, under a penalty of $50, any free negro or mulatto, not an inhabitant of the State from holding any meeting for the purpose of preaching or exhorting, without a license from a justice of the peace.[Delaware. Pg. 253]

   "An act was, however, passed March 15th, in reference to the black population of the State, which was deemed necessary in consequence of the insurrection at Southampton in the summer of 1831. By this act all colored persons are prohibited from preaching or holding any assembly either for religious or other purpose, from attending any assembly held for the purpose of instruction by any colored person. Slaves are prohibited from attending meetings in the night, even when conducted by a white minister, without permission from their overseers. This act, however, is not to be construed to prevent licensed white clergymen from preaching to blacks in the day time, nor masters from employing white persons to give religious instruction to their slaves, nor the slaves of one owner from assembling at any time for religious worship. "All free negroes and mulattoes are prohibited from keeping any arms and ammunition under pain of forfeiture of the arms and of being whipped. And they are declared incapable of acquiring permanent ownership, except by descent, in any slave." [Virginia - Slavery. Pg. 257]

[FESSENDEN & CO.'S SERIES. THE AMERICAN ANNUAL REGISTER OF PUBLIC EVENTS, FOR THE YEAR 1831-32, OR THE FIFTY-SEVENTH YEAR OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE; CONTAINING A VIEW OF THE HISTORY, POLITICS, AND LITERATURE OF THE YEAR, WITH BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT PERSONS. BRATTLEBORO': FESSENDEN AND COMPANY. BOSTON: HILLIARD, GRAY AND CO. LONDON: RICHARD J. KENNETT. 1833.]

   Is it just me, or does it seem like most of the present American governments. Are now treating U.S. citizens the same way as that which we see above? Except for the "being whipped" part of course. (At least not yet anyways).