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Petitions praying that these measures be repealed were sent to the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