ORDINANCE of the Gouverneur Général, concerning the Carrying of Arms by People of Color

The carrying of arms is one of those singular privileges that our Kings have granted only to certain privileged classes, destined by their station to bear them, or to those whom they wished to reward in a distinguished manner. Since not all men born free have the right to carry arms, all the more so can the emancipated not have it without an express permission. This permission placing them in the highest class to which they can aspire, we thought we should limit this permission, and grant it without reserve only to those who, in the present occurrence, have distinguished themselves by a particular zeal for the defense of their Fatherland.

ART. I. Every free nègre or mulâtre, other than the Officiers Majors of Companies of that name, may carry a musket, pistol, saber, sword, manchette, or other bladed weapons only on days of review, drill, or at the present moment when he is in service, on pain of punishment.