第10章

In the present instance there does not seem that there is a shadow of excuse for your conduct.You simply heard cries of a slave being flogged.You deliberately leave the road and enter these people's plantation and interfere without, so far as I can see, the least reason for doing so.You did not inquire what the man's offense was; and he may for aught you know have half murdered his master.You simply see a slave being flogged and you assault his owner.if the Jackson a lay complaints against you it is quite probable that you may have to leave the state.What on earth can have influenced you to act in such a mad-brained way?""I did not interfere to prevent his flogging the slave, mother, but to prevent his flogging the slave's wife, which was pure wanton brutality.It is not a question of slavery one way or the other.Any one has a right to interfere to put a stop to brutality.If I saw a man brutally treating a horse or a dog I should certainly do so; and if it is right to interfere to save a dumb animal from brutal ill-treatment surely it must be justifiable to save a woman in the same case.Iam not an Abolitionist.That is to say, I consider that slaves on a properly managed estate, like ours, for instance, are just as well off as are the laborers on an estate in Europe; but I should certainly like to see laws passed to protect them from ill-treatment.Why, in England there are laws against cruelty to animals; and a man who brutally flogged a dog or a horse would get a month's imprisonment with hard labor.I consider it a disgrace to us that a man may here ill-treat a human being worse than he might in England a dumb animal.""You know, Vincent," his mother said more quietly, "that I object as much as you do to the ill-treatment of the slaves, and that the slaves here, as on all well-conducted plantations in Virginia, are well treated; but this is not a time for bringing in laws or carrying out reforms.It is bad enough to have scores of Northerners doing their best to stir up mischief between masters and slaves without a Southern gentleman mixing himself up in the matter.We have got to stand together as one people and to protect our State rights from interference.""I am just as much in favor of State rights as any one else, mother;and if, as seems likely, the present quarrel is to be fought out, Ihope I shall do my best for Virginia as well as other fellows of my own age.But just as I protest against any interference by the Northerners with our laws, I say that we ought to amend our laws so as not to give them the shadow of an excuse for interference.It is brutes like the Jacksons who have afforded the materials for libels like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' upon us as a people; and I can't say that I am a bit sorry for having given that young Jackson what he deserved.""Well, I hope there will be no trouble come of it," Mrs.Wingfield said."I shouldn't think the Jacksons would like the exposure of their doings which would be caused by bringing the matter into court; but if they do, you may be quite sure that a jury in Richmond at the present time would find against you.""I don't suppose that they will do anything, mother.But if they must, they must; and I don't suppose anything serious will come of it any way."The next morning Vincent went down early to the stables.As he approached them Dan came out to meet him.

"Well, Dan, what's your news?"

"Berry great bobbery ober at Jackson's last night, Massa Vincent.

Fust of all I crept round to de huts ob de field hands.Dey all know nullin bout it; but one of dem he goes off and gets to hab a talk with a gal employed in do house who was in do habit of slipping out to see him.She say when do young un war carried in de old man go on furious; he bring suit against you, he hab you punished berry much-no saying what he not going to do.After a time do young un come round, he listen to what the ould man say for some time; den he answer: 'No use going on like dat.Set all de county families against us if we have suit.As to dat infernal young villain, me pay him out some other way.' Den de old man say he cut de flesh off de bones ob dat nigger; but do young one say:

'Mustn't do dat.You sure to hear about it, and make great bobbery.

Find some odor way to punish him.' Den dey talk together for some time, but girl not hear any more.""Well, then, there will be no suit anyhow," Vincent said."As to paying me out some other way, I will look after myself, Dan.Ibelieve that follow Jackson is capable of anything, and I will be on the lookout for him.""Be sure you do, Massa Vincent.You ride about a great deal, dat fellow bery like take a shot at you from behind tree.Don't you go near dat plantation, or sure enuff trouble come.""I will look out, Dan.There is one thing, I always ride fast; and it wants a very good shot to hit one at a gallop.I don't think they will try that; for if he missed, as he would be almost sure to do, it would be a good deal worse for him than this affair would have been had he brought it into court.You keep your ears open, Dan, and find out how they are thinking of punishing that poor follow for my interference on his behalf."After breakfast a negro arrived with a note for Mrs.Wingfield from Mr.Jackson, complaining of the unwarrantable and illegal interference by her son on behalf of a slave who was being very properly punished for gross misconduct; and of the personal assault upon his son.The writer said that ho was most reluctant to take legal proceedings against a member of so highly respected a family, but that it was impossible that ho could submit to such an outrage as this.