with lee in virginia-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



do　them　any　good　with　the　people　round；　besides　I　don't　think

Jackson　would　like　to　go　into　court　to　complain　of　being　thrashed

by　a　fellow　a　head　shorter　than　himself。　　It's　blackguards　like　him

who　give　the　Abolitionists　a　right　to　hold　up　the　slave…owners　as

being　tyrants　and　brutes。〃



The　Jacksons　were　newcomers　in　Virginia。　　Six　years　before；　the

estate；　of　which　the　Cedars；　as　their　place　was　called；　formed　a

part；　was　put　up　for　sale。　　It　was　a　very　large　one；　and　having　been

divided　into　several　portions　to　suit　buyers；　the　Cedars　had　been

purchased　by　Jackson；　who；　having　been　very　successful　as　a

storekeeper　at　Charleston；　had　decided　upon　giving　up　the　business

and　leaving　South　Carolina；　and　settling　down　as　a　land…owner　in

some　other　State。　His　antecedents；　however；　were　soon　known　at

Richmond；　and　the　old　Virginian　families　turned　a　cold　shoulder　to

the　newcomer。



Had　he　been　a　man　of　pleasant　manners；　he　would　gradually　have

made　his　way；　but　he　was　evidently　not　a　gentleman。　　The　habits　of

trade　stuck　to　him；　and　in　a　very　short　time　there　were　rumors　that

the　slaves；　whom　he　had　bought　with　the　property；　found　him　a

harsh　and　cruel　master。　　This　in　itself　would　have　been　sufficient

to　bring　him　disrepute　in　Virginia；　where　as　a　rule　the　slaves　were

treated　with　great　kindness；　and　indeed　considered　their　position　to

be　infinitely　superior　to　that　of　the　poorer　class　of　whites。　　Andrew

Jackson　had　been　for　a　few　months　at　school　with　Vincent；　lie　was

unpopular　there；　and　from　the　rumors　current　as　to　the　treatment　of

the　slaves　on　the　estate；　was　known　by　the　nickname　of　the

〃slave…driver。〃



Had　Vincent　been　the　son　of　a　white　trader；　or　a　small　cultivator；

he　knew　well　enough　that　his　position　would　he　a　very　serious　one；

and　that　he　would　have　bad　to　ride　to　the　border　of　the　State　with

all　speed。　　He　would　have　been　denounced　at　once　as　an

Abolitionist；　and　would　have　been　accused　of　stirring　up　the　slaves

to　rebellion　against　their　masters；　a　crime　of　the　most　serious　kind

in　the　Southern　States。　　But　placed　as　he　was；　as　the　heir　of　a　great

estate　worked　by　slaves；　such　a　cry　could　hardly　be　raised　against

him。　　He　might　doubtless　be　filled　and　admonished　for　interfering

between　a　master　and　his　slave；　but　the　sympathy　of　the　better

classes　in　Virginia　would　be　entirely　with　him。　　Vincent；　therefore；

was　but　little　concerned　for　himself；　but　he　doubted　greatly

whether　his　interference　had　not　done　much　more　harm　than　good

to　the　slave　and　his　wife；　for　upon　them　Andrew　Jackson　would

vent　his　fury。　　He　rode　direct　to　the　stables　instead　of　alighting　as

usual　at　the　door。　　Dan；　who　had　been　sitting　in　the　veranda

waiting　for　him；　ran　down　to　the　stables　as　he　saw　him　coming。



〃Give　the　horse　to　one　of　the　others；　Dan；　I　want　to　speak　to　you。　

Dan；〃　he　went　on　when　he　had　walked　with　him　a　short　distance

from　the　stables；　〃I　suppose　yen　know　some　of　the　bands　on

Jackson's　plantation。〃



Dan　grinned；　for　although　there　was　not　supposed　to　be　any

communication　between　the　slaves　on　the　different　estates；　it　was

notorious　that　at　night　they　were　in　the　habit　of　slipping　out　of

their　huts　and　visiting　each　other。



〃I　know　some　oh　dem；　Massa　Vincent。　　What　you　want　ob　dem？

Berry　bad　master；　Massa　Jackson。　　Wust　master　hereabouts。〃



Vincent　related　what　had　happened；　to　Dan's　intense　delight。



〃Now；　Dan；〃　he　went　on；　〃I　am　afraid　that　after　my　interference

they　will　treat　that　poor　fellow　and　his　wife　worse　than　before。　　I

want　yen　to　find　out　for　me　what　is　going　on　at　Jackson's。　　I　do　not

know　that　I　can　do　anything；　however　badly　they　treat　them；　but　I

have　been　thinking　that　if　they　ill…treat　them　very　grossly；　I　will　get

together　a　party　of　fifteen　or　twenty　of　my　friends　and　we　will　go

in　a　body　to　Jackson's；　and　warn　him　that　if　he　behaves　with

cruelty　to　his　slaves；　we　will　make　it　so　hot　for　him　that　he　will

have　to　leave　the　state。　　I　don't　say　that　we　could　do　anything；　but

as　we　should　represent　most　of　the　large　estates　round　here；　I　don't

think　old　Jackson　and　his　son　would　like　being　sent　to　Coventry。

The　feeling　is　very　strong　at　present　against　ill…treatment　of　the

slaves。　　If　these　troubles　lead　to　war　almost　all　of　us　will　go　into

the　army；　and　we　do　not　like　the　thought　of　the　possibility　of

troubles　among　the　hands　when　the　whites　are　all　away。〃



〃I　will　find　out　all　about　it　for　you　to…night；　sah。　　I　don't　suspect　dat

dey　will　do　nuffin　to…day。　Andrew　Jackson　too　sick　after　dat　knock

against　de　tump。　　He　keep　quiet　a　day　or　two。〃



〃Well；　Dan；　you　go　over　to…night　and　find　out　all　about　it。　　I　expect

I　had　better　have　left　things　alone；　but　now　I　have　interfered　I　shall

go　on　with　it。〃



Mrs。　Wingfield　was　much　displeased　when　Vincent　told　her　at

dinner　of　his　incident　at　Jackson's　plantation　and　even　his　sisters

were　shocked　at　this　interference　between　a　master　and　his　slave。



〃You　will　get　yourself　into　serious　trouble　with　these　fanciful

notions　of　yours；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said　angrily。　〃You　know　as　well

as　I　do　how　easy　it　is　to　get　up　a　cry　against　any　one　as　an

Abolitionist　and　how　difficult　to　disprove　the　accusation；　and　just

at　present；　when　the　passions　of　every　man　in　the　South　are

inflamed　to　the　utmost；　such　an　accusation　will　be　most　serious。　

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。　　I

am　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；　I

hope　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　hut