with lee in virginia-第8章

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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。



Although　Mrs。　Wingfield　had　expressed　her　disapproval　of

Vincent's　conduct　on　the　evening　before；　there　was　no　trace　of　that

feeling　in　her　reply　to　this　letter。　She　wrote　in　the　third　person；

coldly　acknowledging　the　receipt　of　Mr。　Jackson's　letter；　and

saying　that　she　had　heard　from　her　son　of　his　interference　to　put　a

stop　to　one　of　those　brutal　scenes　which　brought　discredit　upon　the

Southern　States；　and　that　she　considered　he　had　most　rightly

punished　Mr。　Jackson；　jun。；　for　his　inhuman　and　revolting　conduct；

that　she　was　perfectly　aware　the　interference　had　been　technically

illegal；　but　that　her　son　was　fully　prepared　to　defend　his　conduct　if

called　upon　to　do　so　in　the　courts；　and　to　pay　any　fine　that　might

be　inflicted　for　his　suffering　himself　to　be　carried　away　by　his

righteous　indignation。　She　ended　by　saying　that　as　Mr。　Jackson

was　a　stranger　in　Virginia；　he　was　perhaps　not　aware　that　the

public　sentiment　of　that　State　was　altogether　opposed　to　such　acts

of　brutality　as　that　of　which　his　son　had　been　guilty。



〃What　have　you　been　doing　to　that　fellow　Andrew　Jackson？〃　one

of　Vincent's　friends；　a　young　fellow　two　years　older　than　himself；

said　to　him　a　few　days　later。　〃There　wore　a　lot　of　us　talking　over

things　yesterday；　in　Richmond；　and　he　came　up　and　joined　in。　

Something　was　said　about　Abolitionists；　and　he　said　that　he　should

like　to　see　every　Abolitionist　in　the　State　strung　up　to　a　tree。　　He　is

always　pretty　violent；　as　you　know；　　but　on　the　present　occasion　he

went　further　than　usual；　and　then　went　on　to　say　that　the　worst　and

most　dangerous　Abolitionists　were　not　Northern　men　but

Southerners；　who　were　traitors　to　their　State。　



He　said：　'For　example；　there　is　that　young　Wingfield。　　He　has　been

to　England；　and　has　come　back　with　his　heart　filled　with

Abolitionist　notions；'　and　that　such　opinions　at　the　present　time

were　a　danger　to　the　State。



〃Two　or　three　of　us　took　the　matter　up；　as　you　might　guess；　and

told　him　he　had　better　mind　what　he　was　saying　or　it　would　be　the

worse　for　him。　　Harry　Furniss　went　so　far　as　to　tell。　him　that　he

was　a　liar；　and　that　if　he　didn't　like　that　he　would　have　satisfaction

in　the　usual　way。　　Master　Jackson　didn't　like　it；　but　muttered

something　and　slunk　off。　　What's　the　matter　between　you？〃



〃I　should　not　have　said　anything　about　it；〃　Vincent　replied；　〃if

Jackson　had　chosen　to　hold　his　tongue；　but　as　　he　chooses　to　go

about　attacking　me；　there　is　no　reason　why　I　should　keep　the

matter　secret。〃　And　he　then　related　what　had　taken　place。



The　young　Virginian　gave　a　low　whistle。



〃I　don't　say　I　blame　you；　Wingfield；　but　I　tell　you；　you　might　have

got　yourself　into　an　awful　mess　if　the　Jacksons　had　chosen　to　take

it　up。　　You　know　how　hot　the　feeling　is　at　present；　and　it　is　a

serious　matter　at　any　time　to　interfere　between　a　master　and　his

slaves　in　the　Southern　States。　　Of　course　among　us　our　feelings

would　be　all　against　Jackson；　but　among　the　poorer　class　of

whites；　who　have　been　tremendously　excited　by　the　speeches；　both

in　the　North　and　here；　the　cry　of　Abolitionist　at　the　present

moment　is　like　a　red　rag　to　a　bull。　However；　I　understand　now　the

fellow's　enmity　to　you。　



〃None　of　us　ever　liked　him　when　ho　was　at　school　with　us。　　He　is

an　evil…tempered　brute；　and　I　am　afraid　you　may　have　some　trouble

with　him。　　If　ho　goes　about　talking　as　he　did　to　us；　he　would　soon

get　up　a　feeling　against　you。　Of　course　it　would　be　nonsense　to

openly　accuse　a　member　of　an　old　Virginian　family　of　being　an

Abolitionist；　but　it　would　be　easy　enough　to　set　a　pack　of　the　rough

classes　of　the　town　against　you；　and　you　might　get　badly　mauled　if

they　caught　you　alone。　　The　follow　is　evidently　a　coward　or　he

would　have　taken　up　what　Furniss　said；　but　a　coward　who　is

revengeful　is　a　good　deal　more　dangerous　than　an　open　foe。　

However；　I　will　talk　it　over　with　some　of　the　others；　and　we　will

see　if　we　can't　stop　Andrew　Jackson's　mouth。〃



The　result　of　this　was　that　the　next　day　half　a　dozen　of　Vincent's

friends　wrote　a　joint　letter　to　Andrew　Jackson；　saying　that　they

regarded　his　statements　respecting　Vincent　as　false　and

calumnious；　and　that　if　he　repeated　them　they　would　jointly　and

severally　hold　him　responsible；　and　that　if；　as　a　result　of　such

accusations；　any　harm　happened　to　Vincent；　they　should　know

where　to　look　for　the　originator　of　the　mischief；　and　punish　him

accordingly。



〃You　should　be　more　careful；　Andrew；〃　his　father　said；　as　white

with　fury；　he　showed　him　his　letter。　　〃It　was　you　who　were

preaching　prudence　the　other　day；　and　warning　me　against　taking

steps　that　would　set　all　the　whole　country　against　us；　and　now；　you

see；　you　have　been　letting　your　tongue　run；　and　have　drawn　this

upon　yourself。　　Keep　quiet　for　the　present；　my　son；　all　sorts　of

things　may　occur　before　long；　and　you　will　get　your　chance。　　Let

this　matter　sleep　for　the　present。〃



A　day　or　two　later　when　Vincent　went　down　to　the　stables　ho　saw

that　Dan　had　something　to　tell　him；　and　soon　found　out　that　he

wished　to　speak　to　him　alone。　



〃What　is　your　news；　Dan？〃



〃I　heard　last　night；　Massa　Vincent；　that　old　man　Jackson　is　going

to　sell　Dinah；　dat　de　wife　ob　do　man　day　flogged。〃



〃They　are　going　to　sell　her！〃　Vincent　repeated　indignantly。　　〃What

are　they　going　to　do　that　for？〃



〃To　punish　Tony；　sah。　　Dar　am　no　law　against　dar　selling　her。　　I

hear　dat　day　are　going　to　sell　two　oder　boys；　so　dat　it　cannot　be

said　dat　day　do　it　on　purpose　to　spite　Tony。　　I　reckon；　sah；　day

calculate　dat　when　dey　sell　his　wife　Tony　get　mad　and　run　away；

and　den　when　day　catch　him　again　day　flog　him　pretty　near　to

death。　　Folk　always　do　dat　with　runaway　slaves；　no　one　can　say

nuffin　agin　dem　for　dat。〃



〃It's　an　infamous　shame　that　it　should　be　lawful　to　separate　man

and　wife；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃However；　we　will　see　what　we　can　do。　

You　manage　to　pass　the　word　to　Tony　to　keep　up　his　spirits；　and

not　let　them　drive　him　to　do　anything　rash。　　Toll　him　I　will　see　that

his　wife　does　not　get　into　bad　hands。　　I　suppose　they　will　sell　the

baby　too？〃



〃Yes；　Massa　Vincent。　　Natural　the　baby　will　go　wid　de　modder。〃



Vincent　watched　the　list　of　advertisements　of　slaves　to　be　sold；

and　a　day　or　two　later　saw　a　notice　to　the　effect　that　Dinah　Morris；

age　twenty…two；　with　a　male　baby　at　her　breast；　would　be　sold　on

the　following　Saturday。　　Ho　mounted　his　horse　and　rode　into

Richmond。　　He　had　not　liked　to　speak　to　his　mother　on　the　subject；

for　she　had　not　told　him　of　the　letter　she　had　written　to　Jackson；

and　he　thought　that　she　might　disapprove　of　any　interference　in　the

matter；　consequently　ho　went　down　to　Mr。　Renfrew；　the　family

solicitor。



〃Mr。　Renfrew；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　some　money；　can　you　lend　it　me？〃



〃You　want　money；〃　the　solicitor　said　in　surprise。　〃What　on　earth

do　you　want　money　for？　and　if　you　want　it；　why　don't　you　ask　your

mother　for　it？　How　much　do　you　want？〃



〃I　don't　know　exactly。　　About　eight　hundred　dollars；　I　should　think；

though　it　may　be　a　thousand。　I　want　to　buy　a　slave。〃



〃You　want　to　buy　a　slave！〃　repeated　Mr。　Renfrew。　〃What　on　earth

do　you　want　to　buy　a　slave　for？　　You　have　more　than　you　want

now　at　the　Orangery。〃



〃It's　a　slave　that　man　Jackson　is　going　to　sell　next　Saturday；　on

purpose　to　spite　the　poor　creature's　husband　and　drive　him　to

desperation；〃　and　Vincent　then　repeated　the　whole　story　of　the

circumstances　that　had　led　up　to　the　sale。



〃It　is　all　very　abominable　on　the　part　of　these　Jacksons；〃　Mr。

Renfrew　said；　〃but　your　interference　was　most　im