"
"I should like to have 'em try me, to see whether I was a nigger or
a white man. It must be a funny law, 'nigger or no nigger.' If a
feller's skin won't save him, what the devil will?" said the
Captain.
"Why, show your mother and her generation were white, to be sure!
It's easy enough done, and our judges are all very larned in such
things--can tell in the twinkling of an eye," said the pilot.
"I should think the distinguishing points would be to show that
their mother had nothing to do with a nigger. Do your judges make
this a particular branch of jurisprudence? If they do, I'd like to
know what they took for their text-books. If the intermixture is as
complex as what you say, I should think some of the judges would be
afraid of passing verdict upon their own kin."
"Not a whit!" said the pilot; "they know enough for that."
"Then you admit there's a chance. It must be an amusing affair, 'pon
my soul! when a nice little female has to draw aside her vail before
a court of very dignified judges, for the purpose of having her
pedigree examined," said the Captain.
"Oh! the devil, Cap; your getting all astray--a woman nigger never
has the advantage of the law. They always go with the niggers, ah!
ha! ha!!"
"But suppose they're related to some of your big-bugs. What then?
Are your authorities so wise and generous that they make allowance
for these things," asked the Captain, innocently.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67