We, a few weeks afterward, had the good fortune to hear the legal
abilities of this gentleman displayed in a plea at the bar. There
were many good points in it, which, if not legally pointed, were said
well; yet we should class him as belonging to the loud school.
The Captain, thinking it a good opportunity to make some inquiries
about his steward, as they proceeded, commenced in the following
manner:
Your laws are very stringent in South Carolina, I believe, sir!"
"Well, no sir," said the colonel, "if we except those which govern
the niggers; they of necessity must be so; we have had so many
emeutes with them, that no law can be made too strict in its
bearings. We have so many bad niggers poured in upon us, that the
whole class is becoming corrupted."
"Your laws, of course, make a distinction between good and bad
niggers, and free negroes?" interposed the Captain.
"We make no distinction between the colors-some are as white as you
are; but the grades are so complex that it would be impossible to
make a sliding-scale law for any fixed complexions. The law which
governs them is distinctive and comprehensive-made in order to
shield the white population from their ignorance of law and
evidence. We never could govern them in their respective spheres,
unless the laws were made stringent in their effect.
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