It is a notorious fact in Charleston, that although the negro,
whether he be a black or white one, is held in abject obedience to
the white man proper, no matter what his grade may be, yet such is
the covetous and condescending character of these groggery keepers,
that they become courteous to the negro and submit to an equality of
sociability. The negro, taking advantage of this familiarity, will
use the most insulting and abusive language to this class of
Dutchmen, who, either through cowardice, or fear of losing their
trade, never resent it. We may say, in the language of Dunn, when he
was asked if negroes had such liberties with white men in
Charleston, "A nigger knows a Dutch shopkeeper better than he knows
himself-a nigger dare not speak that way to anybody else."
The Dutchman gets a double profit from the negro, and with it
diffuses a double vice among them, for which they have to suffer the
severest penalty. It is strictly "contrary to law" to purchase any
thing from a negro without a ticket to sell it, from his master. But
how is this regarded? Why, the shopkeeper foregoes the ticket,
encourages the warehouse negro to steal, and purchases his stealings
indiscriminately, at about one-half their value. We might enumerate
fifty different modes practised by "good" legal voting
citizens--totally regardless of the law--and exerting an influence
upon the negro tenfold more direful than that which could possibly
arise from the conversation of a few respectable men belonging to a
friendly nation.
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