271 



ther from feeling himfelf implicated, or from 

 a relu&ance arifing from any other caufe, this 

 great officer of jujllce did not feem to be of 

 accord with our fentiments upon the fubje<3: ; 

 but endeavored to divert us from the queftion 

 by expatiating upon the high neceffity of 

 holding Haves in fubjection, and the great 

 danger and impolicy of overlooking, in any 

 inftance, the crime of their lifting the hand 

 againft a white man. We readily conceded 

 to him that upon the prefent fyftem — it was 

 ftrongly neceflary^ to be tenacious of the pri- 

 vileges aflumed, 6ut we could never agree that 

 it was either juft or wife, to punifh a poor 

 unprote&ed man upon the falfe accufation of 

 a fet of perjured wretches, merely becaufe 

 Nature had covered him with a black Ikin, 

 and them with a white one ; nor that it was 

 fit not to expofe fuch wanton malice to public 

 fhame, whenever the faliehood and injuftice 

 of the teftimony fhould be detected ; there- 

 fore, pledging ourfelves to appear in evidence, 

 whenever called upon, we left the office ob- 

 taining a promife from this man of power^ 

 to inflitute an inquiry, and to have juitice 

 doae to the poor injured (lave ! 



