FEBRUARY 26.
I had given the most positive orders that no person whatever
should presume to strike a negro, or give him abusive language,
or, however great the offence might be, should inflict any punishment,
except by the sole
direction of the trustee himself. Yet,
although I had already discharged one book-keeper on ths
account, this evening another of them had a dispute in the
boiling-house with an African named Frank, because a pool of
water was not removed fast enough ; upon which he called him
a rascal, sluiced him with the dirty water, and finally knocked
him down with a broom. The African came to me instantly ;
four eye-witnesses, who were examined separately, proved the
truth of his ill-usage ; and I immediately discharged the bookkeeper, who
had contented himself
with simply denying the blow
having been given by him : but I told him that I could not
possibly allow his single unsupported denial to outweigh five
concordant witnesses to the assertion : that if he grounded his
claim to being believed merely upon his having white skin, he
would find that, on Cornwall estate at least, the claim wwould
not be admitted ; and that, as the fact was clearly established,
nothing should induce me to retain him on my property, except
his finding some means of appeasing the injured negro, and prevailing on
him to intercede in his
behalf. This was an humiliation
to which he could not bring himself to stoop ; and, accordingly, the
man has left the estate.
Probably, indeed, the attempt
at reconciliation would have been unsuccessful ; for when one of
his companions asked Frank whether, if Mr. Barker would make
him a present, he had not better take it, and beg massa to let
him stay, he exclaimed, in the true spirit of a Zanga,— " No",
no, no! me no want present! me no want noting! Me no beg
for Mr. Barker ! him go away ! "—I was kept awake the greatest
part of the night by the songs and rejoicings of the negroes at
their triumph over the offending book-keeper.
