“Well, well; but I must find it and refresh your memory.  Ah! here it is, and it’s just as binding on me as it can be.  There’s no mistake about it-it’s genuine South Carolina, perfectly aboveboard.”  Thus saying, he commenced reading to the colonel as if he was about to instruct a schoolboy in his rudiments.  “Here it is-a very pretty specimen of enlightened legislation-born in the lap of freedom, cradled in a land of universal rights, and enforced by the strong arm of South Carolina.”

“An Act for the better regulation and government of free negroes and persons of color, and for other purposes,” &c. &c. &c., Mr. Grimshaw read; but as the two first sections are really a disgrace to the delegated powers of man, in their aim to oppress the man of color, we prefer to pass to the third section, and follow Mr. Grimshaw as he reads:—­

“That if any vessel shall come into any port or harbor of this State, (South Carolina,) from any other State or foreign port, having on board any free negroes or persons of color, as cooks, stewards, or mariners, or in any other employment on board said vessel, such free negroes or persons of color shall be liable to be seized and confined in jail until said vessel shall clear out and depart from this State; and that when said vessel is ready to sail, the captain of said vessel shall be bound to carry away the said free negro or person of color, and pay the expenses of detention; and in case of his refusal or neglect to do so, he shall be liable to be indicted, and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in a sum not less than one thousand dollars, and imprisoned not less than two months; and such free negroes or persons of color shall be deemed and taken as absolute slaves, and sold in conformity to the provisions of the act passed on the twentieth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and twenty aforesaid.’”

Mr. Grimshaw’s coolness in the matter became so intolerable, that the colonel could stand it no longer; so, getting up while Mr. Grimshaw was reading the law, he left the office, perfectly satisfied that further endeavors at that source would be fruitless.

After Mr. Grimshaw had concluded, he looked up, perfectly amazed to find that he was enjoying the reading of the act to himself.  “Had I not given it all the consideration of my power, and seen the correctness of the law, I should not have given so much importance to my opinion.  But there it is, all in that section of the Act, and they can’t find no convention in the world to control the Legislature of South Carolina.  There’s my principles, and all the Englishmen and Abolitionists in Christendom wouldn’t change me.  Now, I’ve the power, and let ’em get the nigger out of my place, if they can,” said Grimshaw, shutting the book, kicking a good-sized, peaceable-looking dog that lay under the table, and deliberately taking his hat and walking into the street.