“Yes, but you must not measure men by that standard.  Circumstances which bring them there are as different as their natures.  I’ve known many good, honest, and respectable, citizens, who once enjoyed affluence in our community, put in there, month after month, and year after year, suffering the persecution of creditors and the effects of bad laws.  Now these men would not all complain if there was no cause, and they all loved you, as you state.  But tell me, Mr. Grimshaw, would it not be even safer for our institutions to make a restriction confining them to the wharf, which could be easily done, and with but small expense to the city?  Niggers on the wharves could have no communication with them, because each is occupied in his business, and ours are too closely watched and driven during working hours.  As soon as those hours end, they are bound to leave, and the danger ends.  Again, those niggers who work on the wharves are generally good niggers, while, on the other hand, bad niggers are put into jail; and during the hours these stewards are allowed the privilege of the yard, they mix with them without discrimination or restraint.  Their feelings, naturally excited by imprisonment, find relief in discoursing upon their wrongs with those of their own color, and making the contamination greater,” said the factor, who seemed inclined to view the matter in its proper light.

“Oh! what sir?  That would never do.  You mistake a nigger’s feelings entirely.  Privileges never create respect with them.  Just make a law to leave ’em upon the wharf, and five hundred policemen wouldn’t keep ’em from spoiling every nigger in town, just destroying the sovereignty of the law, and yielding a supreme right that we have always contended for.  It’s ‘contrary to law,’ and we must carry out the law,” replied Grimshaw.

“Pshaw!  Talk such stuff to me!  Just take away the sixteen hundred or two thousand dollars that you make by the law; and you’d curse it for a nuisance.  It would become obsolete, and the poor devils of stewards would do what they pleased; you’d never trouble your head about them.  Now, Grimshaw, be honest for once; tell us what you would do if circumstances compelled the Captain to leave that nigger boy here?”

“Carry out the letter of the law; there’s no alternative.  But the Captain swears he’s a white man, and that would give him an opportunity to prove it.”

“How is he to prove it, Grimshaw?  We take away the power, and then ask him to do what we make impossible.  Then, of course, you would carry out the letter of the law and sell him for a slave. * * * Well, I should like to see the issue upon a question of that kind carried out upon an English nigger.  It would be more of a curse upon our slave institution than every thing else that could be raised,” said the factor.

“Gentlemen, you might as well preach abolition at once, and then the public would know what your sentiments were, and how to guard against you.  I must bid you good-by.”  So saying, Mr. Grimshaw twisted his whip, took a large quid of tobacco, and left the company to discuss the question among themselves.