The poor Captain looked confounded-took another oyster, and began to get his mouth in a fix, while little George worked his fingers through his nice curly hair, and the young bloods awaited the rejoinder with anxiety.
“Really, sir, you have the advantage of me in your question. It is so much beyond my profession that I am entirely ignorant of the subject-therefore could not give an opinion. In truth, sir, I do not know the purport of the question. It has given me pleasure and information to listen to your conversation and the ability you displayed in argument, but, as a stranger, I could take no part,” replied the Captain very sincerely.
Not content with this, Master George wished to be more direct. “It's the right of secession, Captain-the power to maintain the right by the constitution.”
“Probably; but may I expose my ignorance by inquiring what is meant by secession? and to what it is applied so frequently?” inquired the Captain.
“Oh! murder Captain; have you never heard of nullification times! Well, sir, you must be posted on the affairs of our government.” So he commenced an analysis of nearly an hour long, and in it gave some astonishing accounts of the wonderful statesmanship of Calhoun, Butler, and Rhett, tapering down with a perfect fire-and-thunder account of the military exploits of General Quattlebum and Captain Blanding. The Captain began to stretch and gape, for he labored under the fatigue of a perilous voyage, and repose was the only sovereign remedy. He felt that the limits of propriety were entirely overstepped, and that he would have reason to remember the first night spent with little George the secessionist.
“But, Captain! my dear fellow. I see you don't understand our position yet. We've been insulted; yes, most rascally insulted by the Federal Government, and they keep it up every year. We can't get our rights. Oh! no, sir, there's no such thing in the knowledge of the Federal officers as justice for South Carolina; and you must understand, Captain, that she is the greatest State in the Union, and there a'n't nothing like her people for bravery. The political power's got North and West, the old constitution is being dissected to suit the abolitionists, and they're drawing the cordon around us faster and faster; and they're now out like a warrior boldly to the conquest, sounding their voices in the halls of Congress, appealing to human and divine power to protect their nonsense, and bidding defiance to our constitutional rights, Our slaves are our property, protected by the law of God-by that inspired and superhuman wisdom that founded our great and glorious constitution. Yes, sir! it was an institution entailed upon us by our forefathers, and a wise providence has provided proper laws by which we shall protect and see these poor miserable devils of helpless slaves, that can't take care of themselves, straight through.”
“But how does this affect you and the Federal Government?” inquired the Captain.
“Why, sir, most directly!” replied Master George, screwing his mouth and giving his head a very learned attitude. “Directly, sir!—the Federal Government is acquiescing in every abolition scheme that is put forward by that intriguing Northern compact for the establishment of new governments in the territories. She is granting unconstitutional privileges to designing politicians, whose chief aim is to uproot our domestic institution and destroy the allegiance of the slave to his master, by which the slaves would be cast upon the world unprotected, and we disarmed of power to protect them. Ah! sir, I tell you, of all fruits of the imagination that would be the most damnable, and the slave would be the sufferer. It would be worse for him, poor fellow; it would be an abuse of human power without precedent. So far as political power is concerned, we are nearly disarmed. The influx of population finds its way into the opened avenues of the North and West. And with opinions predisposed against our institutions, and the contaminating influence standing ready with open arms to embrace the great current, what can we expect? It's the increasing power made by foreign influx that's giving tone to our government. If our Southern Convention stand firm we are saved; but I'm fearful there's too many doubtful shadows in it that won't stand to the gun. That's what's always played the devil with us,” said George, striking his hand upon the table. “There's no limitation to their interpositions, and their resolves, and their adjournments; which don't come up to my principles of making the issue, and standing to the question with our coffins on our backs. These condescensions of thought and feeling arise from the misconceived notions of a few, who are always ready to join, but never willing to march to action, and must not be taken as a specimen of South Carolina bravery. The Federal Government has become vicious and even puerile toward South Carolina; and since the Herculean power of the great Calhoun is gone, it treats us like a semi-barbarous and secluded people, mistaking our character. But we'll learn the Federal Government a lesson yet.”
“Do not your legislators make laws for your government, or how is it that you express such a restive dissatisfaction? Do not the same laws which govern you, govern the whole of the slave States?”
Little George had previously monopolized all the conversation, but at this juncture five or six voices broke out, each fired with a reply to the Captain's question; and yet the answer was of the same old stamp: What South Carolina had done-how she had fought and gained the Mexican war-how she was interested in slaves, and how she yet feared to strike the blow because a set of mere adventurers had got the power to vote in her elections, and cowards through them had got into the legislature.