Page:Andrew Erwin - Gen. Jackson's Negro Speculations (1828).djvu/22

 lower country to sell. The negro had been previously in the hands of Dr. Rollings to cure a sore leg, and was sold by Rollings to them, with a knowledge, by both parties, of that fact, as I understood at the time. Some time afterwards, I had been up the Ohio, and on my return by the way of Smithland, I came to the place called the Horse Ford, below Eddyville, where boats were compelled to stop by reason of low water, where I saw the negro above alluded to, in a barge, on his return from the lower country, where they had been unable to sell him, by reason of his leg breaking out afresh. When the negro came home, he was put under Dr. Ward, and died.—Jackson and Hutchings sued Rollings for a fraud in the negro; the suit was pending several years, and finally decided in favor of Rollings. I was summoned as a witness in the case. I have heard that there were other slaves purchased by Jackson & Hutchings and sent to the lower country for sale; but it is so long since, that I do not now recollect any other particular case than the one named; and this one is impressed on my memory from the long and vexatious lawsuit to which Dr. Rollings was subjected, and the other facts related as above.

It will be clearly seen that you have by your manner of treating this subject, given it much more consequence than it really deserved. You have greatly enhanced the magnitude of your offence against the moral sense of the community by the sensitiveness which you have displayed, by the prevarication, shuffling and misrepresentation which have been resorted to, in order to avert from you the character of a negro trader. But, Sir, honesty and plain dealing, are the best policy.—This course enables men to go ahead fearlessly, (even in the face of such enemies as I have to encounter,) who are but desperadoes under the discipline of a mob and riot aristocracy, a principle never countenanced by a brave man, a moral man, nor a man who had any regard for the rights of others, and the mild precepts recommended in holy writ. Such men are inoffensive and law-abiding, and consider themselves accountable to whoever they may happen to injure or offend by the laws of their country, of their church, or of society, in an open and manly way, and none other. They require no vaults to conceal their crimes on this side of the grave, to which we are all on our passage. And suffer me, in return for the unauthorized liberties yourself and your weak, inexperienced, and deluded young printers here, and your aspiring, partizans of higher pretensions, to whom I have alluded, elsewhere, have taken with me, to tell you and them, that every attempt to conceal or misrepresent the occurrences with which you are connected, is a serious injury to you and your cause. You should show by your practice as well as your professions, that you are incapable of manœuvering, to avoid responsibility.

Witness what has befallen you by denying that you made any advances of cash to Richard Epperson, for those negroes, and the introduction of your own certificate attested J. A. upon your own agreement to buy negroes, which you considered conclusive; when the