Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South CarolinaAdams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
General
Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South Carolina
Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
African Americans -- Fiction; Biographical fiction; Pereira, Manuel -- Fiction; South Carolina -- Fiction
Manuel took the glass, while the Dutchman stood chuckling over the very
nice piece of fun, and the spice of Mr. Dunn's wit, as he called it.
“Vat zu make him vat'e no vants too? You doz make me laugh so ven zu
comes 'ere, I likes to kilt myself,” said Drydez.
A bright mulatto-fellow was now seen in the front store, making
quizzical signs to the Dutchman; who understanding its signification,
lost no time in slipping into his pocket a tumbler nearly half full of
brandy and water; and stepping behind the division door, passed it slily
to the mulatto, who equally as slily passed it down his throat; and
putting a piece of money into the Dutchman's hand, stepped up to the
counter, as if to wait for his change. “All right!” said the Dutchman,
looking around at his shelves, and then again under the counter.
“No so!” said the mulatto; “I want fourpence; you done' dat befor'
several times; I wants my money.”
“Get out of my store, or I'll kick you out,” said the Dutchman, and
catching up a big club, ran from behind the counter and commenced
belaboring the negro over the head in a most unmerciful manner. At this,
the mulatto retreated into the lane, and with a volley of the vilest
epithets, dared the Dutchman to come out, and he would whip him.
Dunn ran to the scene, and ordered the negro to be off, and not use such
language to a white man, that it was “contrary to law,” and he would
take him to the workhouse.
“Why, massa, I knows what 'em respect white men what be gemmen like
yersef, but dat Dutchman stand da'h a'n't no gentlem', he done gone
tieffe my money seven time; an' I whip him sure-jus' lef' him come out
here. I doesn't care for true, and God saw me, I be whip at the wukhouse
next minute. He tief, an' lie, an 'e cheat me.” The Dutchman stood at
the door with the big stick in his hand-the negro in the middle of the
lane with his fists in a pugilistic attitude, daring and threatening,
while the limping Dunn stood by the side of the Dutchman, acting as
a mediator. Manuel, taking advantage of the opportunity, emptied his
tumbler down a large opening in the floor.
It is a notorious fact in Charleston, that although the negro, whether
he be a black or white one, is held in abject obedience to the white man
proper, no matter what his grade may be, yet such is the covetous and
condescending character of these groggery keepers, that they become
courteous to the negro and submit to an equality of sociability. The
negro, taking advantage of this familiarity, will use the most insulting
and abusive language to this class of Dutchmen, who, either through
cowardice, or fear of losing their trade, never resent it. We may say,
in the language of Dunn, when he was asked if negroes had such liberties
with white men in Charleston, “A nigger knows a Dutch shopkeeper better
than he knows himself-a nigger dare not speak that way to anybody else.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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