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.
Here is an Act, bearing on its face the arrogant will of South Carolina, setting aside all constitutional rights, and denying the validity of stipulations made by the United States in her general commercial laws. She asserts her right to disregard citizenship, to make criminals of colored men, because they are colored, and to sell them for slaves to pay the expenses which she had incurred to make them such. And what is still worse, is, that the exercise of this misconceived and unjust law is so unrelentingly enforced, and so abused by those who carry it out.
During this time the consul had been unremitting in his endeavors to procure the man's release. The mayor had no power in the premises; the attorney-general was not positive in regard to the extent of his power in such a case, though he admitted the case to be an aggravated one; the judges could only recognise him as a nigger, consequently must govern their proceedings by legislative acts. Upon the whole, he found that he was wasting his time, for while they all talked sympathy, they acted tyranny. Cold, measured words about niggers, "contrary to law," constitutional rights, inviolable laws, State sovereignty and secession, the necessary police regulations to protect a peculiar institution, and their right to enforce them, everywhere greeted his ears. There was about as much in it to relieve Manuel, as there would have been had a little bird perched upon the prison-wall and warbled its song of love to him while strongly secured in his cell-more tantalizing because he could hear the notes, but not see the songster.