The Middlebury Register

From the Toledo Blade.

NASBY.
An Important Case At the Corners,
Under the Vagrant Act-The DECISIONS OF SQUIRE GAVITT.
Post Office, Confederate X Roads,
(wich is in the State uv Kentucky),
January 20, 1867.

One uv the most important cases--- important in a nashnal sense--ever tried before a court uv justice, cum off afore Squire Gavitt at the Court House at the Corners yesterday. It wuz important, becoz it involved the very eggistence uv the institooshn upon wich Kentucky is built-becoz upon its deceshn hung the great question whether or not the Bible shood be respected and its holy injunc- tions obeyed-whether Kentucky shood, clingin to the Skripters, go on ez a Chris- tian State, or denyin it, go back into Infidelity and barbarism. I skasely need say that the porshens uv the Bible to wich I refer is the ever blessed chapters relatin to Ham, Hagar and Onriimus-the only parts of the Skripter we pay much atten- shun to. But ef these is successfully at- tacked wat follows? The entire struckter comes tumblin to the ground. Therefore, holdin to Aferkin slavery, we are ortho- dox believers. The circumstances uv the case wuz suthin like this: A nigger uv the name uv Gabrel, wunst the happy and content- ed servant uv the eminent Christian, Deekin Pogram, becum possessed uv the sperit uv the devil, and sullen, becoz the deekin sold his wife to raise the means to send his second son, Issaker, wich wuz a studyin for the ministry, to a Theolojickle Institooshn, sumwheres in Georgy; and also enraged because his female off-pring, Elizer, happened to attrack the attenshun uv his eldest son, Elijer, he run away in the first year of the war, and follered the Federal army, finally enlistin as a soijer. Durin the progrers of the struggle he learned to read and bein powerful in prayer and sicht he headed a revival, and hevin gifts that way attracted the notis uv Genrel Howard, or sum uv them fan- atics, who had him instructed, and finally made him an agent uv a branch uv that nccursid Freedmen's Burow. And shoor enuff, after the war, he appeared in this vicinity, salaried by this society, and coinmonest unfittin the niggers for their normal condishen by teachin on em to read, and establishin Sundy skools among em, and given uv em advise generally. wich wuz aginst the peace and dignity uv the Commonwealth. The citizens stood it with the pashensh carakteristik uv the people of Kentucky, ontil last Monday. The Deekin hed a dispoot with a nigger, relative to a triflin matter uv wages. The nigger hed been workin at the stipulated price uv $4 per month-- the Deckin brought in, ez a offset, his board at $2 per week, and ruther than have any fuss nbout it proposed to let him work the balance durin the winter months. To this eqitable arrangeinent the nigger demurred, holdin that the board woz inclooded, and this Gabrel udvised the nigger to sue, and he did so. Enraged at this interference, the Deekin went before Squire Gavitt, and com- plained uv Gabrel ez a vagrant, and em- ployed me to attend to the case. Pollock, the Illinoy store-keeper, voluntecred to defend the niggar, and there wuz a tro- menjus eggsitement over it. I opened the case by statin that the niggar's biznis wuz to prove that he hed visible means of support-Pollock insisted that it wus our biznis to provo that he hedn't, but the court decided agin him. The niggar then swore that he roseeved from his congregashen $30 per month for his services. I submittod that, ez he wuz a interested party, other proof wood be required. Pollock interdoost the elders uv the congregashen, but I checkmated him there, by submittin that the testi- mony uv niggars wuzn't admissable, wich the court decided it wuzn't. Immejitly Pollock submitted that whether or no his clieat coodent be con- sidered a vagrant, ez ho cood testify hirmn self to the fact tbat he (Gabrel) hed in his house $200 in greenbax-suffishent support for a time, at least. There wuz a immense eggsitement in the court. "Where duz he keep it," asked the Squire, visibly agitated. "In his chist fat the house where be boards," sed Pollock. "This court stands adjourned for thirty minits," sed the Squire, boundin over the railin in front uv him. "Hold on," sez he; "hold on Deekin, a fair start is all I want. Don't tako advantage of my age to got ther first," and pell mell over one another the entire andience, ceptin Pollock, the niggar and me, started on a keen run for the house. In a fow minits they returned, pantin and out uv breath when the Squire called the court to order agin, wich bein restored, be re- marked.
Ef it cood be established that the nig- gar hed $200 in greenbax it would neces- sarily discharge him, ez no man with that sum cood be considered a vagrant; but be ruther thot uv the prizner at the bar shood look in the dreckshen uv his house, he find it wuzn't there any more ez a housc, tho the material uv wich it wuz built wuz lyin around permiskus - Likewise, probably, he woodent be able to find the $200 he hed in chist. The place that knowd it wunst witl know it no more forever-it hed bin confisticated by the enraged citizens. He wanted it understood that no sich triflin impediment in the way of justis ez the possession uv $200 cood be allowed within the jooris dickshen uv this court. The niggar not bein able to prove his means uv support and ez the court knows uv its own knol- lege, that he ain't now got any $200, the court wood ask the criminal's counsel wat other nonsensc he hez to plead Sed Pollock, the Illinoy storekeeper: "I wood beg leave to state to this court, that under the Civil Rights law, the de- fendent capnot be arrested ez a vagrant. ez the law under wich the accused is ar- rested only menshuns persons uv color. making a distinktion agin em." Never, while memry retains her sent. shell I forget the scene that ensued. Fil'ed with a sense uv the responsibility restin onto him, the squire rose slowly from his seat, his face uv a deatily palenis, wich hed the effeck uv beightenin, by contrast. the intense rednis uv his nose, and risin to his full bite. remarked that the court hed expected that objection to be urged, and hed, thercfore, prepared for it. The law doesn't bind this court to any alarm- in extent. considerin it ez infringin onto the reserved rites uv the States. "Will the court be so good ez to men- shun, for the informashun uv the pop- ulace, wot the reserved rites uv the States are?" sed POLLOCK. The court insists that it shel not be interupted when its deliverin itself uv a opinion. Considerin it ez infringin upon the reserved rites uv the States, uv whom Kentucky is the chcefest and the loveliest among ten thousand"-at this pint his nose glowed redder and redder, and it geemed to me ez tho a halo uv lite encir- cled his frosty hed, ez he fearlessly con- tinued-"THE COURT HOLDS THAT LAW TO BE UNCONSTITOOSINEI., and ez sich shel not regard it. lez the counsel anythin niore to remark!" "Nothing." sed POLLOCK. "And knowin the Court ez well ez I do, I won- der at my makin sich an nss uv myself ez to inev remarked anythin at a'l." "Ilez the counrel for the Stato anythin to say?" "Nothin." sed I. "I am willin to trust the casa in yoor hands, feelin contident that justis.-genooine Kentucky justis- will be dope." Wareupon the squire hed the prizner stand up, and drawin on a black cap, in a very impressive manner, sentenced him to eighteen months hard labor, breaking s'one for the turnpike wich we are buldin from the Corners to the stashen, at the conclusion uv wich Pollock very pro- funely added, "And may the Lord hey merey on yoor sole." The niggar wuz immejitly stript uv his good close, wich the squire thot would just fit him, and a soot uv vagrant's close wuz given him and he wuz to wunst put to his labor. We hey hopes that this will epd the nigger skools in this visinity, ez weil ez the discontent that hez existed among the niggers ever since the disturbin GABREL hez bin here. The Corners is now enjoyin a holy calm—inore so than any period for amonth. P'ETROLEUM V. Nasby, P. M., (Wich is Postmaster), and likewise Pro- fessor uv Biblikle Politicks in the Southern Clussikle & Military Insti- toot.