The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-06-30
A LOUISIANA PLANTER.
HIS LOCAL COURT.

HIS LOCAL COURT.
Business called tbs writer of this some two
years since, to the mansion of Col Mansell
White. one of the most opulent and liberal mind :
ed planters in Louisiana. The Colonel has
large plantation washed by the Mississippi in
front, for one mile. and stretching back to the
. Blind Lake." FIVE miles distant. He has some
seven or eight hundred negroes on his plantation
who make him annually about eight hundred
hogsheads of sugar.
We spent few days with the gallant Colonel,
whose conversation was so entertaining and in
structve, that we found it hard to part from him.
But to our story. AT the peep of day one morn
ing during our visit, we were called by one of the
house servants. with the compliments of the Col
onel, waiting our attendance in his office. We
had been kept up late the previous night by COM
pany. and reluctantly attended the servant to
meet his master. On the ground floor of the
large mansion was room some twenty by forty
feet, in which we found Col. White, sitting back
at his desk. chair wss placed for us at his
side, and silence was imposed. We mechanical.
ly obeyed the motion for silence. but made the
best use We could of our eyes. In the centre of
the room was large table covered with green
baize, around which were seated seven old ne
groes, and the Colone's nephew, in large low
armed chairs. One of the negroes was seated at
the head of the tsble-his chair being raised 8
few inches higher than the others, three of whom
were seated on each side of the table. Shortly
alter we had taken our seats, negro was brought
in hand cuffed, attended by two others with con-
stables slaves, and placed by one of tho negro
bles or guards, in box similar to those
used in our courts of justice, called the prisoners
box, while the negro kept guard at the door. We
had some little curiosity if not quite as much as
lady, and looking at the Colonel as if we were about
10 speak. received signal from him to be silent
The Colonel having been \ military man, being
one Of General Jackson's Aids, at the battle of
New Orleans, and we having once been in the
militia, were bound to obey orders, and gather
what we could with our eyes, trusting to time, to
unfold the mystery. Well, we watched the old
negroes First the old fellow at the head of the
table would look very wise, pass his hand over
his hair,-wool we should say, bob his head to
one Of those seated the side of the table, who
would bob back to him, then they would whisper
to Tom, the Coloneps nephew who acted as
clerk, then they would bob again, again, and
again, until we got tired of their bobbing Finally
Tom wrote on piece Of paper, handed it to the
old fellow at the head of the table, who spoke to
the others in a low tone, Tom then signed il, and
brought it to the Colonel, who ran his eyes over
it, and wrote his name. We were in mystery
still. The negro was led out from the box, taken
in the rear of the mansion, and in few minutes
the lash Of the whip gave us to understand that
we had been sitting in negro court room.
At breakfast, Colonel White explained what
to Us, had appeared mystery. The Colonel
had come to this country very youpg--about four.
teen years of age, and had been engaged in mer.
camille pursuits in New Orleans, and had served
his adopted country in more than one engagement
previous to his acting as General Jackson's Aid
at the glorious battle Of New Orleans. He had
been a close observer Of men and measures, and
when he bought the noble plantation on which he
resides, he concocted plan by which he though,
he could, and experienced has proved that he has
m ade his slaves more comfortable and more use-
full. This court into which we have lust intro
duced the reader, was part Of his plan. All Of
his male slaves, twenty one years Of age, who
had teen with him six m6n.hs were eligible TO a
vote, for the election Of Judge aid - ,o,vmes
: Tbs Colonel picked out once year, fourteen oi