American Dreams Trilogy

by Michael Phillips

  Ten minutes later she found him, as she thought she would, seated on a bench beneath the boughs of a huge overspreading magnolia. To his right a small stream burbled its way over rocks down the incline where it met a larger stream some fifty yards away. He was staring into the trickling water as if mesmerized by its flow, though in truth his thoughts were miles away.

  He heard Carolyn coming up behind him and turned. He smiled as she sat down on the bench beside him.

  “You have hardly said a word since taking Elias into town yesterday,” she said.

  “It was a large step,” he said, smiling again. “I suppose it took something out of me emotionally.”

  “Why—was it so difficult?”

  “Difficult… no, not difficult at all. It is a relief knowing that Elias is gone. Though I may live forever with that final look he cast me before he walked off—as if he hated me more for having given him his freedom than he would have if I had whipped him mercilessly. That is hard, Carolyn, to know you are hated for no reason but trying to do good.”

  She put her hand on his shoulder. “Shall a servant be greater than his master?”

  He nodded. “You are right. It is still hard.”

  “And always will be for those who are his followers. But you did the right thing.” She paused, then added, “Is it only the look Elias gave you that has turned you melancholy?”

  Richmond sighed deeply. “I feel change coming, Carolyn,” he said. “Yesterday may be only the beginning. Where it will lead, I cannot say. Yet I have the sense that our former way of life may be gone forever.”

  “What do you mean, Richmond?”

  “That the door we opened by setting Elias free may have consequences that extend much further, and may lead—

  He paused and turned to face her. His expression was serious.

  “I have been doing a great deal of soul searching,” he went on after a moment, “and praying. You know that.”

  “Of course. I can tell.”

  “It is not just Elias. It began when I went to Boston. I told you how shocked the man Waters was when he learned we had slaves.”

  Carolyn nodded.

  “I think I began to feel the Lord nudging me toward it even then. But I wanted to be certain. It was such a big step, I did not want to make a hasty decision if it was not truly the Lord speaking. I would always rather move too slow than too fast, to make sure I do not outrun the Lord in my own eagerness for something. Yet I cannot but regret moving perhaps too slow for poor Phoebe’s sake. Now she must pay for my indecision.”

  “I will tell you the same thing now that I said concerning your brother’s death, Richmond—you cannot blame yourself.”

  “Perhaps. Yet if we had acted sooner, when I first mentioned setting Elias free, we may have spared Phoebe all this.”

  “She made her own choice in the matter too,” said Carolyn. “One thing I know about you, Richmond, once God shows you his will, you will do it. If in this case it took some time for that will to become plain to you, it only showed wisdom to wait.”

  “I will take what you say as from the Lord,” he replied. “But having opened this door, as I say, I do feel he has made the next step plain. Therefore, in this case I do not want to hesitate but to act promptly.”

  “The next step?”

  “When I tell you, you will see why I say that life for us may never be the same again. Everything will change. We cannot predict the consequences. Because, Carolyn… I think it is time not just to free one troublesome slave, but all our slaves.”

  Tears filled Carolyn’s eyes. “Oh, Richmond, I am so glad!”

  “You are not shocked?”

  “Not at all. It is the right thing to do—I am sure of it. I have actually been thinking of it myself for some time.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

  “Because it had to come from you. It is your plantation and was your father’s and grandfather’s before you. I knew that if it was the right thing to do, God would show you.”

  “I will have to go see Harland again and have him draw up papers for all of them, just as he did for Elias. We have to make sure everything is legal so none of them find themselves in trouble later because of it. The one-year clause could prove troublesome.”

  “Will Harland do it?”

  “I don’t know. He resisted even in the case of Elias. He said it was a bad precedent to set. He will be furious at the thought of us freeing the rest of our slaves. He will see it as throwing away thousands of dollars that he feels ought to belong to him and the others. I’m sure it will also complicate Stuart’s claim and make it all the more acrimonious. But if he will not draw up the necessary papers, we will find an attorney who will.”

  It was silent as they both reflected on what they were about to do.

  “You are right about what you said earlier,” said Carolyn at length.

  “There are certain to be consequences. Word of it will get out. It is likely to make some people angry.”

  “Perhaps many. But if it is what God wants us to do, that cannot deter us. I have not forgotten something Wingate said in Boston. He spoke about having the strength and courage to live out the implication of God’s plan and intent. I think such a time has come for us now.”

  The next evening, as soon as the five Davidsons were seated around the dining table for dinner, Richmond brought the conversation around to what he and Carolyn had discussed in the arbor.

  “I gave Maribel and Moses the night off,” he began. “I told them we wanted to be alone with just our family. There is something your mother and I want to talk with the three of you about.” As he spoke, he looked into the eyes of each of his children, one at a time—twenty-year-old Cynthia, then sixteen-year-old Seth, and finally to Thomas, who was fourteen. The young people could tell from the tone of his voice that their father was serious.

  “Is something wrong, Daddy?” asked Cynthia.

  “No, dear, nothing is wrong,” replied Richmond. “Well,” he added, chuckling lightly, “there might be some who would say there is definitely something wrong—namely, that your mother and I have taken leave of our senses! Would you agree, Carolyn?”

  “I am sure such things will be said!”

  “What are you talking about, Daddy?” said Cynthia, glancing back and forth between father and mother in bewilderment.

  “In a nutshell, just this—your mother and I have been praying about and discussing the possibility of giving all of our slaves their freedom, just as we did Elias Slade.”

  The statement fell like a bombshell around the table. The three young people sat in stunned silence, wondering if they had heard their father correctly.

  “Can you do that, Father?” asked Seth after a few seconds.

  “Legally… yes,” laughed Richmond. “Virginia’s laws have tended to be much more liberally interpreted than in the Deep South. What consequences it may have, that we don’t know, though there should not be legal repercussions. But we think it is the right thing to do.”

  “Jeffrey will be so pleased,” said Cynthia. “I can’t wait to write and tell him! He never could understand how we could own slaves.”

  “What about you, Seth?” asked Carolyn. “What do you think?”

  “I don’t know, Mother…. I guess it sounds fine. But how will we get all the work done without the slaves?”

  “We hope they will want to stay at Greenwood,” answered Carolyn.

  “I thought you said you were going to free them.”

  “Yes, but we will let as many stay as want to.”

  “I don’t get what you mean.”

  “We will pay them wages,” said Richmond, “just like we would a free white man who came to work for us.”

  “Oh… yeah, well then I guess it sounds fine by me.”

  “What made you think of doing this, Daddy?” asked Cynthia, who was old enough to recognize more of the implications of what it might mean than her two younger brothers.

  “It has bee
n a slow process,” replied her father. “You remember when I went to Boston last year?”

  Cynthia nodded.

  “I was very challenged by much that was said by one of the speakers at the symposium there. He talked about what is right being more important than what is allowed. He said that we should look to what God intends rather than what the laws of men might allow. When I saw that distinction, I realized that slavery wasn’t right because it could not possibly represent what God intends. Once those ideas began to work on me, it was only a matter of time before I realized that we had no choice but to free our slaves.”

  Again it was quiet. Thomas was the only one who had said nothing throughout the meal. The look on his face made it plain what he was thinking. Now at last he spoke up.

  “Do you really agree with all this?” he said, turning toward Carolyn. His words sounded more like an accusation than a question.

  “Oh, yes, Thomas,” she replied. “More than just agree with it, I think it’s exciting!”

  “I don’t. I think it sounds crazy.”

  “Why?”

  “What will people think? My friends are sure to make fun of me if they find out. Nobody sets their slaves free. I think it sounds idiotic.”

  “I don’t think it will be as bad as all that.”

  “And I suppose now I’ll have to obey some nigger and do what he says just because he’s older than me.”

  “Thomas!” said Richmond sharply. “Every human being is made in God’s image no matter what the color of his skin. There will be no more remarks like that.”

  Thomas gloomily returned to his food and said no more.

  “Returning to what you said a moment ago, Seth,” Richmond continued, “my hope is that we will get more work done even though perhaps we will have fewer hands than we do now. I think they will work harder knowing they are being paid for their work.”

  “But what if they do all leave?”

  “Then we will hire new workers. But they won’t. Most of them have no place else to go. A few may leave, but I’m sure most will choose to stay. It will surely mean change, for all of us. But I hope it will be good change.”

  Eighteen

  The next visit to the law offices of Harland Davidson by the attorney’s cousin did nothing to enhance the bonds of filial relationship between the two men.

  “Have you reached a decision in the matter of the disposition of your mother’s estate?”

  “Carolyn and I are still praying,” replied Richmond.

  “I had hoped that your visit might indicate your decision to settle the suit out of court,” rejoined the lawyer, doing his best to hide his annoyance at what he considered his cousin’s idiotic reply. “Time is moving swiftly, Richmond. To forestall a court case, I suggest you consider selling off some portions of the land. One of your neighbors, in fact, contacted me a while back. Knowing that I handle your legal affairs, he inquired about the purchase of the Brown tract.”

  “Denton has been in touch with you?” said Richmond in surprise.

  “I assume you are referring to Mr. Beaumont… yes. I told him I would talk to you about it. As I understand it from him, that plot alone would provide sufficient means to clear up this whole business.”

  Disturbed that his neighbor would attempt to go behind his back, Richmond tried to reply calmly. “Yes, Denton and I have discussed the matter,” he said. “I told him I was not interested in selling at this time.”

  “Suit yourself. But as I say… time is passing.”

  “I understand. But I came today about another matter. You recall the slave we had difficulties with for whom we drew up a document giving him his freedom?”

  “Of course I recall it—a mistake in my view, but what’s done is done.”

  Richmond went on to explain the reason for his visit.

  “You want me to what!” exclaimed the lawyer.

  “It is very simple, really, Harland,” replied Richmond. “I want you to draw up the same kind of documentation you did before, this time for all our slaves. I have the list of names right here.”

  “You can’t do it, Richmond. It would be the ruin of Greenwood. Don’t forget, the rest of us have a stake in this too.”

  “You may have a claim to put forward because my mother did not leave a will,” said Richmond firmly. “But that is strictly a financial matter, and a flimsy one legally at that. However, you can have no possible interest in the ownership of the slaves themselves.”

  “There are certain states where such action is illegal. You could find yourself in difficulties with the law.”

  “But Virginia is not one of those states. In any case, I am willing to risk it.”

  “This whole thing is preposterous! Don’t expect me to do your dirty work for you!”

  “If you do not draw up the papers, I will go to someone else. I think you know the law well enough to realize that it would be pointless to try to block the thing in court.”

  His cousin fumed awhile longer but eventually consented. Given the way things stood with his sister and two cousins and the thin legal grounds they had for pressing their claim further than Richmond was willing to allow, he did not want to run the risk of involving another attorney in Richmond Davidson’s affairs.

  “Give me two weeks,” he said at length. “You can pick up the papers after that time.”

  There were two occasions every year when all the Davidson slaves were invited to celebrate at the big house, Christmas and Easter. The invitation to come again on a Saturday afternoon in April of 1856, only three weeks after the latter, set the entire Negro village buzzing. None could imagine the reason for such an invitation. They knew that Elias had not been seen since being summoned by the master. Most speculation in that regard concluded that he had been sold, and good riddance they all said. Probably the master wanted to talk to them about it. None suspected the true cause of the invitation.

  White-haired Uncle Moses led the way inside, followed by Maribel, then Nancy and Malachi Shaw with Phoebe, Isaiah, and Aaron, who were followed in turn by the other families and single men and women. They walked in gingerly with careful step, silent as if entering a cathedral, glancing about as they went. When they had crowded into the largest room in the house, which had in former times been used as a ballroom but had not seen such use in Richmond and Carolyn’s time, the women sat in what chairs were available. The men stood stoically waiting, hats in hand.

  Carolyn, Seth, and Thomas passed among them with trays filled with glasses of lemonade. The youngsters took them eagerly, the women gratefully, the men cautiously. They were not used to being waited on by their owners. Nevertheless, the glasses were all empty within a minute or two, when the trays came through again to collect them. Cynthia and Seth had by this time become so thoroughly enthusiastic about their parents’ scheme that they enjoyed the role of host and hostess and entered into them gaily. One look on Thomas’s face, however, showed that he was anything but pleased. He wore a scowl that said he would have rather been anywhere else on the planet than here.

  After he had greeted each individually with a shake of the hand, Richmond Davidson stood in front and addressed them.

  “Some of you may be aware,” he began, “that a great debate is underway in our country about the issue of slavery. Obviously, this discussion concerns all of you as it does us. On our parts, I will just tell you that I have been praying earnestly about what God wants us to do. You know that Carolyn and I do not base our decisions on what others may do, or on what others may think we should do. We try to base our lives on what God wants us to do. It is not always easy to know, but one must nevertheless make the attempt.

  “We have recently come to a decision about the future of Greenwood. It will change life for all of us from this day on—every one of you, as well as all of us. It is an experiment. Perhaps it will fail, though I cannot imagine it. I pray that it will prove wonderful for each of you, and that this will be a happy day for you.

  “Our decision is this: As o
f today, you are all slaves no longer, but are free men and women.”

  He paused to allow his words to sink in. Around the room a few eyes widened, first wondering if they had heard him aright and what it meant. None seemed to grasp the full import of what their master had said.

  “We are giving you your freedom,” Richmond went on. “It will cost you nothing. You will owe us nothing. I have had papers drawn up and have signed them, which makes your freedom legal and binding.”

  Gradually a few of them began to understand that they were indeed being set free. A few murmurs of disbelief began to accompany the wide eyes and expressions of astonishment. That this signaled a change they were slowly beginning to realize, but they had yet to recognize it as joyful news.

  “But what’s gwine happen ter us, massa?” asked Moses, speaking the question that was on all their minds. “Is you gwine make us leab Greenwood? Where’s we ter go, what’s we ter do?”

  “I think perhaps you misunderstand me, Moses,” replied the master. “None of you will have to leave. You are welcome to stay and continue to live here and work for us. But you will be your own masters. You do not have to stay. You may go or stay, but the decision is yours. You are free men and women. If you decide to stay, then I will hire you and pay you wages as I would any white man I hired to work for me. Those of you who want to continue living and working at Greenwood and want to work for us, the men we will pay thirty cents a day and the women who have no children and who work all day twenty cents. Women with children will be paid according to the time worked. You will be hired men and women rather than slaves.

  “Now from the wages you earn, you will have to pay us rent for your houses and for the land you use for your gardens. You will begin to support yourselves, paying for your own food and clothes and whatever else you might need. The economics of capitalism will govern our finances in a new relationship between employer and employees, not master and slaves.”