_Vincent St. George_--ably entrusted to that
interesting advocate Mr. J. Webster--opened the discussion by protesting
against the flogging system, especially as applied to females. _Alfred
Pelham_ answered him; the reply being taken up by the heroine _Julie_ in
broken French, because she is personated by Madlle. Celeste. The state of
parties as here developed turns out to be curious. The heroine, a
quadroon, is on the point of matrimonial union with her antagonist, and
openly resents the tender advances of her ally. "Call ye this backing of
your friends?" _Vincent St. George_, disgusted at such gross
tergiversation, flies entirely away from the point at issue, and applies
those remarks to _Julie_ which all disappointed lovers seem to be bound to
utter in such cases. Indeed, on the re-appearance of his rival, he
challenges him--unblushingly forsaking every branch of the main point, by
engaging in a long and not very lively discourse on the subject of
duelling; amidst, however, impatient cries of "question!" "question!" from
the audience.
This brings _Vincent_ back to the point, and with a vengeance! Like a
great many other orators on the liberal side of the black question, he is
a slave-owner himself, having--as his "attorney" _Vipper_ is careful to
tell us--no fewer than two hundred and eight of those animals.
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