INCLUDES SEVERAL CASES REGARDING SOUTHERN SLAVES
(Dupre, Ovide). Ruffin, Thomas; Hawks, Francis L. REPORTS OF CASES ARGUED AND ADJUDGED IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH-CAROLINA DURING THE YEARS 1820 & 1821. The Former Part by Thomas Ruffin, Esquire, The Latter by Francis L. Hawks. Raleigh: Printed and Sold by J. Gales & Son, 1823. Octavo, 8-1/2 inches high by 5-1/4 inches wide. Hardcover, bound in a full calf binding titled on a leather label on the spine. An additional leather label with the number "8" is mounted on the spine. The covers are rubbed and scuffed with a few small stains. The spine is chipped with pieces out near the head and the bottom label is missing. The pagination is as follows: pages [i]-vi, [2], [1]-269, [1-3], and [271]-526. The hinges are cracked and the first and last few pages are lightly darkened and foxed. Very good.
First edition. According to a statement in the catalog of the Lillian Goldman Law Library of Yale University "The 1st 240 pages of volume 1 reported by Thomas Ruffin; the remainder of volume 1...reported by Francis L. Hawks."
It is not surprising that a number of the cases reported here involve slaves. Trotter v. Howard was "an action of trover for a negro girl". Lynch v. Ashe "was an action of detinue for certain slaves". Tate v. ONeal was a case involving "Some degree of discretion in the punishment of slaves" It "was an action brought against the Defendant and two others, for beating the slave of the Plaintiff". The case of the State v. Ben, the slave involved a 1741 act in which "a slave tried for a capital crime may be convicted on the testimony of a slave". The murder of one Samuel Skinner was the subject the State v. Poll and Lavinia, slaves.
Thomas Ruffin, (1787-1870), was a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and was chief justice from 1833 to 1852.
Francis L. Hawks, (1798-1866), was an American writer, historian and Episcopal priest who who practiced law briefly in North Carolina.
The book is from the library of Ovide Dupre, 1844-1903, and is signed by him on the front pastedown. Dupre was a French Huguenot who was born in Opelousas , Louisiana. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina and was admitted to the Bar of that state. He practiced law for a few years in Raleigh. In the 1870s he moved to New York City where he had a successful career as a lawyer.
In addition to Dupres distinguished signature, there is a later owners signature penned on the front endpaper and pastedown.
