State v. Mann

We did a Mock Trial in the Talking About Freedom class. The case is the State v. Mann. Mann is a slave owner and he shot his slave because she try to escape. The court want to fine $10 to Mann since his behavior. Our team become Mann's lawyer to defend his right to punish his slave without any fine, and here are our arguments. (PS: It is a debate in class, not our opinion.)

Legal argument:

Mann should not be charged anything. In terms of the law, Mann was absolutely in the right.

• Slavery is legal in North Carolina.

• The Supreme Court of NC ruled that slave owners have absolute power over their slaves, and can not be found guilty of committing violence against them.

• Judge Thomas Ruffin made it apparent that his opinion was a legal one, and his opinion is this:

• "the power of the master must be absolute, to render the submission of the slave perfect"

• In contrast with his previous statement, Judge Ruffin also commented that “slaves should have the right of protection from persons other than their owners.”

• To many, this may lead to the conclusion that yes, Mann should be charged.

• However, this mere statement was an observation and is not at all based on legalities. This is not a valid reason for Mann to be charged.

• Slaves have no rights from their masters.

• This may tug at some people’s heartstrings, however one’s emotions should not and will not interfere with the concrete law.

Ethical/ Moral argument:

Morals are the principles on which ones judgements of right and wrong are based. Ethics are principles of right conduct.

Mann was in the right, based on ethics and morals.

• You have no right to tell him what the can do with his slave

• The slave was misbehaving, and should be punished

• Slave was hired to do a job, she needs to be punished if she doesn't want to do it.

• Slavery is legal in NC

• Because of 1826 and black codes

• The court cannot interfere with the masters power over his slave

• “The slave, to remain a slave, must be made sensible, that there is no appeal from the master”

Historic Argument:

Slaves have always been punished by whipping, shackling, beating, mutilation, branding and/or imprisonment. Punishment is the consequence for being disobedience or perceived infractions. If there was no punishment for their wrong doings they would become lazy and not get the work done. The beating is a way to control their property to prevent uprising, or rebellion, which can turn into a dramatic and bloody way that the slaves resist their enslavement. Slaves can steal from their master, robbing him of his property and profit. They can damage machinery, so that it is not usable and needs either lengthy repair or costly replacement. Slaves can avoid work, by daring to working slow or by pretending to be sick. If there was no consequence for their acting out, they would continue to destroy our property, costing the owner. If Mann was wrong for punishing the slave then slaves everywhere would be revolting against their masters causing complete chaos. The reason why slavery works is because the master has complete dominance over the slave. The slave should be seen as property not as a citizen or a human.

Religious Argument:

Many southern Christians felt that slavery, in one Baptist minister’s words, “stands as an institution of God.”

Biblical Reasons

• Abraham, the “father of faith,” and all the patriarchs held slaves without God’s disapproval (Gen. 21:9–10).

• The Ten Commandments mention slavery twice, showing God’s implicit acceptance of it (Ex. 20:10, 17).

• Slavery was widespread throughout the Roman world, and yet Jesus never spoke against it.

• Paul returned a runaway slave, Philemon, to his master (Philem. 12).

Charitable and Evangelistic Reasons

• Slavery removes people from a culture that “worshipped the devil, practiced witchcraft, and sorcery” and other evils.

• Slaves are treated more benevolently than are workers in oppressive northern factories.

• Slavery brings heathens to a Christian land where they can hear the gospel. Christian masters provide religious instruction for their slaves.

Social Reasons

• Slavery is God’s means of protecting and providing for an inferior race (suffering the “curse of Ham” in Gen. 9:25 or even the punishment of Cain in Gen. 4:12).

Economic argument:

Slavery have built strong economy in the United States.

1. The rate of return on slaves could be as high as 13% compared to a yield of 6-8% on the railroads.

2. Slaves can accomplish same task as white workers, but they cost less. The cost of free labor totaled about $355 per annum, including supervision. The annual average maintenance cost per industrial slave was less than one-third the annual cost of wages and supervision of free common labors.

3. Rice and cotton is the most important crop in our nation, because they bring uncountable benefit. However, these crops need to be take care everyday, and only slaves can do that. If slave owners allow the slaves escape and don’t punish them, the slave owners will lose too much money. The government also will lose tax from these owners.

As a result, the court should not fine Mr. John.