華盛頓的奴隸

In 1790, when the United States' capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, President George Washington brought his own slave chef, Hercules, from his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon. But he faced a problem: Pennsylvania law stipulated that slaves be given their freedom after six months' residency. To get around this, Washington systematically rotated the President House slaves in and out of the state to prevent their establishing a six-month continuous residency. This rotation was itself a violation of Pennsylvania law, but the president's actions were not challenged.

Washington could be very brutal in treating his slaves, and one night Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon. Though Washington tried to have him captured, he was never found. Hercules' six-year-old daugher was reported to have said,"I am very glad, because Father is now free."

一七九○年，美國首都遷到賓州費城，總統喬治．華盛頓帶着奴隸身分的主廚赫克力士前往。赫克力士來自華盛頓的維吉尼亞州佛南山農場。當時華盛頓面臨一個難題：賓州法律規定，奴隸在州內住滿六個月，就可獲自由。華盛頓為了規避這條法律，把總統府的奴隸輪流調離然後又調回賓州，以免他們有定居六個月的資格。這樣的調動，本身也觸犯賓州法律，但沒有人質疑總統所為。

華盛頓對待手下奴隸，有時十分殘暴。一天晚上，赫克力士逃出了佛南山農場。華盛頓想把他捉回去，但始終找不到他。有報道說，赫克力士六歲的女兒表示：「我很高興，因為父親現在自由了。」

（古德明）