Amistad Page #2

I know you and your presidency as

well as any man, and your father's.

You were a child at his side

when he helped invent America.

You, in turn, have devoted your life

to refining that noble invention.

There remains but one task undone.

One vital task the Founding

Fathers left to their sons,

before their 13 colonies could

precisely be called United States.

And that task, sir, as you

well know, is crushing slavery.

Your record confirms you're an

abolitionist, sir, even if you won't.

- And whether or not you admit it...

- Mr. Joadson.

..you belong with us.

You're quite the scholar,

Mr. Joadson, aren't ya?

Quite the historian.

Let me tell you about

that quality, if I might.

Without an accompanying mastery of at

least one-tenth its measure of grace,

such erudition is worthless, sir.

Now, you take it from one who knows.

If you gentlemen will excuse me.

- We know we aimed high asking you...

- Well, aim lower!

Find yourselves someone

whose inspiration blossoms

the more you lose.

If the court

awards them to Spain,

they'll be taken to Cuba

and executed.

If the two lieutenants prevail,

they'll likely to sell them to Spain,

and they'll be executed.

If Montes and Ruiz are successful...

I'm a little confused.

What are they worth to you?

We're discussing the case,

not its expense.

Of course. Well, the case is much

simpler than you think, Mr. Tappan.

It's like anything - land,

livestock, heirlooms, what have you.

Livestock.

Yes. Consider -

the only way one may sell or purchase

slaves is if they are born slaves,

as on the plantation.

- I'm right, aren't I?

- Yes.

- So, are they?

- "Are they?"

Yes. Born slaves,

as on a plantation.

We're not certain,

but we very much doubt it.

Let's say they are.

Then they are possessions,

and no more deserving of

a criminal trial than a bookcase.

On the other hand,

let's say they aren't slaves,

in which case they were

illegally acquired.

Forget mutiny, forget piracy,

forget murder.

Those are irrelevant occurrences.

Ignore everything but

the pre-eminent issue at hand.

The wrongful transfer

of stolen goods.

Either way, we win.

Sir, this war must be waged on

the battlefield of righteousness.

The what?

It would be against

everything I stand for

to let this deteriorate into

an exercise in legal minutia.

Mr. Tappan, I'm talking about

the heart of the matter.

As am I.

It is our destiny,

as abolitionists and as Christians,

to save these people.

These are people, Mr. Baldwin,

not livestock.

Did Christ hire a lawyer

to get him off on technicalities?

He went to the cross, nobly.

You know why?

To make a statement.

To make a statement, as must we.

But Christ lost.

- You, I think...

- No, sir, he did not.

- You want to win, don't you?

- Yes.

I certainly do. Hell, sometimes

I don't get paid unless I do.

Which brings us back to

the question of worth.

In order to do a better job

than the Son of God's attorney

I'll require two and a

half dollars a day.

# Amazing grace

# How sweet the sound... #

# That saved a wretch like me... #

# I once was lost

# But now am found... #

How do you do, sir? How do you do?

There?

I'm sorry. I don't understand.

Excuse me. I...

My name is Roger Baldwin.

This is Theodore Joadson

of the Anti-slavery Society

and owner of the Forten

Shipping Service.

And this is Professor Gibbs,

a linguist.

Keep talking. Get them to talk.

Have you seen this before?

- This belongs to you?

No.

Umm...

I need to know where you're from.

Uh...

He said, I think, "Show me the map."

Here, Africa...

Is this where you're from?

A-fri-ca.

Were you born in the West Indies?

What did he say?

Oh, he said, er...

They have to go away.

- Emancipation! It's God's way!

You cannot own another human being!

- Killers of white men!

- Slavery is tyranny!

God's blessing on you this morning.

Yes. You place your hand on

this book and I'll pray for you.

They're

human beings, not animals!

Slavery will kill this country!

... in the

quietude of the night

after the Spaniards attended their

vespers and were in virtuous sleep,

the savages broke loose

their collars,

and stole onto the deck

like creatures of prey.

They fell upon the unsuspecting crew

with these sabres and cane knives...

- I cannot overstate...

... they mutilated at least one...

The simple cook, a Creole...

Their own kind.

But for Seors Ruiz and Montes,

who steered the Amistad

to these shores

under constant threat of like fate,

we might never have heard of

this massacre, this bloodbath.

But for their bravery, these villains

would have escaped justice.

But they've not. They've not.

Do you know the difference

between a cow and a cabbage?

A brick and a bear?

Or how about...

a polecat and a president?

The Spanish government hopes you

don't have much more sense than that.

This case isn't about murder,

mayhem or massacres.

It's not about anything

that dramatic.

This case is about knowing the

difference between here and there.

I want to show you something.

Open your mouth.

He doesn't understand.

He doesn't speak English.

Abra su boca.

Doesn't he understand? I thought

he was born on a Cuban plantation?

Perhaps he simply doesn't like you.

He wouldn't be the first,

Mr. Holabird.

Yes.

What, did he learn this on some Cuban

plantation, this decorative effect?

Cuban plantation!

Stand up. Stand up!

Hey. Levantate.

Levantate.

- Levantate.

- Stand up.

- Ahh!

Thank you.

Your Honour, I speak more Spanish,

and I was born in Philadelphia.

On Spanish plantations,

slaves choose to live

surrounded by their own ways

and simple languages.

Pray tell, what need they know

of Spanish? "Fetch? Carry? Stop?"

Gestures suffice for slaves,

as for any other beast of burden.

Your Honour...

I represent the interests

of Seors Ruiz and Montes.

- I remember.

- I have a bill of sale,

issued in Havana

for the purchase of slaves.

I remember that too.

On it, in addition to the amounts

paid for each, are their names.

Jose, Bernardo...

Paco and so on.

On behalf of my clients, I submit

this document to the court.

Mr. Baldwin, you've proffered

a good deal of - I'll be kind -

circumstantial evidence.

Have you, in addition, anything, in

the order of actual documentation,

that might refute this one,

and so more compellingly

support your claims?

I'm sure I could manufacture some

as easily as they have, Your Honour.

What you're saying is,

then, you don't.

Is that correct?

I have them.

I'm afraid that does not impress me.

I thought you did quite well.

You do?

Much better than I expected,

to be honest.

Well, thank you, I think.

Although, I was concerned that

you might have forgotten

- this is just a case like any other.

- You needn't worry about that.

That's good.

Hello, Cinque.

My name is Roger Baldwin.

I'll be your attorney.

Yes. Thank you.

All right.

I need to prove where you're from.

How are you supposed to tell me?

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