Amistad Page #6

but has it occurred to you

that I'm all you've got?

Because, since my practice has

now completely deteriorated,

you're all I've got.

See, this is me. You see?

You see? You see how this works?

And-And-And this, this here,

Cinque, is for me. Hmm?

More death threats.

Some have been signed.

By my own clients, no less.

I should say, should say...

former clients, shouldn't I?

There is one more consequence

to having no clientele to speak of.

I am now free to sit here

as long as it takes

for you to acknowledge me.

Yes, you understood that word,

didn't you?

Free.

All right.

Then we'll just sit.

Caesar.

Cicero's appeal was to

Julius Caesar, not Claudius.

Claudius would not be born

for another hundred years.

You were right,

there was one of them.

- Is that him?

- Yes, Mr. President.

Please unlock this door.

Adams has flirted with abolitionists

for 15 years,

but has yet to take one home.

- How old is he?

- Too old to take anyone home!

He sleeps through three quarters

of the sessions on the Hill.

Let's see. President,

slumbering congressman,

jailhouse lawyer - one waits with

great anticipation for what's next!

- What must that be like?

- What?

Knowing all your life,

whatever your accomplishments,

you'll only be remembered

as the son of a great father.

The only thing John Quincy Adams will

remembered for is his middle name!

I wonder, is there anything

as pathetic as an ex-president?

I was talking about John...

- Sir.

- Yes?

Cinque has asked me t-t-to ask you...

whether you have thought about

the question of jurisdiction.

What?

That since they took over

the ship far out to sea,

and since neither Spain

nor America owns the sea,

how is it that the treaty applies?

Tell him the treaty recognises

no jurisdictional limitations.

He will ask me why.

Because I said so.

- Excuse me, sir.

- Yes?

Cinque would like to know that if he

is the property of Ruiz and Montes,

then how does the treaty apply,

as it is between America and Spain?

Or their citizens.

"Or their citizens" is included

in the language, if he must know.

Thank you, sir.

It's a good point, though.

Does Britain have any treaties with

West Africa which may override

- those between Spain and America?

- No.

Does Britain have any

treaties with America

- which might override those...

- No.

Does America have treaties

with West Africa?

No!

- Does Spain?

- No!

Does the Commonwealth of Connecticut

- have any treaties with West Africa?

- No, no, no, no! Now stop this!

Unshackle him.

I'm sorry, sir.

- I'm under strict orders...

- Unshackle him, please.

Yes, Mr. President.

This is a phalaenopsis, moth orchid,

I brought over from China.

And this is a primrose

from an English garden.

And, uh, this spear lily,

from the south of France.

This is my rose Blush Noisette.

This came all the way from,

uh, Washington, DC,

but don't tell anyone.

Hmm.

Go on, go on.

African violet. I can't tell you

how difficult that was to come by.

Now, you understand you're going

to the Supreme Court.

Do you know why?

It is the place where

they finally kill us.

No. Well, yes,

that may be true too.

That's not what I meant.

No, there is another reason

and a more important reason.

Although I'll admit that, uh,

perhaps more so to us than you.

All right, don't...

Cinque...

Do you know who I am?

Has anyone told you about me?

What have they told you?

That you are a chief.

I was a chief, yes.

A chief cannot become anything less

than a chief, even in death.

Oh, how I wish such

were true here, Cinque.

You've no idea.

One tries to govern

wisely, strongly, but...

One tries to govern in a way that

betters the lives of one's villagers.

One tries to... kill the lion.

Unfortunately, one isn't always

wise enough or strong enough.

Time passes...

and the moment is gone.

Now, listen, Cinque. Listen.

We're about... We're about

to bring your case

before the highest court

in our land.

Were about to do battle with a lion

that is threatening

to rip our country in two.

Huh? And all we have on our side

is a rock.

Of course, you didn't ask

to be at the centre

of this historic conflagration

any more than I did,

but we find ourselves here,

nonetheless,

by some mysterious mix

of circumstances

and the whole world watching.

So, uh, what are we to do? Huh?

- What did he just say?

- I-I... Sorry, I didn't catch it.

Cinque, look.

I'm being honest with you.

Anything less would be

disrespectful.

I'm telling you, I'm preparing you,

I suppose I'm explaining to you,

that the test ahead of us is

an exceptionally difficult one.

We won't be going in there alone.

Alone? Indeed not.

We have right at our side.

We have righteousness at our side.

We have Mr. Baldwin over there.

I meant my ancestors.

I will call into the past,

far back to the beginning of time,

and beg them to come and help me

at the judgment.

I will reach back

and draw them into me.

And they must come,

for at this moment, I am the whole

reason they have existed at all.

Your Honours...

I derive much consolation

from the fact that my colleague,

Mr. Baldwin here,

has argued the case

in so able, and so complete a manner

as to leave me scarcely

anything to say.

However...

Why are we here?

How is it that a simple,

plain property issue

should now find itself

so ennobled as to be argued

before the Supreme Court of

the United States of America?

Do we fear the lower courts, which

found for us, missed the truth?

Or is it, rather, our great

and consuming fear of civil war,

that has allowed us to heap symbolism

upon a simple case

that never asked for it?

And now would have us disregard truth

even as it stands before us,

tall and proud as a mountain.

The truth... in truth, has been driven

from this case like a slave.

Flogged from court to court,

wretched and destitute.

And not by any great legal acumen

on the part of the opposition,

I might add.

But through the long, powerful arm

of the executive office.

This is no mere property

case, gentlemen.

This is the most important case

ever to come before this court.

Because what it in fact concerns

is the very nature of man.

Uh, these are, um...

These are transcriptions of letters

written between our

secretary of state, John Forsyth,

and the Queen of Spain,

Isabella the Second.

Now, I ask that you accept

their perusal

as part of your deliberations.

Thank you, sir.

I would not touch on them now

except to notice

a curious phrase

which is much repeated.

The Queen again and again refers

to our incompetent courts.

Now what, I wonder, would be

more to her liking? Huh?

A court that finds against

the Africans?

Well, I think not.

And here is the fine point of it.

What Her Majesty wants is a court

that behaves just like her courts.

The courts this 11-year-old child

plays with in her magical kingdom

called Spain.

A court that will do what it is told.

A court that can be toyed with

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