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co a; Tierce, which tW industry of <u>*OJStates ? employed in (Yanjportms and I arnan? rhe Slave-Holding ! States is to be found the great market for all j the prolucrions of their industry, of whatev- ? sr kind. The prosperity of those States, j therefore, and the civilization of their cities, j hare been for the most part created by the existence of Slavery. Even in the cities, but for a class of population, which our institu tions have marked as servile, it would be scarcely possible to preserve the ordinary hib'rtntie of civilized We, by commanding the necessary menial and domestic service. Every stage of human society, from the nwst barbarous to the most refined, has its owi>pee?&ar wis to mark itns the condition of mortality ; and perhaps tht-re is none but o?nnipotence who can say in which the scale j jf good or evil most preponderates. W e ieed say no'hing of rhe evils of savage life. Their, is a state ^f society elevated somewhat tbove it. which is to be found in some of the >nore thinly [>eopled portions of our own country ? the rudest agricultural state which is thus characterized by the author to whom I have referred. "The American of the hack woods has often been described to the En*l V;i as grossly ignorant; dirty, unso cial, delighting in rum and tobacco, attached to nothing bat bis rifle, adventurous, restless, more than half savage. Deprived of social en joyments or excitements, he has recourse to those of savage life, and becomes (for in this respect the Americans degenerate) unfit for society." This is no very inviting picture, which though exaggerated we know not to be without Itkeoess. The evils of such a state, [ suppose, will hardly be thought compensa ted by unbounded freedom, perfect equality, and ample means of subsistence. But let us take another stage in the pro gress?which to rnwdy wiM appear to offer all that is desirable in existence, and realize another Utopia. Let us suppose a state ef society in which all shall have property, and there shall be no great inequality of proper- j ty ? In which society shall be so much con- ! densed as to afford the means of social in- j terconrse, without being crowded, so as to ; create difficulty in obtaining the means of subsistence? in which every family that j chooses may have as much land as will era- j ploy its own hands, while others may em- j ploy their industry in forming such products ; as it may be desirable to exchange with them. | Schools are generally established, and the j rudiments of education universally diffused. j Religion is taught, and every village has its | church, neat though humble, lifting its spire j to Heaven. Here is a situation apparently the most favorable to happiness. I say ap parently, for the greatest source of human misery is not in external circumstances, but in men themselves ? in theit depraved inclina tions, their wayward passions and perverse writs. Here is room for all the petty compe tition. the envy, hatred, malice aud dissimu lation* that torture rhe heart in what may be supposed the most sophisticated states of society; and though less marked aud offen sive, there may be much of the licentious ness. But apart from this, in such a condition of society, if there is little suffering, there is little high enjoyment. The even flow of life forbids the high excitement which is neces- j s?ry for it.' If there is little vice, there is j little place for the eminent virtues, which era- i ploy themselves m controlling the disorders j and remedying the evils of society, which like war an! revolution, call forth the high est powers of min, whether for good or for cvit. ff there is little misery, there is little gutm for benevolence. Useful public insti tutions we tory suppose to be created, but not such as are merely ornamental. Elegant arts can belittle cultivated, for there are no means to reward the artists; nor the higher literature, for no one will have leisure or means to cul tivate it for its own sake. Those who acquire what may be called liberal education, will do so In order to employ it as the means of their own subsistence or advancement in a profes sion, and literature itself wiJL partake of the sordidness of trade. In short, it is plain that, in sack a state of society, the moral and in tellectual faculties cannot be cultivated to their highest perfection. Bat whether that which I fcave described be the most desirable state of society or no, it is certain that it cannot continue. Muta tion and progress is the condition of human fetfaars. Though retarded for a time by ex traneous or accidental circumstances, the wheel must roll on. The tendency of popu lation is to become crowded, increasing the difficulty of obtaining subsistence- There will be some without any property except the capacity for labor. This they must sell to those who have the means of employing them, thereby swelling the amount of their capital, and increasing inequality. The pro cess still goes on. The number of laborers increases until there is a difficulty in obtain ing employment. v Then competition is estab lished. The remuneration of labor becomes gradually less and less ; a larger and larger proportion of the product of his labor goes , to swell the fortune of the capitalist ; inequal- j ity becomes still greater and more invidious, until the process ends in the establishment of j such a state of things, as the same author describes as now existing in England*. After a moot imposing picture of her greatness sfad resources; of hW supera bounding, capital, and all-pervading industry and enterprize ; of l|Mr public institutions far purposes of art, learning *a&. benevolence; her pobiic im provements, by which intercourse is facilitated, and the convenience of man subserved ; the conveniences and luxuries of life enjoyed by those who are in possession of fortune, or havepra&able employments ; of all, in short, that places her at ^"he head of modern civili- i zition, he proceeds to give the reverse of the picture. And here -I' shall use his own words. "The laboring class compose the bulk of the people; the great body of the ; people; the v?tmajority of the people? theoe ar? the terms by which English writers and speakers usually describe those whose on ty property is their labor." "Uif -comprehensive words, the two most j jjeqnendjr used in English politics, are dis- . and pauperism. After these, of expres- j s:?as applied to the state of the poor, the ;>ia*t common are rice and misery, wretched fl.-ss, sufferings, ignorance* degradation, dis content, depravity, drunkenness, and the ii crease of crime ; with many more of the 1 <e nature" - Jfcie goes on to give the details of this ine qrufftty apd wretchedness, in terms calcula ted to sicken and appal one to'whom the pia tnreisrtew. That he has painted strongly we m ay suppose ; $#t there is ample corrob orating testimony* if such were needed, that tie representation is substantially just. ? Wharf so much misery exists, there must of fflif* ranch discontent, and many have been disposed to trace the sources of the former in vie*>u? legislation, or the strueture of govern sent ; and the author givs the va . rtosi - schemes, sometimes contradictory, SftjaetHBOS Jodicroos, which projectors hare ; devised as a remedy for all this evil to which | I flesh is heir. That ill judged legislation may have sometimes aggravated the general suf fering, or that its extremity may be ruitiga ; ted by the well directed efforts of the wise and virtuous, there can be no doubt. One , purpose for which it has been permitted to | exist is, that it may call forth such efforts, j and awaken powers and virtues which would I otherwise have slumbered for want of object. ; But remedy there is none, unless it be to abandon their civilization. This inequality, this vice, this misery, this Stavery , is the price of England's civilization. They suffer the lot of humanity. 13ut perhaps we may be permitted hdrably to hope, that great, in tense and widely spread as this misery un doubtedly is in reality, it may yet be less so than in appearance. We can estimate but very, very imperfectly the good and evil of individual coudition, as of different states of society. Some unexpected solace arises to animate the severest calamity. Wonderful is the power of custom, in making the hard { est condition tolerable ; the most generally | wretched life, has circumstances of mitiga tion, and moments of vivid enjoyment, of which the more seemingly happy can scarce i ly conceive ; though the lives of individuals j be shortened, the aggregate of existence Is I increased ; even the various forms of death accelerated by want, familiarized to the con templation, like death to the soldier on the field of battle, may become scarcely more formidable, than what we are accustomed to regard as nature's ordinary outlets of exis tence. If we could perfectly analyze the enjoyments and sufferings of the most happy, and the most miserable man, we should per haps be startled to find the difference so much less than our previous impressions had led us to conceive. But it is not for us to assume the province of omniscience. The particu lar theory of the author quoted, seems to be founded on an assumption of this sort ? that there is a certain stage in the progress, when there is a certain balance betweeu the demand for labor, and the supply of it, which is more desirable than any other ? when the territory is so thickly peopled that all cannot own land ! and cuJtivate the soil for themselves, but a i portion will be compelled to sell their labor I to others ; still leaving, however, the wages of labor high, and the laborer independent. Jx is plain, however, that this would in like manner partake of the good and the evil of other states of society. There would be less of equality and less rudeness, than in the early stages ; less civilization and less suffer- j ing, than in the latter. It is the competition for employment, which is the source of this misery of society, that gives rise to ail excellence in art and know ledge. When the demand for labor exceeds the supply, the services of the most ordinari ly qualified laboreF will be eagerly retained. When the supply begins to exceed, and com petition is established, higher and higher qualifications will be required, until at length when it becomes very intense, none but the most consummately skilful can be sure to be employed. Nothing but necessity can drive men to the exertions which are necessary so to qualify themselves. But it is not in arts, merely mechauical alone, that this superior excellence will be required. It will be ex tended to every intellectual employment ; and though this may not be the effect iu the instance of every individual, yet it will fix the habits and character of the society, and pre scribe every where, and in every department, the highest possible standard of attainment. But how is it that the existence of Slavery as with us, will retard the evils of civiliza tion ? Very obviously. It is the intense com petition of civilized life, that gives rise to the excessive cheapness of labor, and the excessive cheapness of labor is the cause of the evils in question. Slave labor c&n never be so cheap as what is called free .labor. ? Political economists have established as the natural standard of wages in a fully peopled country, the value of the laborer's subsis tence. [ shall not stop to inquire into the precise truth of this proposition. It certain ly approximates the truth. Where compe tition is intense, men will labor for a bare subsistence, and less than a competent sub sistence. The employer of free laborers ob tains their services -during the time of their health and vigor, without the charge of rear ing them from infancy, or supporting them in sickoess or old age. This charge is im posed 00 the employer of Slave labor, who, therefore, pays higher wages, and cuts off th^ principal source of misery ? the wants and sufferings of infancy, sickness and old age. Laborers too will be less skilful, and perform less work ? enhancing the price of that sort of labor;, The poor laWfc of England are an attempt1 ? but an awkward and empirical at tempt ? to supply the place of that which we should suppose the feelings of every human heart would declare to be a natural obliga tion ? that he who has received the benefit of the laborer's services during his health and vigor, should maintain him when he becomes unable to provide for his own support. They answer their purpose, however, very imper fectly, and are unjustly, and unequally im posed. There is no attempt to apportion the burden according to the benefit received ? and perhaps there could be none. This is one of the evils of their condition. In periods of commercial revulsion and distress, like the present, the distress, in coun tries of free labor, falls principally on the la borers. In those of Slave labor, it falls almost exclusively oo the employer. In the former, when a business becomes unprofitable, the employer dismisses his laborers or lowers their wages. But with us", it is the very peri od at which we are least able to dismiss our laborers; and if we would not suffer a further loss, we cannotreduce their wages. To re ceive the benefit of the setvices of which they are capable, we must provide for maintaining their health and vigor. Iu point of fact we know that this is accounted among the neces sary expenses of management. If the income of every planter of the Southern States, were permanently reduced one half, or eveu much more than that, it would not take one jot from the support and comforts of the Slaves. And this cau never be materially altered, until they shall become so unprofitable that Slavery j must be of necessity abandoned. It is pro- J bable that the accumulation of individual I wealth will never be carried to quite so great an extent in a Slave-Holding country, as in one | of free labor ; but a consequence will be, that there will be less inequality and less suffer I m*' Servitude is the condition of civilization. It was decreed, when the commandjgas given. " be fruitful, and multiply and rejwenish the earth, and sabdue it," and when itwasadded, 44 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." j And what human being shall arrogate to him self the authority to pronounce that our form of it is worse in itself, or more displeasing to God than that which exists elsewhere ? Shall i it be said that the servitude of other coustries grow out of the exigency of their circum sraaces, and therefore society is. not respon sible for k? But if we know that in th? progress of things it i* to come, would it not seein the part of wisdom and foresight, to make provision for it, and thereby, if we can, mitigate the severity of its evils ? But the fact is not so. Let any one who doubts, read the book to which I have several times referr ed, and he may be satisfied that it was forc ed upon us by the extreruest exigency of circumstances, in a struggle for very exis tence. Without it, it is doubtful whether a white man would be now existing on ! this continent ? certain, that if there were, thev would bejn a state of the utmost desti tution, weakness and misery. It was forced on us by necessity, and further fastened upon us, by the superior authority of the mother country. I, for one, neither deprecate nor resent the gift. Nor did we institute Slavery. The Africaus brought to us had been, speak ing in the general, slaves in their own coun try, and only underwent a change of masters. In the countries of Europe, and the States of our Confederacy, in which slavery has ceased to exist, it was abolished by positive legisla tion. If the order of nature has been depart ed from, and a forced and artificial state of things introduced, it has been, as the experi ence of all the world declares, by them and not by us. That there are great evils in a society where slavery exists, and that the institution is liable to great abuse, I have already said. To say otherwise, would be to say that they were not human. But the whole of human life is a system of evils and compensations. We have no reason to believe the compensations with us are fewer, or smaller in proportion to the evils, than those of any other condition of so ciety. Tell me of an evil or abuse; of an in stance of cruelty, oppression, licentiousness^ crime or suffering, and I will point out, and often in five fold degree, au equivalent evil or abuse in countries where Slavery does not exist. Let us examine without blenching, the ac tual and alleged evils of Slavery, and the ar ray ofhorrors which many suppose to be its universal concomitants. It is said that the Slave is out of the protection of the law ; that if the law purports to protect him in life and limb, it is but imperfectly executed ; that .he is still subject to excessive labor, degrading blows, or any other sort of torture, which a master pampered and brutalized by the exer cise of arbitrary power, may think proper to inflict ; he is cut off from the opportunity of intellectual, moral, or religious improvement, and even positive enactments are directed against his acquiring the rudiments of know ledge; he is cut off forever from the hope of raising his condition in society, whatever, may be his merit, talents, or virtues, and therefore deprived of the strongest incen tive to useful and praiseworthy exertion; he is without moral principle, and addict ed to the lowest vices, particularly theft and falsehood ; if marriage be not disallowed, it is little better than a state of concubinage, from which results general licentiousness, and the want of chastity among females ? this in deed is not protected by law, but is subject to the outrages of brutal lust; both sexes are liable to have their dearest affections vio lated; to be sold like brutes; husbands to be torn from wives, children from parents ; ? thi* is the picture commonly presented by the : denouncers of Slavery. It is a somewhat singular fact, that when there existed in our State no law for punish ing the murder of a slave, other than a pecu niary fine, there were, I will venture to say, at least ten murders of freemen, for one mur der of a slave. Yet it is supposed they are less protected, or less secure than their mas ters. Why they are protected by their very situation in society, and therefore less need the protection of law. With any other per son than their master, it is hardly possible for them to come into such sort of collision as usually gives rise to furious and revengeful passions ; they offer no temptation to the murderer for gain ; against the master him self, they have the security of his own inter est, and by his superintendence and authori ty, they are protected from the revengeful passions of each others I am by no means sure that the cause of humanity has been served by the change in jurisprudence, which has placed their murder on the same footing with that of a freeman. The change was made in subserviency to the opinions and clam :>r of others, who were utterly incom petent to form an opinion on the subject; and a wise act is seldom the result of legisiatiou in this spirit. From the fact which I have stated, it is plain that they less need protec tion. Juries are, therefore, less willing to convict, and it may sometimes happen that the guilty will escape all punishment. Security is one of the compensations of their humble position. We challenge the comparison, that with us there have been fewer murders of Slaves, than of parents, children, apprentices, and other murders, cruel and unnatural, in society where Slavery does not exist. But short of life or limb, various cruelties may be practiced as the passions of the mas ter may dictate. To this the same reply has ] been often given? that they are secured by the master's interest. If the state of Slavery is to exist at all, the master must have, and. ought to have, such power of punishment as will compel them to perform the duties of their statiod. And :s not this for their advan tage as well as his ? No human being can be contented, who does not perform the duties of his station. Has the master any temptation to go beyond this ? If he inflicts on him such punishment as will permanently impair his strength, he inflicts a loss on himself, and so if he requires ofhim excessive labor. Com pare the labor required of the Slave, with those of the free agricultural, or manufactur ing laborer in Europe, or even in the more thickly peopled ^portions of the non-Slave Holding States of our Confederacy ? though these last are no fair subjects of comparison they enjoying, as I have said, in a great de gree, the advantages of Slavery along with those of an early and simple state of society. Read the English Parliamentary reports, on j the condition ?f the manufacturing operatives, and the children employed in factories. And such is the impotence of m in to remedy the evils which the condition of his existence has imposed on him, that it is much to be doubted whether the attempts by legislation to improve their situation, will not aggravate its evils. ? They resort to this excessive labor as a choice of evils. If so, the amount ot their compen sation will be lessened also with the dimin ished labor ; for this is a matter which legis lation cannot regulate. Is it the part of be nevolence then to cut them off even from this miserable liberty of choice ? Yet would these evils exist in the same degree, if the laborers were the property of the master having a direct interest in preserving their lives, their health and strength ? Who but a drivelling fanatic, has thought :>( the necessi ty of protecting domestic animals from the cruelty of their owners? And yet are not great and wanton cruelties practised on these animals? Compare the whole of the cruel ties inflicted on Slaves throughout our I Southern country, with tfyofe els$wfrere, I inflicted by ignorant and depraved portions of the community, on those whom the relations of society put into their power ? of brutal husbands on their wires; of brutal parents ? subdued against the strongest in stincts of nature to that brutality by the ex tremity of their misery? on their children ; of brutal masters on apprentices. And if it should be asked, are not similar cruelties in flicted, and miseries endured in your society ? I answer in no comparable degree. The class in question are placed under the control of others, who are interested to restrain their excesses of cruelty or r3ge. Wives are pro tected from their husbands, and children from their parents. And this is no inconsiderable compensation of the evils ol our system; and would so appear, if we could torm any con ception of the immense amount of misery which is elsewhere thus inflicted. The other class of society, more elevated in their posi tion, are also (speaking of course in the gen eral) mortf elevated in character, and more responsible to public opinion. But besides the interest of their master, there is another security against cruelty. ? The relation of Master and Slave, when there is no miscLlevousinterference between them, is as the experience of all the world declares, naturally one of kindness. As to the fact, we should be held interested witnesses, but we ; appeal to universal nature. Is it not natural that a man should be attached to that which is his oicn , and which has contributed to his convenience, his enjoyment, or his vanity? This is felt even towards animals, and inani mate objects. How much more towards a being of superior intelligence and usefulness, who can appreciate our feelings towards him, and return them ? Is it not natural that we should be interested in that which is depen dant on us for protection and support? Do not men every where contract kind feelings towards their dependants? Is it not natural that men should be more attached to those whom they have long known ? whom, per haps, they have reared or been associated with from infancy? than to one with whom their connexion has been casual and tempo rary? What is there in our atmosphere or institutions, to produce a perversion ol the general feelings of nature? To be sure, in this as in all other relations, there is frequent cause of offence or excitement ? on one side, for some omission of duty, on the other, on account of reproof or punishment inflicted. But this is common to the relation of parent and child ; and I will venture to say that if punishment be justly inflicted ? and there is no temptation to inflict it unjustly ? it is as little likely to occasion permanent estrange ment or resentment as in that case. Slaves are perpetual children. It is not the com mon nature of man, unless it be depraved by his own misery, to delight in witness ing pain. It is more grateful to behold contented and cheerful beings, than sullen and wretched ones. That men are sometimes wayward, depraved and brutal, we know. That atrocious and brutal cruelties have been perpetrated on Slaves, and on those who were not Slaves, by such wretches, we also know. But that the institution of Slavery has a natural tendency to form such a char acter, that such crimes are more common,or more aggravated than in other states of socie ty, or produce among us less surprise and hor ror, we utterly deny, and challenge the comparison. Indeed I have little hesitation in saying, that if full evidence could be ob tained, the comparison would result in our favor, and that the tendency of Slavery is rather to humanize than to brutalize. The accounts of travellers in oriental coun tries, give a very favorable representation of the kindly relations which exist between the Master and Slave ; the latter being often the friend, and sometimes the heir of the former. Generally* however, especially if they be En glish travellers ? if they say any thing which may seem to give a favorable complexion to Slavery, they think it necessary to euter their protest, that they shall not be taken to give any sanction to Slavery as it exists in Ameri ca. Yet human nature is the same in all countries. There are very obvious reasons why in those countries there should be a nearer approach to equality in their manners. The Master and Slave are often of cognate races, and therefore tend more to assimilate. There is in fact less inequality in mind and character, where the master is but imperfect y civilized. Less labor is exacted, because the master has fewer motives to accumulate. But is it an injury to a human being, that regular, if not excessive labor should be re quired of him? The primeval curse, with the usual benignity of providential contriv ance, has been turned into the solace of an existence that would be much more intolera ble without it. If they labor less, they are ?much more subject to the outrages of capri cious passion. If it were put to the choice of any human being, would he prefer to be the Slave of a civilized man, or of a barbarian or semi-barbarian ? But if the general ten dency of the institution in those countries is to create kindly relations, can it be imagined why it should operate differently in this? It is true, as suggested by President Dew with the exception of the ties of close consanguin ity, it forms one of the most intimate relations of society. And it will be more and more so, the longer it continues to exist. The harsh est features of Slavery were created bj those who were strangers to Slavery ? who sup posed that it consisted in keeping savages in subjection by violence and terror. The se verest laws to be found on our statute book, were enacted by such, and such are still found to be the severest masters. As society becomes settled, and the wandering habits ot our countrymen altered, there will be a larger and larger proportion of those who were rear ed by the owner, ,or derived to him from his an cestors, and who therefore will be more inti mately regarded, as forming a portion of his family. . , . , , It is true that the Slave is driven to labor by stripes ; a;jd if the object of punishment be to produce obedience or reformation, with the least permanent injury, it is the best me thod of punishment. But. is it not intolera ble, that a being formed in the image of his Maker, should be degraded by bloics I This is one of the perversions of mind and feeling, to which I shall have occasion again to refer. Such punishment would be degrading to a freeman, who had the thoughts and aspira tions of a freeman. In general it is not de grading to a Slave, nor is it felt to be so. ? Xhe evil is the bodily pain. Is it degrading to a child ? Or if in any particular instance it would be so felt, it is sure not to be inflicted ?unless in those rare cases which constitute the startling and eccentric evils, from which no institutions of society can provide. The Slave is cut off from the means of intellec tual , moral and religious improvement , arul in conscquencc his moral character becomes de praved , and he addicted to degrading vices. The Slave receives such instruction as qual ifies him to discharge the duties of his par ticular station. The Creator did not intend that every individual human being should be highly cultivated, morally and intellectually, for as we have seen, he has imposed condi tions on society which would render this im possible. There must be general mediocrity, or the highest cultivation must exist along with ignorance, vice, and degradation. But is there in the aggregate of society, less op portunity for intellectual and moral cultiva tion, on 'account of the existence of Slavery 1 We must estimate institutions from their ag gregate of good or evil. I refer to the views which I have before expressed to this society. It is by the existence of Slavery, exempting so large a portion of our citizens ftom the ne cessity of bodily labor, that we have a greater proportion than any other people, who have leisure for intellectual pursuits, and the means of attaining a liberal education. If we throw away this opportunity, we shall be morally responsible for the neglect or abuse of our ad vantages, and shall most unquestionably pay the penalty. 3ut the blame will rest on our selves, and not on the character of our insti tutions. I add further, notwithstanding that equality seems to be the passion of the day, if, as Providence has evidently decreed, there can be but a certain portion of.intellectual excel I lence in any community, it is better that it should be unequally divided. It is better that a part should be fully, and highly cultivated, and the rest utterly ignorant. To constitute a society, a variety of offices must be dis charged, from those requiring but the lowest ' degree of intellectual power, to those requir ing the very highest, and it should seem that the endowments ought to be apportioned ac cording to the exigencies of the situation. In the course of human affairs, there arise diffi culties which can only be comprehended, or surmounted bv the strongest native power of intellect, strengthened by the most assiduous exercise, and enriched with the most extend ed knowlt e ? and even these are sometimes found inadequate to the exigency. The first want of society is? leaders. Who shall esti mate the value to Athens, of Solon, Aristides, Themistocles, Cymon, Pericles? If society have not leaders qualified as I have said, they will have thos^wi#0 will lead them blindly to their loss apdruinv} Men of no great native power of intellect, and of imperfect and super ficial knowledge, are the most mischievous of all? none are so busy, meddling, confident, presumptuous, and intolerant. The whole of society receives the benefit of the exertions ofa mind of extraordinary endowments. Of all communities, one of the least desirable, would be that in which imperfect, superficial, half-education should be universal. The first care of a State which regards its own safety, prosperity and honor, should be, that when minds of extraordinary power appear, to what ever department of knowledge, art or scieuce, their exertions may be directed, the means should be provided of their most consummate cultivation. Next to this, that education should be as widely extended a 9 possible. Odium has been cast upon our legislation, on account of its forbidding the elements of education to be communicated to Slaves. But in truth what injury is done to them by this ? He who works during the day with his hands does not read in intervals of leisure for his amusement, or the improventent of his mind? or the exceptions are so very rare, as scarcely to need the being provided for. Of the many Slaves whom I have known capa ble of reading, I have never known one to read any thing but the Bible, and this task they imposed on themselves as matter of du ty. Of all methods of religious instruction, however, this, of reading for themselves would be the most inefficient ? their compre hension is defective, and the employment is to them an unusual and laborious one.? There are but very few who do not enjoy other means, more effectual for religions instruction. There is no place of worship opened for the white population, from which they are excluded. I believe it a mistake, to say that the instructions there given are not adapted to their comprehension, or calculat ed to improve them. If they are given as j they ought to be ? practically, and without pretension, id are such as are generally in telligible tc the free part of the audience, cotnprehenuing all grades of intellectual capa city, they will not be unintelligible to Slaves. I doubt whether this be not better than in struction, addressed specially to themselves? which they might look upon as a device of the master's, to make them more obedient and profitable to himself. Their minds, gen erally, shew a strong religious tendency, and they are fond of assuming the office of religi ous instructers to each other; and perhaps their religious notions are not much more extravagant than those of a large portion o the free population'of our country. I am not sure that there is a much smaller proportion of them, than of- the free population, who make some sort of religious profession.? It is certainly the master's interest that they should have proper religious sentiments, and if he fails in his duty towards them, we may be sure that the consequences will be visited not upon them, but upon him. If there were any chance of their eleva ting their rank and conditiqn in society, it m.aht be matter of hardship, that they should be debarred from those rudiments of know ledge which open the way to farther attain ments. But this they know cannot be, and that further attainments would be useless to them. Of the evil of this, I shall speak here after. A knowledge of reading, writing, and the elements of arithmetic, is convenient and important to the free laborer, who is the transactor of his own affairs, and the guardi an of his own interests? but .of what use would they be to the slave ? These alone do not elevate the mind or character, if such elevation were desirable. If we estimate their morals according to that which should be the standard of a free man's morality, then I grant they are degra ded in morals? though by no means to the extent which those who are unacquainted with the institution seem to suppose. We justly suppose, that the Creator will require of man, the performance of the duties of the station in which his Providence has placed him, and the cultivation of the virtues which are adapted to their performance ; that he will make allowance for all imperfection of knowledge, and the absence of the usual helps and motives which lead to self convic tion and improvement. The degradation of morals relates principally to loose notions of honesty, leading to petty thefts; to falsehood and licentious intercourse between the sexes. Though with respect ev^n to these, I protest a gainst the opinion which seems to be elsewhere entertained, that they are universal, or that slaves in respect to them, might not well bear a comparison with the lowest laborious class of other countries. But certainly ihere is much dishonesty leading to petty thefts. It leads, however, to nothing else. They have nD contracts or dealings which might be a temptation to fraud, nor do I know thaJL their characters have any tendency that way. They are restr.iiued by the coustant, vigilant, and interested superintendence which is ex ercised over them, from the. commission of offences of greater magnitude? even if they were disposed to them---which lam satisfied they are not. Nothing is so rarely heard of, as an atrocious crime committed by a slave ; especially since they hare worn off the sav age character which their progenitors brought with them from Africa. Their offences are confined to petty depradations, principally for the gratification of their appetites, and these for reasons already given, are chiefly confined to the property of their owner, which is molt exposed to them. They could make no use of a considerable booty, ifthey could obtain it. It is plain that this is a less evil to society in its consequences and example, than '^committed by a freeman, who is master of his own time and actions. With reference to society then, the offence is less in itself? -and may we not hope that it is less in the sight of God. A slave has no hope that by a course of integrity, toe can materially elevate his condition in socie ty, nor can his offence materially depress it, or affect his means of support, or that of his family. Compared to the freeman, he has np character to establish or to lose. He has not been exercised to self-government, and being without intellectual resources, can less resist the solicitations of appetite. Theft in a free man is a crime ; in a slave, it is a rice. I recollect to have heard it said, in reference to some question of a slave's theft which wa? agitated in a Court, "Courts of Justice have no more to do with a slave's stealing, than with his lying? that is a matter for the do mestic forum." It was truly said ? the theft of a slave is no offence against society. Com pare all the evils resulting from* this, with the enormous amount of vice, crime and -deptar vity, which in an European, or one of $ur Northern cities, disgusts the moral feelings, and render life and property insecure. So with respect to his falsehood'. I have never heard or observed, that slaves have any pecu~ liar proclivity to falsehood, unless it be in de nying or concealing their own offences, or those of their fellows. I have never heard of falsehood told by a slave for a malicious purpose. Lies of vanity are sometimes told, as among the weak and ignorant of other conditions. Falsehood is not attributed to an individual charged with an offence before a Court of Justice, who pleads not gvnlty? ? and certainly the strong temptation to escape punishment in the highest degree extenuates, if it does nat excuse, falsehood told by a slave. If the object be to screen a fellow, slave, the act bears some semblance of fideli ty, and perhaps truth could not be told with out breach of confidence. I know not how to chaiacterize the falsehood of a slave. It has often been said by the denouocers of Slavery, that marriage doe*, not extet among slaves. It is difficult to understand this, unless wilful falsehood were intended. We know that marriages are contracted; may be, and ofteu are, solemnized with the forms usual among other classes of society , and often faithfully adhered to during life. The law has not provided for making those marriages indissoluble, nor could it do so. If a man abandons his wife, being without pro perty. and being both property themselves, he caunot he required to maintain her- If he abandon his wife, and live in a state of ~ou cubinage with another, the law cannot pun ish him for bigamy. It may perhaps be meant that the chastity of wives is not pro tected by law from the outiages of violence. I answer, as with respect to their lives, that they are protected by manners, and their po sition. Who ever heaid of such outrages being offered? At least as seldom, I will j venture to say,, as in other cornmuuities of different forms of polity. Our reason doubt- , less may be, that often there is no disposition to resist. Another reason also may be, that there is little temptation to such violence, as there is so large a proportion of this class of females who set little value on chastity, and afford easy gratification to the hot passions of men. It might be supposed, from the re* presentations of some writers, that a slave bolding country were one wide stew for the indulgence of unbridled lust. .. Particular in stances of intemperate and shameless, debau chery are related, which may perhaps be true, and it is left to be inferred that tMinj the universal state of manners. Brutes and shameless debauchees there are in country ; we know that if such things are re lated as general or characteristic, the ^pre sentation is false. Who would argue from the existence of a Col. Chartres in England, or of' some individuals who Blight, perhaps^ be named in other portions of this countrjv of the horrid dissoluteness of manners occa sioned by the want of . the institution of Sla> very? Yet the argument might be urged quite as fairly, and really, it seewis-to me, with a little more justice ? for th#*e sich de pravity is attended with muck pernif cious consequences. Yet let not deny or extenuate the truth. It i? true that in this respect the morals of this cites- are very loose* (by no means so universally soi as is- often? supposed,) and that tha- passions, of men of the superior caste, tempt and" fiiri<fr gratifica tion in the easy chastity of the females. is evil, and to be remedied, if we can do-so without the introduction of greater evil. But evil is incident to every condition of society, and, I have said, we have only to consider in which institution it oaost predominates. Compare these pvostitvtes of our country, (if it is not injustiee to eall them so,) and their condition, with those of other coun tries ? the seventy thousand prostitutes of London, or of Paris, or the ten thousand of New York, or our other Northern c?ties. Take the picture given of the first from ,the author whom I have before, quoted. The laws and customs of England conspire to sink this class of English women into a state of vice and misery below that whi-h necessarily belongs to their condition. Henee their ex treme degradation, their troopers* oaths, their love of gin, their desperate recklessness, and the shortness of their miserable lives." 44 English women of this class, or tether girls, for few of them live to be womee, die like sheep with the rot; so fast ti^t.won; there would be none left, if a fresh supply were not obtained equal to. the number oC deaths. But a fresh supply is always obtain ed without the least trouble : seduction easi; ly keeps pace with prostitution ^rmoruhtj. Those that die are, like factory children that die, instantly succeeded by. new competitors for misery and death." There is no hour of a summer's or a winter's night, in which there may not be found in the street a ghast ly wretch, expiring under the double tortures, of disease and famine. Though less aggra vated in its features, the picture of prostitu tion in New York or Philadelphia would be of like character. ' In such communities, the unmarried wo-? man who becomes a mother is an outcast from society ? and though sentimentalists Ja