OCR Text |
Show 164 the manifestation of much kindness. It i~, in fact, next to impossible to estimate precisely the evil s of slavery. The slave writes no book s, and the sltlvcholder is too inured to the srstem, and too much interested in it, to he able to co1~prehend it. Perhaps the Laws of the slave Statcg are the most unexceptionable witnesses which we can obtain from that <tua rtcr ; and the ba r~ Ua rity of these is decisive testimony against an inslitution which I'C(JUircs such means for its support. NOT E II. I THINK it right to s tate, that my views of abolitionism have been founded in part, pcrh:1ps chiefly, on the testimony of others. I have attended no abolitionmeetings, and never heard an abolition-address. But the strong, nnd next to universal imprc~sion, in regard to the t CJu.lcncy of the operations of t his party to inflame common minds, confirmed, as it is, hy what I l,avescen of their newspapers, must he essentially t rue. T he o t·ator , who was chicOy·employed in nddrcssing their meetings and forming societies, was distinguished by his vehem<'ncc and passionate inYecti\'es. On one occasion , there is strong proof of his having given an opin ion in favor of cruel vengeance on the part of the slaves. This seems to contradict what I have saiJ of the s teady inculcation of forbearance and non-resistance by the abolitionists. Bnt this ease, if correctly reported, was an exception, an ebullition of uncontrollable pas3ion in an ind!vidunl, fo1· whiclt the rest were not responsible. I have thought i't my duty to state the k ind of evidence on which my views of abo- 165 litionism a re fo unded, that others may better judge what confidence is due to them. I n times of grcnt excitement, it is not ensy to a rri ve at the precise trutll. NOT E I ll. lT was my purpose to adflrcss a chapter to the South, but the failure of strength compe lled me to pause; nnd when I considered, that the c irculation of my book in tha t pa rt of the cou ntry might be a cr ime, I had no encouragement to proceed. I beg, however , to say, that n othing wlt ir·h I have written can have proceeded from unkind feeling towards the South ; for in no other part of the country have my writings fo und a more gratifying reception ; from no other part have ] received stronger expressions ofsympathy. 'I'o these I am certainly not insensible. J\1y own feel ings, had I consu lted them, would have Jed me to stinc every expression, wh ich eould give pain to those from '"hom I have received nothing but good-will. I wished to suggest 10 the s lavcholderF-:, that theCAcitemcnt now pre\' a lent among themselves, wns incomparably more peri louR, more firtcd t.o stir up insurrection, than all the efforts of abolitionists, allowing these to be ever so corrupt. I nlso wi;:;hcd to remind the men of principle and influence in that part of the country, of the necessity of laying a check on lawJc.p;s procedures, in regard to the citizens or the North. We h3\'e hoard oflnrgcsuh:;;criptions nt. the South for the npprehcnsion of :;orne of the abolitionists in tl1e free States, and fol' the transportation of them to par rs of the countl"y whore they would meet the futc, which, |