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Show 184 THE CONTRAST. colored people, has wholly disappeare~ from _amongst them. No young woman of color thmks of forming such connexions now." What is more, the improved morality of the blacks is reflecting itself on the white inhabitants-even the overseers are ceasing, one after another, from a sinful mode of life, and arc forming reputable connexions in marriage. But while these three points are confessedly of high importance, there is a four-th which at once embraces, and outweighs them all-I mean the diffusion of vital Christianity. I know that great apprehensions were entertainedespecially in this country-lest, on the cessation of slavery, the negroes should break away at once from their masters and their ministers. But freedom has come, and while their masters have not been forsaken, their religions teachers have become dearer to them than ever. Under the banner of liberty the churches and meeting-houses have been enlarged and multiplied, the attendance has become regular and devout, the congregations have in many cases been more than doubled-above all, the conversion of souls (as we have reason to believe) has been going on to an extent never. before known in these colonies. In a religious point of view, as I have before hinted, the wilderness in many places has indeed begun to "blossom as the rose. " Instead of the thorn," has " come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar," has ''come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a namefor an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." When we were conversing with the intellectual nobility of your land, at Washington, we restricted THE CONTRAST. ourselves,. with little e xceptw. n to a 1 . 185 the workmg of freedo . 1 ' . P am narrative of . m m tIe West 1 d' It to them to draw th 1 . n Ies-leaving . . . c cone uswns B .d ear !nen.d , m a calm re t re. at, far aw· f ut now my m authority, and left t . ay rom persons 0 my own r fl · that I may, without in . e ectwns, I feel Ipropnety "' }" I will therefore solicit th : ,.,o a Ittle further. . Y attent10n t l . tical contrast. 0 a P am, prac- I know something of th ]· A . e s ave state f N menca-many intcrestin , s 0 orth M I d g weeks have I aryan , Virginia, and No th C . spent in ]. 1 • r arolma . d Itt e time both in So th C . • an some 11 arohna and G . although I stricti v confi 1 'eorgm; and . . . nee myself to fi . a mm1ster of the gospel I my nnctwns as ' tra veiled with ears open on the subiect t' I my eyes and J o s avery I ·u freely submit to thy . I . · WI therefore consu eratwn th 1 own enquiries and ob servat.w ns m. th e resu t of my 1 your Union on the fi . e s ave states of . fi ' ve pomts now alluded , are, rst, the quantity of labor . to. 1 hese secondly the co . procured under slavery. ' mparat1ve ex en f ' thirdly, the effect of 't p se o the system . I upon the 1 ' fourthly, the comforts of th I b va_ ue of property; lastly, the state of I e a ormg people ; and mora s and reli · several points I b I gwn. On these marks. ' eg eave to offer the following re- I. The quantity of labor -M . the slaves of y· . . . any a tnne have I seen Irgmm and th C j" the fields under the 'II e aro mas, at work in d · surve1 ance f . h' an I could not b r · 0 a w I te overseer . in . e teve that the work b . , quantity compar bl o tamed was s1av es were lab .' a e. to th a t o f fir eemen ; for th ormg wtthout . e was doing nothii 0 v~gour, and the overseer Ig. n enqmrv · s • ' 111 outh Carolina |