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Show • 44 UESPOTTSl\t in these proceedings, are generally men of goo~ intentions, but of very feeble undcrstandm~s. '1,.-h,ey a re mere tools in the hands of crafty hypocntes. 1 he motive of their labors is doubtless the spmtual welfare of the slaves · but those by whom they arc supported and encouraged, however te~dcr a regard they may have for the salvation of thmr own souls, look U\)On religion among slaves merely as a means of plantatiOn, discipline; and please themselves w1th the 1dca that the more religious their slaves are, the cas1er they may be managed. 'I' he agents employed in this double service of chris-tianity and despotism, ?ften succeed 111 kmdlmg a. warm spirit of devotion 111 the hearts of th~ slav~s; but they have often occasion to deplore the mconsJSt· ency the back-sliding the deluswn of thCJr converts, who 'cannot be made to realize in its full extent, the enormous sinfulness of any attempt to elude that tyranny under which providence requires them patiently, and even joyfully to submit. Deeply sympathizing with the sad, and almost angry feelings, with which these pious peorle are accustomed to lament the small success of theJr labors, and to accuse that stony-heartedness and inherent deprav~ ity which prevents even the converted slaves from attaining to the perfection of humility and obcdwncc, the remark nevertheless may with all due deference, be permitted,-that so long as these pious teachers are able to construe the generous precepts of the .gospel into an apology and a justification for tyrann)_', 11 can· not be considered very surprising that thelf pupJis among the slaves, should instinctively acquire the art of reconciling with christian patience and submissiOn, any and every means, whereby the)' ca~ shake off, alleviate, or elude the usnrped authonty of thclf masters. 13ut this piece of pious fraud is falling into bad odor at the South. , It has been found that rehg10n co uses an excitement among the slaves, both dangerous and troublesome. 'I'hc rascals preach and pray when they TN AI\TEiliCA. 45 ought to be working. 13csiucs, that religious enthusiasm, wh1ch kmdlcs s? readily in the most ignorant as well as the mo~t cultivated minds, gives rise to a dangcr~ us exa~tat10il of soul which makes the subjects of 1t ohs~matc and nnmanageable. H.eligion once awakened m su~h savage andyntau&ht bosoms, is r~pt t~ degenerate mto a superst itious fanatici sm. 'l'he ~1fted and the artful begin to see visions, and to dream reams . . 11hey are not content with being hearers and pupils, they aspire to be speakers and teachers. In thea sermons and exhortations, it is the v ices, the luxury, the cruelty, the wickedness of the masters upon wh1ch they principally dwell, and whence they draw examples and illustrations; and who knows but s~me one more e_nraptnrcd than the rest, may imagine lumsclf called, hkc Moses of old, to smite the taskmaster, and to lead forth the oppressed children? For these reasons the bible has been proscribed at the South, as an mcend1ary publication· a book not fit for slaves to read. or hear. In some' parts of the country the catech1sm IS looked upon with almost equal suspiciOn; and many masters forbid their slaves to hc~r. any preacher, black or white, since they consider rehgwn upon a plantation as quite out of place a thing dilngerous to t~e master's authority, and therd10rc not to be endured m the slave. Another stratagem, occasionally employed when it is. de~ire~ to stimulate the cfl'orts of the slav'cs is the dt~tnbutwn of little prizes among those who ~ccomphsh the greatest labor in the shortest tirr.c. This contnvance works wondcrfnlly well for a few days · but as soon as it is discovered who arc the ablest work~ men, the emulation is confined to them, and the greater number, who .have no chance to win the prize, prcs~ liltly relapse mtothcir f ormer apathy. Besides, this sl·stnbutwn o~ pnzcs, IS apt to give rise among the beilv~~ to the m~onvcn ient notion, that they ought to wo~k td for workm_g, and the .m_oment it ceasP-s, they tl more grndgmgly, unwlilmgly and ne&ligcntly ,~~~ e~er. Moreov?1: it is ~xp~nsive; in the 1~inds of P antcrs, a decisive obJectwn against it. |