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Show 52 HOEllUUK. have not been brctl as slaveholders. They, with a fe\V native reprobates, give the on1y color of trnth thoro is for the enonnous ca1nnH1ics upon our socjcty that are circn1n tcc1 at theN orth." "Y c 'tcrclny," resu1necl the colonel, "he n1altrcatcd one of his slaves, and, to punish hi1n for it, some Youncr tnen of hi~ ne1o-hborhooJ. 'vent to his house in b b the eveuin(Y" and, inviting hhn out., they ducked him bJ in the rivrr-by 'vay of a warning, th )y told him." "I hope he 'vas not t5erious1y hurt," ob~eTved n-Il's. Fair!~~x. " No · he crot a thoron rrh 'veL tin o- only, I under· ' b 0 b st:'tnd. It i proh~tble, ho'v~vcr, that he 'vill sell his property and leave the conntry." "No doubt,'' t5::ticl the doctor, " he ·will return to the North, turn abolitionist and deliver lectures on the horrors of slavery-admittance tw·enty-five cent~ a head." "1\fight 've not, Colonel," asked 1\Ir. Ambler, "p10 teet the negroes by law 1nore eifectnally against such n1astcrs '?" "It is doubtful. Good as 'vell as evil r~sults from the large discretionary authorit.y allowed by law to tho masters, as in the ea~3e also of parents. Opinion, religion, custom ancl titno are Hafer as ,vell as sul'cr forces thau law for the melioration of such social in:ti· tutions. Quid leges sine moribus prl)ficiunt .2 ])tll'ing the last two centuries the condition of onr sl3vcs h;ls been greatly improved without nuteh ni<l fron1legi~· lation. The auLhority of the tna;:;Lcrti, in point of fact, is seldom abu ·e<.l in Virginia. 'vV c 1n:ty expect improven1en t to be progrcs:::;i ve. The trenchant opcr· ation of positive law upon the in tric:tte and delic:1te re· lations ot' soeieLy is apt to be mitichicvous, unless tho UOETIUCK. 53 hnv n1erely fl:lnctions or completes what time has pro\·cd :1nd nsa.~·e enncLc:l. Then, though l:"t.'v docs no hann, iL is ahno:st supertlnon~. 'l'hn-;, wllrn time had left ]jttlo for la\v to do, slavery "~n.s aboli ~hecl by law in the Northern SLates. In Englancl it \\ras aboli:lwll insen~ibly by tin1o alone, without law." "At all events, colonel, perhaps our lc()·islnt ion 1nio·ht be atncncled 'vith respect to the n1nrriage of sb:res anl the separation of their f:1.1nilies." "Possibly, if the pestilent agitation of n1ore vital questions COlinectc<l 'vith the in ·tit.ntion did not prevent n cn.ln1 considern.tion of such subject~, sonte prncticn ble mncn cl men t n1jgl1 t be dcvise(1. Dnt it "'oulcl be diili ·ult 1o fr:11no n law th:1t. \vonl<l not do 1norc l1:trJn thnn goo<l. The pracLi al e\'ils 1o he corrC'ctccl have been inn grcrt.t men. ure r movr<l :11ren.<ly in \ Tirginin. by the silent inf1n necs to 'd1ich I haY~ ncl,·crted. Families arc scl(lon1 scparatc<l " ·ithonL tl1cir conse1t1, xcrpt in cirC'nlns t:tnc '.~ of lH?c~ssiL)', snch as 1nu. t separaLe :f:uni1ies in all onununitics and under 'vhatever laws. l\laniagc is tnore gencr:tlly enforced by the authority of tho n1asters thnn \vi1l- ... ingly obBcrvecl by the negroes. Their naLnral in~.1ifference to n1arital and parcntn1 oblign.tionH is rnorc in. fn.nlt than our laws. If yon absolnt 1y forbid the sepnrntion of f:unilief;, 'vill yon not concl n1n boLh n1a ·Lers and slaves to nna.voidahle snfc' ·ring in 1nany CH~ ''S ?" " Bnt a Christian SLate should protect the sn.crod boncl of In:ltrinlOll)'." '"The pnrC'l)' r<'lig-ious i<lea connected 'vith Jn:1rri:1o-o by n1n.ny Chri...;lians is not a proper !:5ubjoct for 1c!.?,·i ~; i~tion. It is to he inculc:1.t.eLl and eniorcetl, n.s, it iR llO\V atnong ".-hitc ·~ nncl blacks, by tho teaching ancl |
