Page:The Barbarism of Slavery - Sumner - 1863.pdf/40

 same day,

worth

all his

with exceptions which

is

taken away might seem inconsistent gladly recognize but alas it is too s

we

!



both from reason and from evidence,

clear,

that,

bad as Slavery

worse for the Master. exposure I am fortified, at the outset, by two classes of authorities, whose testimony it will be difficult to question; the first is American, and founded on personal experience the second is philosophical, and founded on everlasting for the Slave,

is

In making

it is

this



truth. First,

American Authority ; and here I adduce words often

quoted, which dropped from the lips of Slave-masters in those better days, when, seeing the wrong of Slavery, they escaped

from

Of these, none expressed themmore vigor than Colonel Mason, a Slave-master

injurious influence.

its

selves with

from Virginia, in debate on the adoption of the National ConThese are his words stitution. " Slavery discourages arts and manufactures. The poor despise labor when perThey prevent the emigration of whites, who really enrich and slaves. They produce the most pernicious effect on manners. Every strengthen a country. Master of Slaves is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of Heaven

formed by

on a country."

Thus, with a few touches, does this Slave-master portray his putting them in that hateful list which, according to every principle of liberty, must be resisted so long as we obey God. class,

And

this

same testimony also found expression from the Here are some of his words

fiery

soul of Jefferson.

«' There must be an unhappy influence on the manners of our people, produced by the existence of Slavery among us. The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other our children The man must be a prodigy who can retain see this, and learn to imitate it. And with what execrahis manners and morals undepraved by such circumstances. thus to tion should the statesman be loaded, who, permitting one half the citizens trample on the rights of the other, transforms those into despots, and these into enemies, destroys the morals of the one part, and the amor pat rim of the other!

.

.

.

.

With

.

.

the morals of the people, their industry also

Next comes

is

destroyed."

the Philosophic Authority ; and here the language

which I quote may be less familiar, but it manding. Among names of such weight I

is

hardly

less

com-

shall not discrimi-

but shall simply follow the order of time in which they First is John Locke, the great author of the Engappeared. lish system of Intellectual Philosophy, who, though once unhappily conceding indulgence to American Slavery, in another nate,