Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/294

 "But the new sect of the abolitionists has broken through all these limits. In the first place, they begin with denouncing the holding of slaves as a sin in-consistent with any just pretensions to the character of a Christian. Now, there was a time, and that not many years ago, when the great body of the southern slaveholders would have laughed at this denunciation, because only a small portion of them made any pretension to be Christians, while with large numbers the open avowal of infidel opinions was not uncommon. But by the multiplied labors of the various sects within the last twenty-five years, the profession of Christianity, and in some respects, too, I hope, the practice of it, has very greatly increased among us; and for our good slaveholding people to be told that they are no Christians, touches them in a very sensitive point. In fact, from our excessive squirming at the charge, I cannot but suspect myself that we feel a little as though there was some truth in it.

"Then, again, these abolitionists say your slaves have a right to be free, and it is your duty to set them free at once. You need not trouble yourselves about the consequences of doing your duty; do it, and leave the consequences to God.

"What a difference it makes whether a thing is said in earnest, or only by way of flourish and clap-trap? What a difference when a maxim is to be applied to our own case, and when to that of others! Our good southern Democrats have been preaching for half a century, more or less, that all men are born free and equal — a maxim which they have set forth as the very basis of their political system; but now, when they are asked, not in flourish, in jest merely, but in real earnest, themselves to carry their own doctrine into practice, you see how the wolf shows his teeth!

"You will judge from all this," added Mr Telfair, "that I do not share the ferocious prejudices against the abolitionists, of which you have seen already, since you came among us, so many specimens. They have done me the honor to send me, by the mail, quite