Page:Twelfth annual report of the Association for the Religious Instruction of the Negroes, in Liberty County, Georgia.djvu/18

18 and bad character, lead to many losses. It is a general fact, that if you do well by your people, they will do well by you. The strongest principle in the human breast is Interest , with the exception of Grace . The world is governed by interest. The negroes have their interests as well as other men, and the more their interests are respected and attended to and identified with the interests of their owners, the happier are they, and the more profitable to their owners.

I make no question that there are planters who hear me now, if called upon, would testify that all they have done for their people has added to their own peace and prosperity as owners; nor have they found it true in their experience, that the more they have done for their people, the less have they done for themselves. We certainly ought to do much for them; and when we do for them they must be excited and encouraged to do for themselves also.

A fourth cause, is a conviction of duty — a conviction of duty drawn from the word of God .

This is the powerful and permanent cause. Said a gentleman pointing to his improvements on his place, "these are the fruits of the Religious Instruction of the Negroes ." And another ," for merly I gave myself no concern whatever about the marriages, or morality of my people, but since my attention has been turned to my duty towards them, I now take the liveliest concern in them and desire most earnestly to promote the improvement of all entrusted to my care."

He who feels that his servants are immortal beings, and conscientiously desires and seeks their salvation as he hopes to meet them in peace before the judgment seat of Christ, will not be long in learning that his duty obliges him to render to them that which is just and equal in respect to things temporal, as well as things spiritual. And it is by attention to their temporal welfare in a spirit of kindness, that he demonstrates to them the sincerity of his interest in their eternal welfare, and commends to them that religion which is illustrated and confirmed by his own consistent example and life

There are those who express towards their people much love for their souls, and who commend to them religion as the one thing needful, and inculcate upon them contentment in their lot and indifference to the world, but whose entire conduct is the reverse of what they inculcate, They themselves are indeed pro