As though the law of kindness could, in such
circumstances, possibly prevail and mitigate the sorrows of the bondman!
The direct influence of slavery is to debase, to make barbarous, to
petrify; I know as well as though I saw it that the South must be full
of neglected, perishing objects, cast out to perish in their sicknesses.
You doubtless are acquainted, dear Aunty, with the great change in the
mode of reasoning introduced by Lord Bacon. We reason now from facts to
conclusion; this is called the inductive method, to collect facts, then
draw inferences. The facts which I have collected on the subject of
slavery, in my reading and hearing, lead me to a perfect theory on the
subject, and my confidence in that theory is all which it could be if,
like you, I were now seeing it verified with my own eyes.
I reason on this subject of slavery, just as our philosophers reason
about the moon. You have learned, dear Aunt, ere this, that there is no
water in the moon. Certain things are observed by our telescopes, in the
moon, from which we are sure that there is no water there. Now there are
certain given facts in slavery. Slavery is Barbarism. It consists in
holding men to compulsory servitude.
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