The human heart is avaricious; it
gets all it can, and keeps all it gets. Give it complete power over a
human being, and there are no limits to its cupidity and wrong-doing,
but the finite nature of the thing itself. Hence, does it not follow
that there can be no disinterestedness, no tender mercies in slavery?
Yes, dear Aunt, as we are perfectly sure that there can be no water in
the moon, so are we sure, by the same unerring rule of reasoning
according to the inductive philosophy, that there is not one drop of
water in slavery for the parched lips of a dying slave. I stated this to
a member of our Junior Class who is a wonderful metaphysician. He was
kind enough to say that he could discover no flaw in the logic. Your
letter, which, I trust, is now on its way to me, I know will fully
confirm my theory and conclusion.
This lady had probably been reading some miserable cant about Southern
humanity, for there are people everywhere who take the wrong side of
every subject, from sheer obstinacy. What can disprove the laws of human
nature? They require that things should be at the South as our theories
lay them down.
In our Institution I mourn to say there is much opposition to the
principles of freedom.
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