What
would become of the cause of freedom should such stories make their
impression upon the minds of our people?"
"You might," said I, "make a heading of an auction-block, or
slave-coffle; add the last pattern of a slave-driver's whip; picture a
panting fugitive on his way to the North; give us a ship's hold, with a
black boy just detected among the stowage. You would thus, perhaps, keep
these beautiful, touching illustrations of loving-kindness in
slave-holders from having the least effect."
"It is very important," said he, seriously, "to keep up a just
abhorrence of slavery here at the North, because"--
"Excuse me," said I, "but what do you mean by an abhorrence of slavery?"
"Why," said he, "is not the Christian world agreed that 'slavery is the
sum of all villanies'?"
"By no means, in the United States," said I; "you might with as real
truth say that here slavery is the sum of all the loving-kindnesses."
"Is not that letter of the Southern lady to her father," said he, "as
rare a thing almost as a white crow?"
"O husband," said Mrs. North, "what an opinion you must have of Southern
society!"
"Is not Gustavus," said I, "a perfect representative of the North, on
the subject of slavery? Does not ultra anti-slavery find or make
everybody, as the Aunt says, either fierce or flat?"
"You do not believe so," said he.
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