"The serving people, in some districts of country, are volunteers from
all races; at the South, they consist of one inferior, dependent race,
who for ages have been slaves in their own country, and would be such
even now, if they were there. We will not shut the door of hope forever
upon any part of the human family, as to their elevation among the
tribes of men, but this race has, for a long period of its history,
evidently been undergoing a tutelage and discipline at the hand of
Providence. There is some marvellous arrangement of Providence, it seems
to me, designing that this black race shall lean upon us. Let the same
number of any other immigrant race have gone from us to Canada as of
this colored race, and the world would have heard a better report from
them ere this. They thrive best in connection with us as their masters,
whether it be right or wrong for us to be in such relation to them."
"But now," said he,--in a persuasive tone, and evidently wishing to turn
the drift of the remarks,--"just set them free, and hire them; we shall
agree then. The slaves will be as well off, and so will their masters."
"Mr. North," said I, "being owned is, in itself, irrespective of the
character of the master, a means of protection to the negro.
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