He
really distinguished between those at the South who "oppress" their
fellow-men, and those who "remember them that are in bonds as bound with
them." But,' said the pastor, 'the most of those who use that latter
expression at the North really think the Apostle had slaves, as a class,
in mind. I have no such belief. I suppose that he referred to persecuted
Christians, suffering imprisonment for their religion, and to all
afflicted persons.
"'My landlord said to me,' he continued, '"They tell us you are afraid
of free discussion at the South, that you are afraid to have your slaves
hear some things, lest it should excite them to insurrection. How is
this?"
"'I told him that the slaves, being the lower order of society with us,
were not capable of so discriminating in that which promiscuous
strangers should see fit to say to them as to make it safe to have them
listen to every harangue or to every one who should set himself up to
teach. "Of course," said I, "there are liabilities and dangers in our
state of society. We must use prudence and caution. We have some loose
powder in our magazine. No one denies this. What if one who was rebuked
for carrying an open lamp into the magazine of a ship, should reproach
the captain with being 'an enemy to the light,' and as 'loving darkness
rather than light'?"
"'While at the North,' said he, 'I read Mr.
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