hing Christian resignation to the slave, and
Christian kindness to the owner, but to seize every opportunity of
fearlessly asserting that slavery is at variance with the spirit of the
Gospel, and therefore that it behoves all Christians so to modify and
change the laws respecting it, as gradually to lead to its total
extinction. Good morning."--The reverend gentleman, who during the
latter part of my observations had buried his hands in the bottom of his
tail pockets, no sooner saw that I had finished my remarks, than he
hastily withdrew his hands, exhibiting in one a Testament, in the other
a Concordance; he evidently was rampant for controversy, but the next
deputy, who thought I had already devoted an unfair proportion of time
to the minister, reminded him of the regulations, and he was obliged to
retire, another deputy opening the door for him, as both his hands were
full.

The deputy who next rose to address me was accompanied by the lady,
whom, of course, I begged to be seated. The husband--for such he proved
to be--then spoke as follows:--"Sir, my wife and I have been in
possession of a plantation for nearly twenty years. During all that
period the rod has scarcely ever been used, except occasionally to some
turbulent little boy. We have built cottages for our slaves; we allow
them to breed poultry, which we purchase from them; old slaves are
carefully nurtured and exempt from labour; the sick have the best of
medical attendance, and are in many cases ministered to by my wife and
daughter; the practical truths of Christianity are regularly taught to
them; and every slave, I am sure, looks upon me and my family as his
truest friends. This happy state, this patriarchal relationship, your
proposals, if carried out, would completely overthrow." He was then
silent, and his wife bowed an assent to the observations he had made. My
heart was touched with the picture of the little negro paradise which he
had given, and I replied, as mildly as possible, "The sketch you have so
admirably drawn, and every word of which I fully believe, is indeed one
which might dispose me to abandon my proposals for change, did any one
which I had made interfere with the continuance of your benevolent rule,
as long as slavery exists; but I must call your attention to an
important fact which you, I fear, have quite overlooked during your
twenty years of kind rule. To be brief--the cheerful homes of your happy
negro families can afford no poss