lding States of our
Confederacy--though these last are no fair subjects of comparison--they
enjoying, as I have said, in a great degree, the advantages of slavery
along with those of an early and simple state of society. Read the
English Parliamentary reports, on the condition of the manufacturing
operatives, and the children employed in factories. And such is the
impotence of man to remedy the evils which the condition of his
existence has imposed on him, that it is much to be doubted whether the
attempts by legislation to improve their situation, will not aggravate
its evils. They resort to this excessive labor as a choice of evils. If
so, the amount of their compensation will be lessened also with the
diminished labor; for this is a matter which legislation can not
regulate. Is it the part of benevolence then to cut them off even from
this miserable liberty of choice? Yet would these evils exist in the
same degree, if the laborers were the _property_ of the master--having a
direct interest in preserving their lives, their health and strength?
Who but a driveling fanatic has thought of the necessity of protecting
domestic animals from the cruelty of their owners? And yet are not great
and wanton cruelties practiced on these animals? Compare the whole of
the cruelties inflicted on slaves throughout our Southern country, with
those elsewhere, inflicted by ignorant and depraved portions of the
community, on those whom the relations of society put into their
power--of brutal husbands on their wives; of brutal parents--subdued
against the strongest instincts of nature to that brutality by the
extremity of their misery--on their children; of brutal masters on
apprentices. And if it should be asked, are not similar cruelties
inflicted, and miseries endured, in your society? I answer, in no
comparable degree. The class in question are placed under the control of
others, who are interested to restrain their excesses of cruelty or
rage. Wives are protected from their husbands, and children from their
parents. And this is no inconsiderable compensation of the evils of our
system; and would so appear, if we could form any conception of the
immense amount of misery which is elsewhere thus inflicted. The other
class of society, more elevated in their position, are also (speaking of
course in the general) more elevated in character, and more responsible
to public opinion.

But besides the interest of their master, there is another s