to the knowledge of
all who have ever lived here, that among our white population there are
fewer cases of divorce, separation, crim. con., seduction, rape and
bastardy, than among any other five millions of people on the civilized
earth. And this fact I believe will be conceded by the abolitionists of
this country themselves. I am almost willing to refer it to them and
submit to their decision on it. I would not hesitate to do so, if I
thought them capable of an impartial judgment on any matter where
slavery is in question. But it is said, that the licentiousness consists
in the constant intercourse between white males and colored females. One
of your heavy charges against us has been, that we regard and treat
those people as brutes; you now charge us with habitually taking them to
our bosoms. I will not comment on the inconsistency of these
accusations. I will not deny that some intercourse of the sort does take
place. Its character and extent, however, are grossly and atrociously
exaggerated. No authority, divine or human, has yet been found
sufficient to arrest all such irregularities among men. But it is a
known fact, that they are perpetrated here, for the most part, in the
cities. Very few mulattoes are reared on our plantations. In the cities,
a large proportion of the inhabitants do not own slaves. A still larger
proportion are natives of the North, or foreigners. They should share,
and justly, too, an equal part in this sin with the slaveholders. Facts
cannot be ascertained, or I doubt not, it would appear that they are the
chief offenders. If the truth be otherwise, then persons from abroad
have stronger prejudices against the African race than we have. Be this
as it may, it is well known, that this intercourse is regarded in our
society as highly disreputable. If carried on habitually, it seriously
affects a man's standing, so far as it is known; and he who takes a
colored mistress--with rare and extraordinary exceptions--loses caste at
once. You will say that _one_ exception should damn our whole country.
How much less criminal is it to take a white mistress? In your eyes it
should be at least an equal offense. Yet look around you at home, from
the cottage to the throne, and count how many mistresses are kept in
unblushing notoriety, without loss of caste. Such cases are nearly
unknown here, and down even to the lowest walks of life, it is almost
invariably fatal to a man's position and prospects to keep a mi