n afford; and he may be happy with a bare
sufficiency of coarse food and coarse clothing. He that is satisfied
with what he has, is happy; be it little or much. Slaves, as a general
rule, are happy in a state of servitude, because in a state of
servitude they have all that they desire--all to which they aspire.
Hence the evils of slavery, so far as the slave is concerned, are more
in appearance than reality, because the African is happy under
circumstances, in which an Anglo-Saxon would be miserable.

In the present condition of the African race they are happier as
slaves, than they would be as free men, because they are incapable of
providing for themselves, and are therefore incompetent to enjoy the
rights and privileges of free men.

I could fill a volume with anecdotes, which ought to make those who
vilify and traduce slaveholders blush for shame; but I have neither
time nor space at present. I will, however, relate one and pass on. I
visited professionally, many years ago, an aged infidel. A more
benevolent man I have seldom seen. Humanity appeared to be a
constituent element in his composition, and kindness an innate
principle of his heart. In one corner of the yard, in a log cabin,
lived a pious old slave with his family. It was the custom of the old
slave to pray in his family every night before retiring to bed. Old
massa was never forgotten in his prayers. He never failed to present
him before a throne of grace. The old infidel never doubted the
sincerity of his slave, nor yet the purity of his motives, though he
sincerely believed that it was all delusion. He had listened for many
years to the prayers of this slave, and could distinctly hear the
slave pray for "old massa." Some years after my first visit to this
worthy old gentleman, he was suddenly taken very ill. I was again
summoned to his aid. All my efforts availed nothing; he must die. All
hopes of his recovery were abandoned. Then did the prayers of the poor
old slave become long and loud. "Massa must die, and must he die
unprepared? O Lord, spare him--O Lord, convert him--O Lord, save him,"
was the prayer of the slave. While the slave was praying an arrow
pierced the infidels heart, and he cried aloud for mercy. The slave
was invited into the house, and he knelt at the bed-side of his dying
master, and there petitioned a throne of grace in his behalf. The old
infidel made a profession of religion, and shortly afterwards died
happy.

CHAPTER V