lions of fellow beings in our midst, not one
in twenty of whom can read the Holy Bible! And yet it is our boast,
that we are the most enlightened nation under the sun--the most
virtuous and intelligent people under the canopy of heaven--a nation
of Christians. God help us; for when I reflect on these things, I
cannot avoid asking myself, is there any probability, that we shall
ever get our eyes open, and help ourselves? It is the duty of every
slaveholder to instruct his slaves so far as to enable them to read
the Bible; and to furnish every slave with a copy of the will and word
of God; to encourage them to read the same; and not only read it, but
to make it the "man of their council." This, friendly slaveholder, is
your obvious and indispensable duty, and you well know it. If you have
neglected or overlooked this duty in time past, for your own sakes,
for the sakes of your slaves, defer it no longer. There is no time to
be lost; it is a matter of infinite importance, both to yourselves and
your slaves. Commence it in good earnest, and may success attend your
efforts. You are under moral obligations to enlighten the minds and
elevate the characters of your slaves, as far as practicable. You
should spare no pains, and no consideration whatever, of expediency,
convenience or self-interest, should deter you from the faithful
discharge of your duty.

It appears clear to my mind that, in a qualified sense, a master
sustains the same relation to a young slave, that he sustains to an
orphan as a guardian; and that his relation and obligation to an
orphan as guardian, does not differ materially from his obligations to
a son or daughter. Suppose that he purchases a young slave with his
money; he is legally his property during his natural life. Suppose
that he becomes guardian to an orphan child; he acquires a legal right
to control the child until he is twenty-one years of ago. Let him ask
himself, what are his obligations to the orphan? Whatever they are, he
is under the same obligations to the slave. But if he is at a loss as
to what are his obligations to the orphan, let him ask himself what
are his obligations to a son or a daughter? In a qualified sense, he
is under the same obligations to the orphan that he is to a child, and
ho is under the same obligations to the slave that he is to the
orphan. They may differ in degree, but they cannot differ in kind.
They are of the same kind, of the same quality, for the reason that