ll awaken to their
distress, and by diffusing a light and liberality among their
oppressors, or, at length by his exterminating thunder, manifest his
attention to things of this world, and that they are not left to the
guidance of blind fatality.'"

"That is strong against slavery, I declare," said Charlie. "I had always
supposed that Jefferson was a defender of slavery."

"How plainly he says that there is more misery in 'one hour' of slavery,
than there is in 'ages' of that which our fathers opposed in the
Revolution," added Nat.

"And then he calls the slaves '_our suffering brethren_,' and not
'_niggers_,'" said Charlie, with a genuine look of fun in his eye.

"I want to read you another passage still, you are beginning to be so
good a Democrat," said Nat.

"Don't call _me_ a Democrat," answered Charlie, "for I don't believe the
Democrats generally carry out the principles of Jefferson."

"Republican, then," answered Nat quickly, "just what Jefferson called
himself. You won't object to that, will you?"

"Read on," said Charlie, without answering the last inquiry.

Nat read as follows:

"'With what execration should the statesman be loaded, who, permitting
one half the citizens thus to trample on the rights of the other,
transforms those into despots, and these into enemies, destroys the
morals of the one part, and the _amor patriae_ of the other. For if a
slave can have a country in this world, it must be any other in
preference to that in which he is born to live and labor for another, in
which he must lock up the faculties of his nature, contribute as far as
depends on his individual endeavors to the banishment of the human race,
or entail his own miserable condition on the endless generations
proceeding from him. With the morals of a people their industry also is
destroyed. For in a warm climate no man will labor for himself who can
make another labor for him. This is so true, that of the proprietors of
slaves, a very small proportion indeed are ever seen to labor. And can
the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their
only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these
liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with
his wrath? Indeed, _I tremble for my country when I remember that God is
just_; that his justice cannot sleep forever; that considering numbers,
nature, and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an
exchang