ght to abuse them, domineer over them,
work them as cattle, sell them, and--"

"Did this Southern lady," said I, while he paused for more words, "ever
acquire a right with her ownership to treat Kate so?"

"Her laws," said he, "give her a right to punish her; and such
irresponsible power is fearful. She could whip her to death and"--

"And be punished for it," said I, "as surely as you would be for
whipping a servant to death."

"She is at liberty to punish more severely than the case warrants," said
he, "and then she can shield herself under the laws."

"I presume," said I, "a Northern parent never gives a hasty box on the
ear, never strikes one passionate blow in the chastisement, never shakes
a child a single trill beyond the due harmony of parental affection,
never scourges it with the tongue to momentary madness! What a dreadful
thing parental authority is! Would it not be well to abolish the
authority of parents over children! Indeed, would it not be well to go
further, and interdict the public lands of the United States from being
settled; for as surely as men live there, every form of wickedness will,
in its turn, be perpetrated. How much better the calm and holy silence
of the woods and fields, than if the tumultuous passions of men should
roll over them!"

"But, my dear sir," said he, "I maintain that oppression is inseparable
from the holding of a slave. I insist that this Southern lady, if all
her feelings and conduct toward her servants are like her letter, is an
exception among her people."

"No, Sir," said I, "she is the general rule among all decent people, and
there is as much sense of decency and propriety there as with us, as
many good people, kind, humane, generous, and it is as rare a thing for
a servant to be ill-used there, as for our apprentices, and servants,
and even our children. How kind and good you would be, Sir, if
Providence should place a human being under you as his owner, for the
mutual good of both of you."

"Dear me," said he, "I should try to feel and act just as I suppose
those Southerners do who, you say, are fairly represented by this lady's
letter about the slave-babe."

"Mr. North," said I, "suppose that the State should make you the
absolute owner of some of those boys who set fire to the Westboro' and
Deer Island institutions. In consideration of your personal
responsibility for them, there is ceded to you all right and title to
their services, and absolute control