erry saucepan was timely; for, without
any design, a phase of our subject next presented itself which was not
the most agreeable. I broke the silence, and said,--

"Mr. North, what do you think is the mission of the abolitionists as a
party, and of all who sympathize with them?"

"Why," said he, "to abolish slavery, to be sure. What else can it be?"

"You are mistaken," said I. "The real mission of the abolitionists, thus
far, is, To perpetuate slavery till Providence has accomplished its
plan. You know what Southern synods, and general assemblies, and many of
the ablest men at the South have said about slavery; how they deplored
it, and called upon Christians to seek its extinction. The South would
probably have tried to abolish slavery ere this, if left to themselves.
But they would have failed; and Providence prevented the useless effort.
The influence of those sentiments which prevailed in the General
Assembly of 1818 would have been to remove all the objectionable
features of slavery, at least, preparatory to its final extinction, if
that could be reached. It looked as though Churches generally would, in
obedience to the General Assembly, have made it, in certain cases, the
subject of discipline. Abolitionism, however, began about that time. It
had the effect to make the South defend themselves and slavery too.
Providence saw that the South was weary of the system, and wished to
throw it off. But the years of the captivity appointed of God had not
come to an end. Purposes of mercy for the African race had not been
accomplished; the South must be made willing to hold these poor people
for the 'time, times, and half a time,' ordained of God. To encourage
them, the God of Nature makes the great Southern staple, cotton, to be
in greater demand for the supply of the world; the cotton-gin is
invented, and immediately the slaves are thereby assisted to retain that
hold upon the South which was about to be broken off. All this seems to
me designed, as it certainly has the effect, to perpetuate slavery until
Providence shall indicate measures for the removal of the colored people
among us. This may be delayed for centuries to come. In the mean time,
we at the North, by keeping up our agitation of the subject, have
impressed the South with the importance of being united against us; but
if any of our schemes of emancipation had divided them, it would not
have been for the good of the slaves. So the abolitionists have been
f