as these have done more to embitter the two sections of
America against each other than anything else. Therefore, Vincent, my
advice to you is, be always kind to your slaves--not over-indulgent,
because they are very like children and indulgence spoils them--but be
at the same time firm and kind to them, and with other people avoid
entering into any discussions or expressing any opinion with regard to
slavery. You can do no good, and you can do much harm. Take things as
you find them and make the best of them. I trust that the time may come
when slavery will be abolished; but I hope, for the sake of the slaves
themselves, that when this is done it will be done gradually and
thoughtfully, for otherwise it would inflict terrible hardship and
suffering upon them as well as upon their masters."

There were many such conversations between father and son, for feeling
on the subject ran very high in the Southern States, and the former felt
that it was of the utmost importance to his son that he should avoid
taking any strong line in the matter. Among the old families of Virginia
there was indeed far less feeling on this subject than in some of the
other States. Knowing the good feeling that almost universally existed
between themselves and their slaves, the gentry of Virginia regarded
with contempt the calumnies of which they were the subject. Secure in
the affection of their slaves, an affection which was afterward
abundantly proved during the course of the war, they scarcely saw the
ugly side of the question. The worst masters were the smallest ones; the
man who owned six slaves was far more apt to extort the utmost possible
work from them than the planter who owned three or four hundred. And
the worst masters of all, were those who, having made a little money in
trade or speculation in the towns, purchased a dozen slaves, a small
piece of land, and tried to set up as gentry.

In Virginia the life of the large planters was almost a patriarchal one;
the indoor slaves were treated with extreme indulgence, and were
permitted a far higher degree of freedom of remark and familiarity than
is the case with servants in an English household. They had been the
nurses or companions of the owners when children, had grown up with
them, and regarded themselves, and were regarded by them, as almost part
of the family. There was, of course, less connection between the
planters and their field hands; but these also had for the most part
be