most popular anti-slavery
literature of the day. Against this I have nothing to say; it is all
well enough for women to give the fictions of slavery; men should give
the facts." He denies that it had been his purpose to cast unmerited
opprobium upon slaveholders; yet a sense of personal injury breathes
throughout the pages. If he had no intention of casting unmerited
opprobrium upon slaveholders, it is difficult to imagine what language
he could have used if he had undertaken to pass the limit of deserved
reprobation. In this regard the book is quite in line with the style of
Southern utterance against abolitionists.

Helper belonged to a slaveholding family, for a hundred years resident
in the Carolinas. The dedication is significant. It is to three personal
friends from three slave States who at the time were residing in
California, in Oregon, and in Washington Territory, "and to the
non-slaveholding whites of the South generally, whether at home or
abroad." Out of the South had come the inspiration for the religious and
humanitarian attack upon slavery. From the same source came the call for
relief of the poverty-stricken white victims of the institution.

Helper's book revived the controversy which had been forcibly terminated
a quarter of a century before. He resumes the argument of the members of
the Virginia legislature of 1832. He reprints extended selections from
that memorable debate and then, by extended references to later official
reports, points out how slavery is impoverishing the South. The South
is shown to have continuously declined, while the North has made immense
gains. In a few years the relation of the South to the North would
resemble that of Poland to Russia or of Ireland to England. The author
sees no call for any arguments against slavery as an economic system; he
would simply bring the earlier characterization of the situation down to
date.

Helper differs radically from all earlier speakers and writers in that
he outlines a program for definite action. He estimates that for the
entire South there are seven white non-slaveholders for every three
slaveholders. He would organize these non-slaveholding whites into
an independent political party and would hold a general convention of
non-slaveholders from every slave State to adopt measures to restrain
"the diabolical excesses of the oligarchy" and to annihilate slavery.
Slaveholders should be entirely excluded from any share in government.
Th