nything like patience to my
highly incendiary and inflammatory doctrines, he yet did so, and though he
was, I have no doubt, perfectly horror-stricken at the discovery, lost
nothing of his courtesy or good-humour. By the by, I must tell you, that
at an early period of the conversation, upon my saying, 'I put all other
considerations out of the question, and first propose to you the injustice
of the system alone,' 'Oh!' replied my friend, the Doctor, 'if you put it
upon that ground, you _stump_ the question at once; I have nothing to say
to that whatever, but,' and then followed the usual train of
pleadings--happiness, tenderness, care, indulgence, &c., &c., &c.--all the
substitutes that may or may not be put in the place of _justice_, and
which these slaveholders attempt to persuade others, and perhaps
themselves, effectually supply its want. After church hours the people
came back from Darien. They are only permitted to go to Darien to church
once a month. On the intermediate Sundays they assemble in the house of
London, Mr. ----'s head cooper, an excellent and pious man, who, Heaven
alone knows how, has obtained some little knowledge of reading, and who
reads prayers and the Bible to his fellow slaves, and addresses them with
extemporaneous exhortations. I have the greatest desire to attend one of
these religious meetings, but fear to put the people under any, the
slightest restraint. However, I shall see, by and by, how they feel about
it themselves.

You have heard, of course, many and contradictory statements as to the
degree of religious instruction afforded to the negroes of the South, and
their opportunities of worship, &c. Until the late abolition movement, the
spiritual interests of the slaves were about as little regarded as their
physical necessities. The outcry which has been raised with threefold
force within the last few years against the whole system, has induced its
upholders and defenders to adopt, as measures of personal extenuation,
some appearance of religious instruction (such as it is), and some
pretence at physical indulgences (such as they are), bestowed apparently
voluntarily upon their dependants. At Darien, a church is appropriated to
the especial use of the slaves, who are almost all of them Baptists here;
and a gentleman officiates in it (of course white), who, I understand, is
very zealous in the cause of their spiritual well-being. He, like most
Southern men, clergy or others, jump the pre