language of Captain Hall, that the
"slaveholders ought not (immediately) to disentangle themselves
from the obligations which have devolved upon them, as the
masters of slaves." We believe that a master _may_ sustain his
relation to the slave, with as little criminality as the slave
sustains his relation to the master.' * * * 'Slavery, in its
mildest form, is an evil of the darkest character. Cruel and
unnatural in its origin, no plea can be urged in justification
of its continuance but the plea of _necessity_.'--[Af. Rep. vol.
v. pp. 329, 334.]

'How much more consistent and powerful would be our example, but
for that population within our limits, whose condition
(_necessary_ condition, I will not deny) is so much at war with
our institutions, and with that memorable national
Declaration--"that all men are created equal."'--[Fourteenth
Ann. Report.]

'_It_ [the Society] _condemns no man because he is a
slaveholder._' * * * 'They [abolitionists] confound the
_misfortunes_ of one generation with the crimes of another, and
would sacrifice both individual and public good to an
_unsubstantial theory of the rights of man_.'--[A. R. vol. vii.
pp. 200, 202.]

'Many thousand individuals in our native State, you well know,
Mr President, are restrained, said Mr Mercer, from manumitting
their slaves, as you and I are, by the melancholy conviction,
that they cannot yield to the suggestions of humanity, without
manifest injury to their country.' * * * 'The laws of Virginia
now discourage, and very wisely, perhaps, the emancipation of
slaves.'--[Speech of Mr Mercer.--First Annual Report.]

'We are ready even to grant, for our present purpose, that, so
far as mere animal existence is concerned, the slaves have no
reason to complain, and the friends of humanity have no reason
to complain for them.' * * * 'There are men in the southern
states, who long to do something effectual for the benefit of
their slaves, and would gladly emancipate them, did not
_prudence_ and _compassion_ alike forbid such a
measure.'--[Review of the Reports of the Society, from the
Christian Spectator.--Seventh Annual Report.]

'Such unhappily is the case; but there is a _necessity_ for it,
[for oppressive laws,] and so long as they remain amongst us
will that necessity continue.'--[Nin