ulation, and requiring the
surrender of runaway slaves. 5. Slavery had been much
mitigated of late years, and the condition of the slave
population much ameliorated. Its former rigor was almost
unknown, at least in Virginia, and it was lessening
continually. It was not consistent with truth to represent
the slaves as groaning day and night under the lash of
tyranical task-masters. And as to being kept in perfect
ignorance, Mr. V. had seldom seen a plantation where some of
the slaves could not read, and where they were not encouraged
to learn. In South Carolina, where it was said the gospel was
systematically denied to the slaves, there were twenty
thousand of them church members in the Methodist denomination
alone. He knew a small church where out of 70 communicants,
50 were in slavery. 6. There were very great difficulties
connected with the work of Abolition. The relations of
slavery had ramified themselves through all the relations of
society. The slaves were comparatively very ignorant; their
character degraded; and they were unqualified for immediate
freedom. A blunder in such a concern as universal abolition,
would be no light matter. Mr. V. here referred to the result
of experience and personal observation on the mind of the
well-known Mr. Parker, late a minister of this city, but now
of New-Orleans. He had left this city for the South with the
feeling of an immediate abolitionist; but he had returned
with his views wholly changed. After seeing slavery and
slave-holders, and that at the far South, he now declared the
idea of immediate and universal abolition to be a gross
absurdity. To liberate the two and a half millions of slaves
in the midst of us, would be just as wise and as humane, as
it would be for the father of a numerous family of young
children to take them to the front door, and there bidding
them good bye, tell them they were free, and send them out
into the world to provide for and govern themselves. 7.
Foreign interference was, of necessity, a delicate thing, and
ought ever to be attempted with the utmost caution. 8. There
was a large amount of unfeigned Christian anxiety at the
South to obey God and do good to man. There were many tears
and prayers continually poured out over the condition of
their colored people, and the most earnest desire