knowingly neglecting.

Now there is nothing more irritating, when a man is conscientious and
acting according to his own views of right, than to be dealt with in
this manner. The more men are treated as if they were honest and
sincere--the more they are treated with respect, fairness, and
benevolence, the more likely they are to be moved by evidence and
arguments. On the contrary, harshness, uncharitableness, and rebuke, for
opinions and conduct that are in agreement with a man's own views of
duty and rectitude, tend to awaken evil feelings, and indispose the mind
properly to regard evidence. Abolitionists have not only taken this
course, but in many cases, have seemed to act on the principle, that the
abolition of Slavery, in the particular mode in which they were aiming
to accomplish it, was of such paramount importance, that every thing
must be overthrown that stood in the way.

No matter what respect a man had gained for talents, virtue, and piety,
if he stood in the way of Abolitionism, he must be attacked as to
character and motives. No matter how important an institution might be,
if its influence was against the measures of Abolitionism, it must be
attacked openly, or sapped privately, till its influence was destroyed.
By such measures, the most direct means have been taken to awaken anger
at injury, and resentment at injustice, and to provoke retaliation on
those who inflict the wrong. All the partialities of personal
friendship; all the feelings of respect accorded to good and useful men;
all the interests that cluster around public institutions, entrenched
in the hearts of the multitudes who sustain them, were outraged by such
a course.

Another measure of Abolitionists, which has greatly tended to promote
wrath and strife, is their indiscreet and incorrect use of terms.

To make this apparent, it must be premised, that words have no inherent
meaning, but always signify that which they are commonly _understood_ to
mean. The question never should be asked, what _ought_ a word to mean?
but simply, what is the meaning generally attached to this word by those
who use it? Vocabularies and standard writers are the proper umpires to
decide this question. Now if men take words and give them a new and
peculiar use, and are consequently misunderstood, they are guilty of a
species of deception, and are accountable for all the evils that may
ensue as a consequence.

For example; if physicians should come out and dec