entle
remonstrances of an elder sister, may bring tears of sorrow and
contrition.

So in society. Let a man's enemies, or those who have no interest in his
welfare, join to rebuke and rail at his offences, and no signs of
penitence will be seen. But let the clergyman whom he respects and loves,
or his bosom friend approach him, with kindness, forbearance and true
sincerity, and all that is possible to human agency will be effected.

It is the maxim then of experience, that when men are to be turned from
evils, and brought to repent and reform, those only should interfere who
are most loved and respected, and who have the best right to approach
the offender. While on the other hand, rebuke from those who are deemed
obtrusive and inimical, or even indifferent, will do more harm than
good.

It is another maxim of experience, that such dealings with the erring
should be in private, not in public. The moment a man is publicly
rebuked, shame, anger, and pride of opinion, all combine to make him
defend his practice, and refuse either to own himself wrong, or to cease
from his evil ways.

The Abolitionists have violated all these laws of mind and of
experience, in dealing with their southern brethren.

Their course has been most calculated to awaken anger, fear, pride,
hatred, and all the passions most likely to blind the mind to truth, and
make it averse to duty.

They have not approached them with the spirit of love, courtesy, and
forbearance.

They are not the persons who would be regarded by the South, as having
any _right_ to interfere; and therefore, whether they have such right or
not, the probabilities of good are removed. For it is not only demanded
for the benefit of the offender, that there should really be a right,
but it is necessary that he should feel that there is such a right.

In dealing with their brethren, too, they have not tried silent,
retired, private measures. It has been public denunciation of crime and
shame in newspapers, addressed as it were to by-standers, in order to
arouse the guilty.

In reply to this, it has been urged, that men could not go to the
South--that they would be murdered there--that the only way was, to
convince the North, and excite public odium against the sins of the
South, and thus gradually conviction, repentance, and reformation would
ensue.

Here is another case where men are to judge of their duty, by estimating
probabilities of future results; and it may first