TRfcAaUfu KOOM COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON FLOWERS MEMORIAL COLLECTION DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DURHAM. N. C. PRESENTED BY W W FLOWERS NELLIE NORTON: :•* OR SOUTHERN SLAVERY AND THE BIBLE. " « • > » »— A SCRIPTURAI. REFUTATION OF THE PRINCIPAL ARGUMENTS UPON WHICH THE ABOLITIONISTS RELY. A VINDICATIOxN OF SOUTHERN SLAVERY FROM THK OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. . BY R«v. E. W. WARREN MACON, GA.: BCrKE, BOYKIN & COMPANY, 1864. \^REFACE. ^^^ Makt books have bwn written in fator of slavery; but kxf of them har joen penerally read. This little volume claims no superiority over any of then It was thought that a reply to abolition objections, based upon the Divin argument, might satisfy many minds who had not the lime to devote to ; hotough investigation of the subject, and, perhaps, set tlie question, as to it noral aspect, forever at rest. It is presented in popular form, because that was thouglH to be the surest wa; \o place the argument before the public mind. The author is deeply impresso' with the fact tiiat slavery is of God, and, desiring others to embrace the sam truth, has here presented the scriptural arguments by means of which his bw. conclusions have been formed. Tb« author asks the indulgence of the critic into whose hands this littl Tolumo may fall. In the daily press of pastoral engagements, which were c paramount importance, he has given his weary evenings, when not olherwis occupied, to tiie composition of this book; and, therefore, he feels that it ha many imperfections. ^ An humble volume, whose aiiu is the vindication of the Divine economy, am the establishment of Bible truth in the popular mind, and with the earnes prayer that the Author of all good, may bestow upon it His blessing to th aocomplishment of those ends, the work is sent forth with feelings of difSdence b; THE AUTHOR. Maook, Ga., Mat 4, I8f.4. COPiltiaHT SStiCRBti. CHAPTER I. Anxiety to »ee a Slave — The Welcome — KimUy Greetings — Family Prayer — The Higher Law — Discussion. "Mother do show me a slave aa soon as the steamer gets near enough." This request was made by a beautiful young lady, as she stood on the deck of a large steamer that was nearing the port of Savannah. It was her first trip South. The fulfillment of a promise of long standing, made to a dear uncle, that when her education was com- pleted she would pay him a visit. He had left New England when quite young, and having married a Southern lady, seldom returned except on business, or to gpeud a few weeks with his aged parents. In contemplating this visit there was but one thing that luarred the anticipated pleasure of the mother and daughter, that was the idea of seeing the poor slave in chains, of listening to his groans of anguish, while they were powerless to free him from his bondage. They had been led to regard as real, all the tales of woe, all the horrible tragedies, of which they had so often read in speeches, sermons, books or newspapers. They were sincere in believing slavery to be the " sum of all villanies ;" and they had mutually agreed to give their influence t© the cause of " human liberty and ' equal rights," in other words, to abolitionism. Fully expecting to see the negroes chained together and bearing heavy iron weights, the curiosity of Miss Nellie Norton was fully awake to catch the first glimpse of a slave. The steamer having reached the wharf, the passengers came thronging to the shore, some after long absence eager to receive the aficctionate greeting of their friends, some in search of pleasure, while others, with pallid cheeks and wasted forms, have come to seek new life and strength from the balmy breezes of a more Southern clime. " And sure enough you've come, sister ; welcome to our Southern soil and home. I am so happy to see you." Mrs. Norton threw her arms around the neck of her brother, and for a moment both shed tears of joy at meeting again after so long an absence. *' And Nellie, dear Nellie, is this jou ! Surely this is not my little Nelljei 232221 4 NKLI.Ii: NORTON. whom I lant law ei^ht jears aj.'o in New Knglanti I Why how yoa haye grown I No, this iu my niece, Miss Norton. Come let lue Beat yoQ in n)y carriap«, then I will ace to year baggage." As Mr. Thompson led the way to tha carriape, Nellie, still on the qvi vivf to see a slave, could not Iong«r restrain her curiosity. '* Uncle, do thow me a nlave if there is one here." "Jack, come here," cried Mr. T. The carriage driTcr promptly obeyed his master's call, advaocinp with hat in hand. Jaok was a fine looking mulatt«, neatly dressed in a suit of broad cloth, bis hat being tidily bound with crape. " Here is a slave, Nellie," said Mr. T. " Oh no,. uncle, yom jest, do you not ? That cannut be a slave. I thought you Southerners kept your slaTou chained lest they should run away from you." " Pshaw, Nellie, you hare certainly been to Brooklyn and heard that villainouu hypocrite Heory Ward Beecher. Hut here we arc at the carriage. Jack remain here until I go and have the baggage put in the wagon." " Yes, sir," said Jack with a quick and emphatic voice. The ladies being seated, concluded that while they were waiting they would begin to acijuaint theuHelve.s with slavery by obtaining information from one of the sufferers. Nellie, who felt her superi- ority as an educated young litdy, over the ignorant people of the South, as she imagined them to be, began the conversation with Jack, the negro carriage driver. Hesitating for a moment a.s to whether blie t.>i. J do nut feel reproached by your remark, but I would kindly hu-jgest the propriety of an invcatij^ation from the liible, vi' the origin and perpetuity of slavery, at aomo convenient time while you are hefe." *' Cnclc, hlavery shocks humanili/, how could it then be taught by the IHvine Ik-ing 't I cannot believe it, and if I did, I do not think 1 oould confide in the justice and goodness of kuch a Being." " Why. Nellie, yuu .«hock me, if God is not such a one iia you would have lliui tt» be, you will not worship Him. If he does not come up to your standard of what he ought to be ; if He dares to tcacn what docs not accord with yuur views, then you reject Him. Consider, my dear niece, of what presumption you are guilty." " But, uncle, there is a law of tha human mind higher than all other laws, having' its own intuitive perceptions of what is right and wrong : this law of the mind is almve all othtr latrs, and is at liberty to accept or reject any proposition, as it may accord with or difl'er from this intuitive moral consciousness. Slavery comes in direct antagonism with this law of my mind, and hence I rejeet either the interpretation or the authority of any and every standard which favors plavery." " These ' laws of tho human mind,' these ' intuitive perceptions,' this * moral consciousness,' were given you by your gracious Ocator. Then they are creatures of His. Now .'•hall the Creator become subordinate to the creature ? * Shall the thing formed, saj to Him who formed it. Why hast thou made me thus i" But from what did you learn your ethics, or mctaphybics, or rather infidelity, 1 ought tp call it, for it is really worse than the system either of Paine, or Hume? I am more and more astonished at you, I was not aware that abolitionism had resorted to such desperate ends to sus- tain itself. I knew that Theodore Parker had rejected the Bible because it was a pro-slavery book, but I did not know that the sen- timent had taken possession of the pulpit, the press and the schools, so thoroughly that a girl just from her alma mater should bo so well NELLIK NORTON. f versed in the whole argument. But I did know that this would be the last and only successful point from which abolitionism could be defended. The North innst give up the Bible and religion, or adopt our views of slavery." " Not so fust, uncle, I have not admitted that the Bible is a pro- slaverj book, nor do I believe it. Upon the contrary, T have been taught to believe in its Divine origin, to reverence its holy truths, and to obey its heavenly precepts. I only said what would be the case in the event it did teach slavery." " I am glad, dear Nellie, you have been so piously taught; I only regret that thfs religious education has taken such slight hold upon your reverence ; for with your firm belief in the Divine origin of the Bible, you reverence the highor law more than you do its heav- enly instructions. You will believe the Bible is from God, a holy book, worthy of the heart obedience of all, unless it teaches slavery, in which event it is ' sans Dicu.' Well, 1 see you are afraid of the Bible, the only revelation from heaven, the only sure unerring source of information. S© you must be left to 'the law in your members which wars against the law of your mind, and hrinys you into captivity t» the law of sin.'" " No, uncle, 1 am not afraid of the Bible, nor do I fear to investigate the subject of slavery as revealed in it. I am only sur- prised that you should have been so deluded as to believe the insti- tution can find any favor with a holy God. I am willing at any itime to begin the investigation with you." " Very well, then, the arrangement is understood. When you have had sufficient time to rest, and look at slavery a little in its practical workings, say one week from the present tiiue, our investi- gation shall begin." The remainder of the evening was spent most pleasantly in con- versation upon other matters, and at a late hour all retired. The succeeding week passed most agreeably to all the members of the household. The flowers and shrubbery, of which there was a great variety covered a large and beautiful plat of ground in front of the house. Thither Nellie resorted some portion of every day, with her young cousins, and delighted them no httlo with her ana'ygis of muny of the flowers. Several times during the week she strolled down to the negro cabins, with one of her little cousins. She desired to look into the treatment of her uncle's slaves, and read, if possible, in their faces, and hear from their half conccalsd expressions, which S NKLLXK NORTON. she supposed would almost involuntarily escape from thsir lips, tbo eridenec of tbair misery occasioned by the boadagc. At every risit her i«urpri9C was increased, to find thcin so entirely free from all care, and raanifeatiag ao contented, cbecrful nnd happy a spirit. TUB DISCl'MIO.N. Agreeably to the understanding of the week before, the family assembled iu tlic parlor aft<:r tea, with a view to the anticipated diacuKiiion. The two elder ladica l>eiag scatrid on tbc sofa, Mr. T. invited his niece to draw near the centre table, upon which lay u large liible. Taking in his hand a concordance, for mure convenient reference to any text beari.ig upon the hubject, be seated himself opposite to her. Both of tiieui felt confident of beinp able to main- tain the positions which they were about to assume. Nellie was but little reraed in the teaching of the Bible, but she had selected from her uncle's library ** Wayland's Moral Science," and that was as good authority as she wanted. Dr. Wayland was a wise and learned man ; too much bo, in her opinion, to make a mistake, and too good to misrepresent the doctrines of the Bible. She was familiar with his opinions on this anbject, for they had been taught her with great care. Mr. Th'jnip!«on had come South with the usual prejudices against slavery wkioh Northern birth and education instil. He had Bot T-oHfentcd to become the owier of slaves from mercenary motircs. At firht his conscience forbade the idea of holding a follow being in servitude, and he did not do no until as a conscientious seeker aflcr truth, he had carefully invc.-*tign(ed the subject from the Scriptures. He was therefore familiar with the subject in all it^i bearings. " ' The Bible is the sufficient rule of faith and practice,' was a dogma taught by the great reformer, Martin IjUther, and on© to which .ill protestaHts have gifcn ihcir mo.Jiblc as authority, why the discussion is at an end." " Oh : no uncle, proceed. I only objected to your going back so lar to vindicate slavery in its present revolting aspect," " And I only went back to show that this revolting institution, as you are pJtased to call it, was ordained by God, and was therefore right, for God can do no wrong." •' I remember," said Nellie, " to have heard one of our preachers giving an account of slavery, and I think it was from the Seripture B 10 NKLLIK NORTON. you have just road. He paid the poor Israelite who became hope* lessly indebted, was sold, that the debt niij:ht be jiaid ; but at the end of soveo jaars he was by law relented. S'o I don't think you will prove perpetual Borvitude from this law." " Your preacher thought this poor Ipraelito descended from Oanaao, did he'! It might be well for hiui to study genealogy. There is a law regulating the slavery of the poor Hebrews, fouud in Exodus xxi : 2-G, 'If thou buy an Hebrew ser\'aut, six years he tjhall serve, and in the ncveuth he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself he ^hall go out by himself: if he were married then his wife «hall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and .she have borne him sons or daughters ; the wife and her children shall be her masters', and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant plainly say, • I love my master, my wife and my children, I will not go out free, then his master ^ay you a visit; on the next, Saturday evening, Jacob and I'hebe arc to be married, and on Sabbath afternoon it is our custom to attend the religious services of the colored people. In the mean timo you may be able to give a few leisure hours to con- sidering the subject of this evening's conversation and see what the ' law and the testimony ' say." Nellie's mind was not at rest. The Bible certainly did teach that slavery was a perpetual institution. Its chains were forged in heaven, by God himself, and so fastened, that no power could sunder them but His. Here were the words, she had read them herself, she could not be mistaken ; and yet she had repeatedly heard the NELLIE NORTON. IS contrary asserted, by ministers in whom she had the utmost confi- dence. Her Sabbath School teachers had taught her that slavery was inhuman, iniquitous, the sum of all villainies, that there was no authority whatever for it in the word of God, that Southern cupidity had forged its chains, and Northern philanthnopy iniixt break them ; that it was the peculiar mission of the more enlighted and christianised people of the North to ' break every yoke ' and set every bondman free, and with these sentiments even the great Dr. Wayland certainly agreed. " How can it be ? certainly the Bible is not a pro-slavery book. Surely! God is not a pro-shivery God. Impossible ! ! but here is His word. If it should be true, (and how am I to doubt it ? have I not been taught to believe, to reverence, to obey it 'i) what am I to do ? Give into the idea of slavery '{ Never, never. But can I give up my God and my Bible ? Never, no NETER— ;)erisA the thouffht. God help me, for I know not what to do. God, I cleave to thee ! * Let God be true, but every man a liar.' " Poor Nellie, there was an invisible struggle going on, of which none dreamed but herself. All her efforts to dispel her troubles and engage pleasantly in the conversation were fruitless. She* finally arose, and bidding them good night retired to her room, not how- ever to sleep, but to wrestle in agony as to whether she should cling to the prejudices of her early education and still advocate abolition- ipm, and in that event to reject the Bible as a revelation from God ; or in humble confidence in the justice and immutable righteousness of its great author, accept the Bible with all its teachings. Finally she caught the idea, that Southern slavery could not be defended from the sacred volume, and laying the flattering unction to her heart, quieted her nerves and fell asleep. 14 Nhl.i-lK .NUJcTuN. CHAPTER II. TujV of Mr Mortimer — N^ctjro Wedding — Sahhath Sschnol — Pruyrr Meeting. Nellie did not awake the next morning till the sun had ascended hifrh up into the heaTcns, and covered the earth with his golden light. Am J. the chamber maid, had the room wcfl warmed, and had been long waiting impatiently for the young sleeper to awake. "Missus, time to git up, breafus' ready, been waitoa longtime for you." Nellie opened her eyes upon the Ethiopian maid, and beholding hpr bright countenance, her smiling face and ivory teeth, was reminded of the fact that she wais in the land of slavery. When she stepped upon the thick warm carpet and advanced to the fire, and gazed around upon the many comforts that met her view, and became cognizant of the du.sky Aniy'.s attentions, having, for their object, her comfort^ her convictions of Southern life and manners were materially modified. She had not yet discovered that blight she expect*! to behold imprinted by slavery upon everything, animate and inanimate, on manners, customs and habit.s. She had expected to see a cold remorseless tyranny, a grinding aristocracy ; and a dumb, despairing, revengeful fOavo population. Skc had expected proud hauteur, overbearing and hcartkus dospotiyni on the one hand, and cringing servility, composed of hopeless fear and smothered wrath, on the other. She had expected to see moss-grown decay, and evidences of an cfToniinate civilization, instead of warm, genial comfort, general «atisfa«ti()n and happiness, and universal signs of confidence, love and prosperity. Nellie bad been accustomed to wait entirely on herself at home. Here she inds a chair placed by the fire for her, polite hands warm her ghoes and stockings and hand them to her. Her garmenta arc likcwi.^e warmed and handed to her. Nimble fingers aid in adjust- ing kcr attire, the water is poured into the bowl for her, and a towel is extended to her, and when the last touch of arrangement has been given to her hair, skilful hands slip her morning dress over her head, and with a few expert manipulations, complete hor attire, and leave her ready to descend to the breakfaBt table. " You looks mighty nice die Moinin' Miss, 1 bound Mas' George 'praise you, ?ud think you mighty sweet when he sees you. Dis dress mighty purty, I 'specks you gib it to me when you go home. NELLIE NORTON. 16 Gwiue to have big weddin' to-morrow night ma'am, Misses been busy 'bout it all de mornin'. Jacob and Phebe gwine to marry, and uncle Jesse gwine to 'form de sarimony, and me and Klsey gwine to be de tcndunts wid Sam and Guss," &c. Thus the jubilant girl ran on in a strain of intelligesce to the surprise and pleasure of Nellie, till she descended to the dising room. " Her world was ever joyous — She thought of grief and pain As giants in the olden time, That ne'er would come again." • After breakfast, Nellie and her young cousin, Alice Thompson, walked to the front porch. The day was one of those rich, haay autumnal days, all flooded with glorious sunshine, and mellowed by a soft Southern breeze so common to our Southern climate. Thej then walked to the back d*or, and gazed for a while on the magni- ficent live oaks, and majostie magnolias, that shaded the back jard. On all sides, elegance, comfort and plenty were visible, accom- panied wirti contentment, peace and happiness. Nellie's eye, with a delight bordering on rapture, took in the glories of the whole scene : : '^ its fields, its fences, its trees, its shrubs, its houses, its gardens, its evidences of solid prosperity and comfort ; and she mentally contrasted it with her own prim, precise, economical home. She eontrasted the cold calculating manners of the North, with the open, warm, genial habits of the South. She arrayed the hired indiflFerent services of " white helps," with their frequent " warnings," with the confiding filial obedience of Southern slaves, jumping with a smile to perform a behest. She could nut help comparing the cold, selfish relations existing between mistress and servant in New England, and the open, warm, friendly, confiding feeling manifested between the slaves and their owners. Here was a master an^ mistress engaged in preparations at considerable trouble and expense, to furnish a sump- tuous supper and appropriate dressing to gratify two slaves who were going to be married. Nellie wai surprised, but could not be blind to these things. She and Alice took a walk among the negro cabins, and the ebony damsels crowded around and followed them with the greatest glee imaginable, now and theo one venturing a remark at which all the rest would giggle immoderately ; and when Nellie thought proper to engage in some slight badinage, the universal merriment seemed to reach its utmost bight. Nelliu had n^verseon each merrj Heryants. 10 NELLIE NORTON. Not one geeroed borne down with that mighty incubus of care and oppresKJon she had expected ; but decked out in bright colors, and new nhoes, and flaming " head handkerchers," they followed her as entirely free from care and liberty-longing as school children upon any academy lawn. " You Jim I aint you comin' along wid dem chips if" Thus resounded from the vicinage of her huge pot, the voice of " Aunt Fanny." It was " Aunt Fanny's " business to cook for the "chilern," and take care of them, the latter she did most effectually by ruling them with a rod of birch. Her large pot is filled with meal, greens and " duHiplings,'' and the " taters " are wrapped in the ashes. When at twelve o'clock, all are ready, she deals out to all according to her " resarved rights," that is to say, she has a half dozen or more large trays and basins, filled with the contents of the pot, around which gather from three to five of the little Africans, and seating themselves, eat till they are all satisfied. ' '* You, Jim," says Aunt Fanny, as she saw Nellie approaching, " aint you comin' long wid dem chips ? I see you foolin' long dar, sir ; never mind, I whip you for dat sho's you born; you see if I don't now." "While " Aunt Fanny " is very good naturedly explain- ing to Nellie how she cooks for and takes care of **de chilern," and was very proud of being so honored by the attention of "young miss," Jim approaches the pot with his basket of chips, wholly unpbserved by " Aunt Fanny," whose kind heart has already forgotten the threat, and getting on hi.s knees, throws the chips somewhere near about the fire, while he gazes all the time, with open mouth, into the face of Nellie. Twenty or thirty little darkies gather around her, all fat and Baucy, jully and lively, and not in the least disconcerted, they gaze into her face, and laugh aqd stare, with the whites of their eyes upturned and their niouths spread from— side to side. " Do they get enough to cat, aunty ?" " God bless your soul, chile, plenty ; I stuffs 'em, see how fat dey is." " Where do you get the food "/" " I gits it from de smoke-house every mornin'. Boss weighs it out, and I biles de raiddlin', and greens, and dumplins for 'em in de pot, and cooks de taters in de ashes. Plenty, dey gets nuff, sho." Thus pleasant'y and swiftly the time glided away with Nellie. Late in the afternoon Mr. Mortimer came over to take tea and make the acquaintance of Mrs. Norton and her daughter. He was NELLIE NORTON. 17 the friend nnd neighbor, and intimate associate of Mr. Thompson, and was always a welcome guest in his family. He was of medium height, and very graceful, wilh an iutollectual cast of features. He was intelligent and agreeable, commanding fine converfational powers, and a high-toned gentleman of une.Kceptional moral chjrrac- tcr. The elegance, courtcousness and affability displayed by Mr. M. during the evenifig, made time pass in the family circle with un- wonted celerity, and all seemed disappointed when the hour of eleven arrived and their young friend took his leave. After his departure no remarks were made a.s to the young visitor. Mr. and Mrs. T. waited for their relatives to say how they were pi'eased, and Mrs. Norton waited for Nellie ; she from choice, oi de- sign, was silent. To tell the whole truth, she was very favorably iuipresi5ed, but would not commit herself till a better and more thorough acquaintance with his true character. " Make haste to be slow in forming your opinion of young men," was her father's favorite proverb, and she believed it was correct and acted upon it. Saturday, -the weddihg day, dawned upon the world in cloudless glory. It was a jubilant holiday for all the servants on the planta- tion of Mr. Thompson. The bride-groom expectant was Jacob, now foreman of the plan- tation. He had been promoted to the important post of " driver " for liis fidelity and honesty. He was about twenty-five, of a yellow complexion, and as dashing and good humored a fellow as you find in a day's drive. He devotedly loved his master and mistress, and would have died for .Miss Alice. Phebe was about twenty-six, and wa.s Mrs. T.'s houso-maid, a (juiet, respectful woman, who knew her duty and always did it well. Her complexion was dark. Thoy were about to consummate a long cherished attachment, and both the master and mistress thought fit to grace the occasion with their presence, and invited their guests also to enjoy this, to them, novel scene. Mr. Mortimer, having come over by special invitation, joined the party, who proceeded to the neat double cabin whose larger room had been cleanly swept and neatly arranged, and -on whose wide hearth a bright fire was blazing. Negro weddings are more ilately and solemn than one would naturally suppose. Negroes are impressible creatures, and are easily affected by aught of the august. The whites stopped in front of the door, rat ker than crowd through C 18 NELLIE XOBTOX. the anxious mass of lookers-on, but they eajojed a tolerable view, and heard all that was said. Tkc door of the little room was thrown open, and one coupl« elegantly dressad, entered, ranging themselves on the right ; then another rouple, ranging thcniselvcB towards the left ; theic were followed bj Jacob and l^hebe. Each female attendant wore a white muslin dress, with white flowers in their hair, all tidily arranged by Mrs. Thompson, Alica and Nellie. Each male was dressed in broad- cloth, with shining boots, ruffled shirts, .standing col^irs and white gloves, with their pocket handkerchiefs but half concealed" in their breast pockets. Phebe was tastefully dressed in white, with slippera and a long white veil ; altogether she presented an elegant appear- ance. Jacob was done up in a new suit of broad cloth, a present, for the occasion from his master; he wore a white vest, gloves and cravat, and with a fair personal appearance, was the n>' p/nn iiltrn of negro elegance. Not a sound .was heard, all were silent ai\d .still as the grave, "Uncle Jesse" advanced, with book in hand ; there wa.s a solemnity of appearance about his face and demeanor highly instructive and impressive. After a moment's pause, to collect his thoughts and appear dignified, he began : " God made Adam fust, he staid long time in the garden 'thout a a wife, but he wan't satisfied and happy, though he have every other thing he want. Then God say, it no good for the man that he be alone, I make a help meet for him, to comfort him in sickness and nui him in trouble, and to talk to him when he lonesome. So God make Eve outen Adam's rib, and aay, she bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh, and for this cause a man shall quit he father and mother, and stay with his wife. Any body present got any objec- tions to this lady and gentleman bein' married into holy matrimony, 80 they now make it known or hold their peace foreverniore. Once, twice, thrice — no objection- " Jacob, take Phebe by the hand. Do you brother Jacob take Phebe to be your lovin' and true wife ? Will you love her like Abraham loved !*'arah, treat her kind like Isaac did Rebecca, ke faithful to her like Zacharias was to Elizabeth, and not cleave to no other woman but her, till she die — do you ?" A graceful bow and a scrape of the foot, was the aflBrmative response. " Do you, sister Phebe, take brother Jacob to be your lone hus- band. To honor him as 8arah did Abraham, aad obey him as Rebecca did Isaac, and nus him, and comfort him as Elizabeth did NELLIE I^ORTON. 19 Zacharias, and always cleave to no other man till he dead — do you?" A quick courtesy was the response. " Then I pronounce you husband and wife, with the blessing of God to live together forever. Amen." Great confusion followed as each one pressed forward to wish the uewly married couple "much joy." Many efforts at wit were made, and a general scene of hilarity ensued, which was kept up till supper was announced. The repast was not less sumptuous than elegant. The " bride's cake " Was exquisitely beautiful. " Uncle Jssse " asked a blessing at the table, at the conclusion of which each bowed his head and scraped his feot. It was interest- ing to see the young " gen'men," waiting on the '• ladies," as they handed round the table first one dish and then another. lint the scene after supper, far surpassed anything which had preceded it. The "playing songs," and kissing, the joyous peels of laughttfr, the continuous gleeful mirth, the " uproarious " outbursts of merriment, beggar all description. I therefore lay down my pen, and leave the reader to imagine, what must have been the impres- sions on the mind of Miss Nellie Norton, just from New England. If yeu have never witnessed one of these scenes, be assured, kind reader, it is good for dyspepsia, a certain cure for the " blues," and will make a preacher laugh. Bat we leave the negroes to play and sing what they please, and as long as they please, to fiddle, " pat Juba," and daace and have a merry time generally, if they like. The hour is late and we must prepare for the Sabbath, when we are again to meet some of these happy Ethiopians, but under different circumstances. On arrifing at the house, Mr. Thompson opened his mail,. which pressing engagements since its arrival at sun down, had prevented. •' A letter for Nellie," he exclaimed. She came bounding to his eide, and opened and read with great eagerness, the following note : Pulaski House, Sav., Nov. i3d, 18 — . Miiis Xellitf Xvrton : Dear Young Friend — You will doubtless be surprised to receive this from me, bearing date at this place. My health suddenly failed, my symptoms became alarming, and my physicians recommended a trip South, to which my parishioners generously consented. It would afford me pleasure to come out and spend a few days with you and your good mother, which I contemplate doing at my earliest convenience. » What a beautiful land is this, bow sweet itn breezes, bow balmy iti 20 N ELI. IK NORTON. uir. What a paradise it would be but lor the curf« of slavery But O the groaninj of the oppressed I Jlay the time be fastened wlien CTcry joke shall be broken. In hante, Your affectiorjnte Pastor, Daniel B. I^uatt. "O Mother, it's from Mr. I'ratt, and he i» in .Savanuah. cutHe Itecause bis health failed, and wants to come out and ^ee u». (Jiiele, can't you send for him iu the inoriiiuj:, and let him ooiue out to- morrow r' '• Shall I send for hiui ou Suhhuih, Nellie?" '* yes', uncle, it's no barm uiu/cr (lie ciniimxtayirtDi to send for a poor sick preacher to get out and cujoj a little fresh country air. iH it?" " Well, just as you say. I don t think you would survive '.ill Monday, 8o I will have the carriage off early. Write him a note, that we will expect hiui early to dinner; a cold dinner, enjoyed by warm hearted friends." Nellie tripped away to jien the note, while Mr. ThompsoB went to inform Jack that he must go up to tbo eity early in the morning, with the carriage, to bring out a gentleman who wa* at rtie Pulaski House. At one o'clock, on Sabbath, Dr Pratt arrived. He was met at the carriage by Nellie, and her mother, and 31r. Thompaou. Mr. T. extended to him a cordial welcome, and invited him to n'ako his house his home while at the South. In this invitation, iMr.s. T., after being introduced to the Doctor, cordially united. Dr. I'rattwas surprised at the open hearted frankness and generosity of his new friend. It was his tirst trip South, and he was not prepared to believe there was anywhere to be found such whole soulcd generosity, much less among the slaveocraoy. If the reader desires a description of Daniel B. Pratt, D. D., they can just imagine a short, stoUt man, with large blue oy«s, a bald head, a fair skin, and a large roman no.se, with a polite and easy address, and a real "down Easter's" brogue, compressed lips, erect head, rather incfined to throw it back, with a large natural protuber- ance on the top of the head. He was phrtnologically a man of self- will, self-esteem, and great firmness, cmounting to stubbornness. At three o'clock Mr. Thompson asked Dr. Pratt if he would accompany him and Nellie to the negro church to witness a negro Sunday School and Prayer meeting. He readily, censented. A walk of near a half mile brought them to a neat little painted house with glas* windows, and a beJl. On entering they found about NELLIE NORTON. 2i thirtj negro clnldren/all in clean clothes, some with hats and Bouie with bonnets, and some bare headed, seated on the front benches. A white lady was sitting near. She was a worthy young lady, and 1 must honor my readers with an introduction to her. Miss Kate Nelson was the governess in the family of Mr. Thouip- ^oll. She was " to the manor born," a true Georgian lady. She wa.s thoroughly educated, graceful, dignified and intelligent, modest :(iid retiring, but not bashful. She knew her duty, and as a con- hcientious christian, was always found laboring to discharge it. It was her custom, at Mr. T.'s request, to teach his young negroes, orally, every Sabbath afternoon, and learn them to sing. In oate- (hising them, she asked the question and then answered it, and made all the pupils repeat it after her two or three times till they oould remember it. They displayed an accurate knowledge of the eroatiou, flood, calling of Abraham, the ten commandments, &c. Lti learning them to sing, it was her custom to read the first line of the verse, then have them all repeat it, then read the other in like man- ner, then repeat both toiiether, and so through the song, singing each verse as soon as they could repeat it. I observed ihj\t Miss Nelson seemed partial to those songs which had .a chorous, and the school seemed to sing them with greater zeal. The little ones all sang with open mouths and extended voice-s. It was really refreshing to see and hear them. They were always delighted with the^exercises, and engaged in them with their whole eou1 and mind. They felt complimented when honored with the preseace of " Mas' George," which was not unfrequcnt. The New England clergyman was surprised, but was evidently reluctant, to^ believe that any "good thing could come out of Naza- reth." He expressed no approbation, it>T the sin of slavery could not be atoned for, in his estimation, by anything which the master could do. Nellie was delighted, "enthused," carried away with the scene. She was extravagant in her praise, and her generous youag heart felt the impulses she so eloquently expressed. Before the exercises closed, the house was moderately filled with adult people, who had come in to attend the prayer meeting. As soon as the Sabbath School exercises were concluded, the children were dismissed, to go home or remain as they pleased. j\Iany of them moved io seats a little in the rear, and soon all was still and quiet. Dick, the chorister, lined out and led in singing — " When I C4in read my title clear.'' 22 NELLIE NORTON. All joiued in swelling the strain, and many made " melody in their hearts unto the Lord." Negroes love to sing, and never drawl out their words into discordant sounds. There is no dragging in their voice, never a nasal sound. The lips apart, the head thrown back, the chest expanded, the eyes generally closed, and a full, round, sonoreus voice is uttered forth by each ; the commingling of which charms and thrills the heart of the listener. At the conclusion of the song, one of the colored brethren, at the request of "uncle Jesse," led in prayer. Brother Jesse aroso and addressed Dr Pratt, as the " visiting brother," and invited him to conduct the meeting, but the Doctor declined, rendering as an excuse, ill health, and fatigue, but promised to do so at some future day, if he could. " Uncle Jesse " then read the 14th Chapter of John, one so interesting to every christian heart. He paused and gave a short comment on the first of the chapter, reminding them of the blessed mansions in their Father's house; and«the comins; of the Savior for them, when all was completed for their comfort; concluding his address with many earnest words of exhortation, and then closing by prayer. He asked as was his custom, if any other brother had anything to say. Brother Gabriel, a tall black, middle aged mah arose and said : " My bredren, I's happy on dis nospicious occasion to 'zort jou on in de pilgrimage. Abraham, he set one foot fore de tudder in gwine to Canaan, but he met de lion in de den, and he squash him to de ground, and vociferate him to death. Dat was a solemngizin' sight, 'twixt Abraham an' de lion. He growl and turn he hair de wrong way, and grin and show he long sharp teeth, and Abraham, he no staggulated in de least, but only de more violenter; he put forth he hand and wench him into nothin'. Deu Joshua, he start to de promised land, and he meet de blazin sarpent, but he no go back. No, he say, Ef you no git out'n my way, I bruise you head. And good as he word, he smash he head wid he rod o' blossoms, what he walk wid ; and de sarpent he dead quicker. Now bredren, what you do ef you be dar, I'feard you run, you go back, you no go ober de lion an' de blazin' sarpent. But ef you see Abraham standin' on Nebo lookin' over into de promised land, and see him die a shoutin', case he so happy, den you want to smash de lion too. And ef you see Joshua standin' on Mount Zion, tulkin' wid de Lord- face to face, for forty days, and see he face shine bright as de moon, clear as de sun and terrible as an army wid banters, dcH you be willin' to meet the 'noxious warment, and distribute he head from he body. NELLIE KORTOK. 2o *' Bly bredren, we hab de lion ob dis world, and de parpent ob de debil to meet ebry day, De one got he den ebry where, de udder kindle her fire under you' feet. Watch all de day long, and pray de night tru' my bredren and sisters. Watch all de year, and all de life long. Don't be onconsiderate, but 'joice all de way, and let do anxiety ab de heart be above, and run de way wid laquity an' light. Ef you fight de lion, like Abraham, an' 'molish de sarpent like Joshua, den when you comes down to de dark waters of Jubilee, you will mount de railk white bos', and fly away to Gallilee. Amen " During this short, pathetic address, mapy " Araen's," " dat's so," " bless God," and " I feels 'em," were uttered by the colored auditory, In conclusion they sang on " Jordan's "stormy banks I stand," with the chorus, " I am bound for the promised land." Beginning with the last speaker, all moved round, indiscriminately shaking bands, swaying to and fro, keeping time with the music. When they reached (he little circle of whites the scene becam« affecting in the highest degree. " God bless you master," " God bless you, mistia." " We'll meet in heaven," " sweet Jesus," and similar expressions were uttered by most of them, while the big tears that rolled down their faces and the powerful grasp of the hand, mani- fested the sincerity of the ardent impulses which were so apparent. Nellie wept great tears of joyous sympathy, and so did Mr. T., Alice and Miss Nelson. Dr. Pratt alone remained unmoved, untouched by the happy scene before him. He seemed as emotion- less as a statue of marble. With the exception of Gabriel's speech, everything connected with the meeting was solemn and deeply affecting, well calculated to leave the heart with better feelings and desires. But Dr. Pratt was greatly disgusted with slavery when ho heard the ignorance of Gabriel. He did not remember that some white ministers had displayed as great a want of divine knowledge, only they had clothed their ignorance in better language. For instance: one white minister pronounced Leper Lenpc.r, and said, '• The Leaprosy made persons le^ like a frog." Another said "there was sixteen other young Bsen rared up in and around and about me, but now where is 'um ? They is scattered to and here and fro and there, and 1 is left a loneful watchei upon the hill-tops of Zion." Another said, "the Savior put fur skins in the water to turn it to wine." Another examined to see if Jonas, Simon Peter's father, " was the same who swallowed the whale." 24 XELLIK NOKIVX. Hut 1 ruui>l loavc my readers to their own conclusions. It is fo. me to state facts, and for you to draw whatever deductions you may pIcaiK? It may be well to premise, however, that we should be guarded never to identify an institution with its abuses. Kvery blencinp of hrnveo is abused, more or lei«f», iu tho hands of sinful men. Nor should we judge of a people by a single man of the race, who irt not a re/iicirnldfii'r clmrartrr. It would be unjust to judge the Atuerican people by tuih a bubuoo a.s Abraham Liucohi, or the South by such a traitorous blackguard as Ikownlow. Nor should negro intelligcuce be adju(|ged by the sUtndurd of Gabriel. As they walked back to the hou.se, Mr. Thompson turuud aside to a negro cabin to see a sick scrvaut, while the doctor and Nellie walked on. With eyes yet red with weeping, Nellie turned to the doctor ani! £>aid : '' That was u mcltiug sight; the simple-hearted, sincere pict of these poor negroes, is perfectly fiuscinating to me. The perfcci freedom from :ill ostentation and fornialism, the unrestrained and unaflFected fervor of impulse, the big tears, the hearty grasp of the hand, the honest, heartfelt " God bless you," is really refreshing to me. This must be primitive Christianity, unadulterated by tho spirit of the world. 1 thank (tod their ma.%ters feci so ^ious an intercbt in their .xouls, atid.th.it their offorts at evangelizing them havr met with such signal success. Th>i/ are thr happifnt propijf I fvn Without raining his lK*.id. tho doctor replied uiorusioly : ''They are the most miferable wretches unhung. To play the hypocrite as th'jy did to-day, just to please and obey a tyrant whom thoy call ♦ master ' There was no religion in it. The whole form and pre- tensiouB were cnaeted in obedience to your uncle's behests. It is the deepest and most fearful form of hypocrisy, thus to tamper with the solemnities of religioti. Your tears surprised me. 1 wouM «s soon think of weeping in a bedlam." _ They had arrivi. money. ' NbW if such a law as thi.s were found upon a Southern 8t;xtute book, the world would bo filled with holy horror, at its inhumanity ; yet such is the enactiHent of Him who doeth all things well. Here too is a recogni- tion by the divine law, of the pro; erty of one man in another, one man is thfc tnomy, the chattel of another. Again the sickly sensi- bilities of erring man, are shocked at the revealed will of the King of all the earth. I'zza feared to trust the tottering ark to the Lord, and put forth his hand to save it, but his presumption was punished by instant death. Let us take timely warning. What God gives wc will receive, what he commands, we will obey, what he withholds we will not covet. W< are always sale under the guidance of unerring wisdom. ' It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good unto him.' " NELLIE NORTON. 81 At this stage of the argument, the parties were interrupted by a suTuraons to dinner. Nellie and the parson both felt relieved at the prospect of having time for reflection before being compelled to ref)ly to the proofs presented by Mr. T. Dinner being over, the parties retired to their several apartments, and, at five o'clock, all re-assembled in the parlor, feeling the more cheerful for having enjoyed a refreshing nap. " Mr Thompson,'' said Mr. Pratt, " I discover you are a strict constructionist. I do not adhere so much to the letter, as to the spirit of the Bible. The letter killeth, but the spirit maketh alive. I do not attach so much importance to detached portions of revela- tion, as I do to the character and attributes of its Great Author. He is too holy to authorise sin ; too merciful to place one man in the power of another ; too just to discriminate so widely between the privileges he confers upon his intelligent creatures. He will never give to one people the right to place the gallinjr yoke of slavery upon the necks of another. He will never place one tribe or nation under tlie feet of another to be trod upon. He will never appoint an insti- tution, which crushes out the manhood, and effaces the human feelings of any race, reducing them to the level of beasts. This is not in accordance with the Divine character. I honor and reverence the Divine name too much to admit any such thing. ' Justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne,' but there is neither justice nor mercy in slavery." " You decide what the Bible otight to teach," said Mr. T.. " bv your knowledge of the character of Deity, and not by what He has really said. Pray, from what source do you derive your knowledge of Him, if not from the Bible, and how do you know anything of his character from this source, only as you believe what it says ? Then you admit, that the Bible as a whole is true ; and if so, its detached portions are also true. You must either admit that the quotations made are interpolations, or tl^ are the words of God. If the former, then the ' ojius probini dWrcsts upon you, and I am ready to hear your proof. If they be the words of God, you must admit that slavery is taught in the Bible, and instituted in Heaven. In your sermons at home, you urge upon your congregation the necessity of repentance, and to prove its importance you quote detached portions of the word of God, and so of every other truth, however important, which is taught in the Bible. I have heard min- isters say, (and you may have done the same.) that to aseertain with certainty the meaning of any given text in the Scriptures, it is best 33 .\ELL1K -NOiJTO:*. to consult all the purallel pasi^ages. This fact attests the truth well known and ackiiowhd^cd b}- all Bible fcludcnb*. that the Scriptures do not exhaust any subject iu any one given verse, chaj)tcr or book. It is one r.f the evidences of the inspiration of the Bibid, that a most beautiful and strikiug harmony is maintained by the writers of the various books of the Bible, when treating of the s:nuo subject But with this fact, you are uiorc familiar than I, us you are profcb sionally a theologian. Your proposition to judge what God will leich by his character, and not by his word, reminds uie of a little private discus.sion to which I once listened. It was bflween a minister and an infidel. The former was affectionately urging upon the latter the iinportunce of personal reli;;ion, as necessary to his happiness here and hercjifter, and quoted the Scripture, 'Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to cume,' and then added, ' He that hath the Sun hath life, but he that hath nut the Son of God, h.ilh not life.' The iufidcl replied : ' I do not wish to hear anyihing from the Bible. God has given me reason, and my reason tells mo that God is too great and good a Being to doom a soul to perdition just because he refuses to bulievo on his Son.' " " Your prcuiises lead to the iu&del's conclusion, and I must confesjj profound astonishment at its enunciation by a religious teacher. If the Book of God is taken at all. it must all be takfcn ; fur 'all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instructions in rightcousnc-^s.' Perniit me to suggest, that the pajjsages referred to, tnuy havo been given for the 'corrcctioti ' of the errors of abolitionists, and for their ' instruction in righteousness, ' since their tendency to depart from truili certainly needs a counteracting influence. '• Peter, speaking of the olden time, eeenis to have apprehended u disbelief lu tho.se, or some other portions ol" the old Scripture, and, tbcretorc, under the direction of inspiration, says : * For the prophecy came not iu^ld time by the will of man : but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the lloly Ghost.' You will have, my dear sir, to admit slavery, or reject the Bible — which l^oro of the dilemma will you take ?" '• Neither, sir," wiid the minister, " I will reject slavery and take the Bible. I will, however, admit, for the sake of argument, that in those dark age», (rod permitted it on account of the hardness of the people's hearts, as he did divorces and other wrongs, which were to be of terapiorary duration, and which were to give way before tho NELLIE KOBTON. 38 progressive civilization of the world, as the diirkness is dispersed before the sun, and heathenism befcre the gospel of Christ." Nellie did not like the answer of her representative ; she could not exactly see how it was, "for the sake of argument," to make any such admission. If it were true, he ought to have said so ; if not, he should have withheld the admission. As to slavery bein'^ only temporary, the S«ripture on that point, quoted by her uncle, had given her no little trouble. wShe did not see how her pastor, a conscientious mhn, could withhold his assent from the truths proven; but if he admitted them, then it was impossible for him to escape the next argument, which she foresaw her uncle would adduce. ^ " Slavery, " said Mr. T., " was not only permitted, but absolutely decree^ as I have abundantly shown from Scripture. You admit, ' for the sake of argument, ' not for truth's sake, that it was per- mitted. I must confess, sir, with your Dr. Wayland, that ' I wonder that any one should have had the hardihood to deny so plain a matter of record. I should almost as soon deny the delivery of the Ten Commandments to Moses.' I have a single quotation which I made to my niece a few days ago. to prove that it was not the Divine purpose that slavery 'was to be of temporary duration, and to give way before the progressive civilization of the world, ' but that it was to be a perpetual institution, ' forever. * I refer to Leviticus XXV : 44-46. Nellie, will you please read the paragraph. " * " Before she reads, " said Mr. Pratt, " I desire to say, that when I said ' I admit for the .sake of the argument, ' I did not intend to be understood as denying that the Scripture,s did authorize slavery, but that 1 did not admit all your conclusions. I do not think it either wise or honest to deny a fact which is clearly proven." '' Tlren you admit slavery is of Divine origin ?" said Mr. Thomp- son. ^ " Well, yes, I cannot truthfully deny it. and I intend to meet the question fairly, " said Mr. I'ratt. Nellie smiled approvingly, as she. opened the Bible, and read : •' Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that ar« round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that sbjourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that arc araoAg you, which they begat in your land : and they shall be your po.ssession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a poMM- won. They shall be jK»ur bondmen forever." 84 NELLli: NORTON. " Now," Mid Mr. Thompson, '* let us lo«ik at thia Scripture an Christian men, in scarcli of J)iviDc truth. 1st. Hero is slavery. • they hhall be your bondmen and bondmaids.' They were to be held in pcrvitude, * oblijiing them to labor for the benefit of others, without their contract or consent.' 2d. Here is traffic in human flcph, in living men, human beings; * of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.' I am certain that the word ^ sluiW in thi.s connec- tion, nijoius it as a duty upon the Israelites to cn.»lave. these heathens. 3d Here is vested proj)erty in humtJ beings: 'they shall be your possession.' 4th. They were to be beqiieathed by paients to thoir children, ju.'^t as any other article of property : ' Ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children ' J^astly, its perpetuity. This slavery was not" to be limited by the interv^iun of the year of Jubilee, orrclea.se, but it was to endure •vvitliont end : * they shall be your bondmen forever. * '* As you have (juoted Dr. Wayland," ^aid the Klder, '• my ri-ply shall be that which he made to your Dr. Fuller on this very subject : ' I believe slavery, then, as now, to have been wrong, a violation of our obligations to man, and at variance with the moral laws of God. But 1 believe that God did not see fit to reveal Hi.s will on this subject, nor indeed on many others, to the ancient Hebrews. He made khown to them just so much of His moral law as He chose, and the law on this subject belonged to the part which he did not choose to make knuwn. Hence, although thoy did. what in itself waa If roH/7, yet Gt»jnizrs slavery in our duty to Him. "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy uifin-sfrrauf nor thy maiii-K'rvant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is in ihy gates " Now, if slavery had been wrong, this would certainly have been a • fit occa.siun for God to have said so.* He wa.s giving a law for all time, fur every age of the world's advancement, and for every condition of its religious and social being. If it had been offensive to Him, is it not marvelous that He did not say " Liberate," instead of " do no work on the seventh day." Hut it was the labor of the seventh day, and not the slavery that was displeasing to Him. " If it be wrong, us you assert, and if He instituted it, as you admit, then, as the laws say. He is jmrtiaps criminis, a pajty to the crime. Bat let us look at the second table, which regulates the relations of men to one another, and prescribes their pp^t"*- " 1 hou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." The* Lord hero establishes the exclusive and uninterrupted ownership in slaves a« much as in houses or cattle; the right in them is as much a vested one as in his wife or children, the relation being different. JJow, is it not wonderful that our All-Wise Creator did not see it was "at variance with the rights of manr." and take this opportunity NELLIE NORTON. 87 to prohibit it, instead of putting slaves in the catalogue with other property which it was sinful to covet. How completely He could have settled this question by saying " Thou shajt not hold thy fellow-men in bondage." Why did Ho not thus speak ? Aboli- tioni.sm would, and does say so. The civilized world say so. Only God and the South say otherwise. With profound respect for the clerical vocation of yourself and Dr. Waylaud, I must suggest that you are rapidly tending to that point of advancement when you will be " wise above what is written." Indeed, even now you prefer to judge of what God ought to do and say, by your knowledge of His oharacter, rather than to let Him speak for himself, and accuse Him of reticence in matters of such solemn moment that duty commands you and him to cry aloud and spare not. You have declared an eternal war with heaven's institution, you denounce what God permitted, you would extirpate what He perpetuated, and anath- matise what He has blessed. " You have said you will meet the question fairly. I shall therefore, expect that none of the .tergiversations which have so often characterized Northern fanatics in their denunciations of slavery. A subject that cannot be established by a fair, honest and manly discussion, does not deserve an advocate ; whatever a christian cannot prove from the teachings and spirit of the Bible, he ou<>htto abandon, and whatever be finds clearly taught there, he should fear to condemn and cease to oppose. Like Moses before the burning bush, he should in humility take off his shoes, for he stands on holy ground. " He that teacheth man knowledge, shall tiot he know ? The King of all the earth will do right." " Visitors entering, to call on Mrs. Norton and her daughter, the conversation was suspended and the gentlemen took a walk into that part of the farm adjacent to the house. Mr. Pratt was solemn and thoughtful. His mind was evidently laboring to call up some almost forgotten argument, to use in reply to what had been said. Finally his mental abstraction passed away, and he engaged in agreeable conversation, exhibiting his usual amiable temper and social qualities. After tea, Mr. Pratt was requested to lead the devotions of the evening, and being furnished with a Riblc, Mr. T. requested the servants to sing a song of their own selecting. Dick, the ostler, was a pious old servant, never absent from prayers, unless provi- dentially detained, and he u.^ually led the singing on such occasions, and, to tell the truth, he was rather proud of his musical abilitien, 38 NKLLIK XOKTOX. aod bad not quite prudence eDough to conccRl it. As it was tbe firpt time he had been called on fo sin^, since Mr. I'ratt's arrival, he felt sijmc pride in making a good selection, and executing the performance, smmd'em artcm. So after rubbing his eyebrows for a moiuent, and utt-ering some inaudible words to one who sat next to him, he sat erect, and began in a full, but soft and melodious strain, in which all the other servants united : *' Amnzinp jrrnco, how sweet the sound, That, saved a wrc-ich like mo; I onco was lost, but now I m found, Was blind, but now I see." When they came to the verse-^ " The Lord h&tli pronii.«cd pood to me, His word my hope secures, He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures." Pick's eyes were closed, his bauds clasped acro.ss his bosom, and the big tears chasing each other down his rough cheek. Mr. Pratt's religious feelings were deeply touched at the melody and pathos with which the negroes sung. Nothing was more evident than that they sung with the spirit, and with the understanding also. lu his prayer, the elder returned thanks in a most fervent and eloquent manner, that thc-e poor Ethiopians were ever brought from the superstition and idolatry of their fathers, to know and worship the only living and true God ; and that as they had beeu toni away from theii" native homes, their lots had been ca.st among those who " cared for their souls," and thut though they were in physical bondage, they were spiritually free ; and that though they were servants of an earthly master, they were the children of God. With feelings more than ever softened towards those who were guilty of the "sum of all villainies" and a deep sense of God'e goodness to man, the Elder with the family left the table. NELLIE NORTON. 89 • CHAPTER IV. The two Matrons opinions of the discussion — Nellie anxious/or it to proceed — Moses an Abolitionist, how proven, how disproven — Thr' Angel and. Hagar — Poliganiy and Divorce — Dr. Wayland — Reply to his Argument — Sumner proven in a, falsehood. Nellie took her seat at the piano and played Home, Sweet Home, with the variations, in exquisite style. Mi*. Pratt then requested her to sing one of their favorite congregational hymns, which she did quite to the taste and satisfaction of all present. ' Her mother took silent pleasure in the scientific performance of her accomplished daughter, while the uncle and aunt freely expressed their admiration for tl>e accomplishments of their loved relative. The two matrons, the mother and aunt of Nellie, would have been pleased to lead the conversation of the evening, and engage the attention of those present on the various styles of music, and the new improvements which had been made in singing, &c., since their day. They would have greatly enjoyed a suspension of'the discus- sion of slavery, and given themselves up to a social converse. Neither saw any probability of an early termination of the engagement, or that either was open to conviction by the other. But they did not feel that it would be very polite in them to assume the prominence of leading the conversation of the evening. Mrs. Norton wanted her brother convinced of his error, if he were in one. She had always heard that slavery was wrong, and bad taken it for granted, as she had never before heard it denied, but she had never investigated it. Her pastor, she supposed, had done so, and she believed he had talents enough to understand the subject, and honesty sufficient to tell the truth, and she therefore believed what he had always preached on the subject, without giving herself any further trouble. If he were wro.ig, the sin wa? upon him. lie was paid to frarh, and it was his business to know that all he tauo'ht was true; her business was to listen, receive and practice. On moral.and religious subjects he was employed to do her thinking, and it wa« not her business to call in question whether it was correctly done or not. ' Thus have many go^d souls been led into a thousand enarerfby the ignorance, prejudice or bigotry of others. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch, • Mrs. Thompson having been raised to flavery, and being a conscien- tious, intelligent woman, felt no doubt whatever that her husband 40 NKLLIK NORTON. would be able to vindicate slavery from the Bible, agaiust all attacks that Could be made on it. She had gone through all the scriptural proofa with her husband years before, and as new abolition arguinenta were brought out it wa.s their custom to carry them to the Bible and Rce if they would stand before its light. She therefore felt sure that her husband would bo able to justify slavery before any oae whose eyes wf re not blinded, and whose heart was not hardened jigainst the holy revelation of the King of heaven on this subject Butass^he saw no prospect of convincing Mr, Pratt that slavery was right, .''he could conceive of no real good that would come of the dis- cussion ; but as a good wife .she held her peace. Nellie, however, was anxiou.s for the discussion to continue. She l>egau to doubfc whether slavery was a ''sin of such appalling magnitude." She did uo^ see from her stand-point of observation that it l crushed the moral and intellectual natures" of the negroes : but she believed the reverse to be true. 1^ elevated, it lifted up, it expanded the intel- lect and refined the moral sensibilities of these children of Canaan. She had seen .some very intelligent and sensible ones among them, and bright Exemplars of the principles of our holy religion, and she could not devise how an evil tree could bear such good fruit, how a bitter fountain could send forth such sweet waters, how an institution cursed of God and man, could prove .such a blci-sing. Besides, iu ^er struggles of conscience, she had determined to commit her faith to the Bible and cleave to it as the only anchor of safely, and unfail- ing and immutable source of truth. She still sympathized with her pastor, and could not yet say that slavery was right. Her early edu- cation had made such strong imprc.^iouson her mind that they clung to her with wonderful ftnaeity, nnd she entertained an undefined liopo that her pastor would find some srriptural escape from those texts referred to by her uncle. " Moses, the great Jewish law-giver, was an abolitionist," .said Mr Pratt All present were startled at the announcement, and looked the surprise they felt. He continued : " If he had not have intended to abolish it, lie would not have enunciated this law, which is found in Deut. xxiii; l.">, 10 — ' Thou shalt not deliver unto his master, the servant that is escaped from his master unto thee ; he shall ^woll with thee, even among you in that place which he shall choose, iu one of the gates where it likoth him best j thou shalt not oppress him.' How could slarcrv long exist where escapes were frequent and recovery by the master forbidden by law, and that law strictly NELLIE NORTON. 41 enforced by the people as their law-giver required? This, sir, is not the lanjijuage of a pro-slavery man. You Southerners never use it J you hate the men that do. This is an anti-fugitive law, enacted for the gradual and peaceable extirpation of slavery. Here, also, Is a Divine justification for the Northern States, which have enacted laws against the return of fugitive slaves to their Southern masters. Then call us no more a lawless horde, a mobocratic people, for resisting laws which contravene the enactments of heaven. It is a violation of the revealed will of God, to return a fugitive slave ; aud a constitution and laws which require it are iniquitous and ought to be resisted. Jt is demanded by humanity, by religion, by all that is holy, that they should be resisted. A government which enforces by law a violation of the Divine will, has forfeited its right to national existence. Au institution which requires for its perpetuity a con- flict with the revealed law of God, should never for one moment be tolerated among au enlightened and civilized, much less a christian people. The institution is unjust, ungodly, diabolical, aud deserves the perpetual anathemas of every philanthropist upon the face of the earth. Why does God stay his yengeance from the implacable and unmitigated oppressions and iniquities of the South ?" Mr. T. smiled at the ardor of the parson, and felt that he had often "heard at the North as high sounding words with as little truth, and had frequently before listened, unmoved, to as eloquent non- sense. Such exhibitions of " zeal without knowledge" were common occurrences *' beyond the line." As Mr. P. seemed to have exhausted his vocabulary^ Nellie turned to her uncle to see if he was not over- whelmed with the argument. He replied : " God has either enacted slavery, or He has not. He either coun- tenances the institution, or He does not. He is not on both sides of the question, as you seem to think. He has not said and unsaid, done and undone. He has not given slavery to his people and then ordered its abolition. He is not so changeable, so fickle as that. ' I am God, and 1 change not.' '♦ Let us, however, consider this celebrated text, upon which you base your triumphant vindication of the fanaticism of the North. Of whom was it spoken, and to whom ? " Evidently of the heathen, and to the Israelites. God was giving them a diversity of rules of conduct for their govern«nent, in their social and national relationi to the tribes who were the original inhab- itants of Canaan. Hence his instmctions to th« Hebrewi not to F 42 . .NELLIE XOhTO>. return a fugitive blavc to his bcatbco master, 'i Iiu l&ruelit^s cuuld not hare been cuminandcd to detain a slave Tcko had run awu}' from themselves; to withhold their own property* from their own use. This would .seem unreasonable ; indeed, it would be preposterous. Hut if a slave ran away from his ln-uthrn master for cruel treatment, he beioj^ innocent, nnd h.avinj; sonirht relujie anion^sibility of any knowledge of the trui: (Jod being imparted tu them.- o. As the Hebrews understood the rigiits oii mastereover their slaves, they would never have interiered, even with this cruel form of vassalage, without a divine injunction, sjiecially given, requiring it. Even to this day, you find no abolitionists among the more learned and intelligent Hebrews. Now, if we admit your inter- pretation to be correct, we are re(|uired to believe that one passage of Scripture authorizes us to hold slaves, and another takes it away ; that the Divine Heing who authorizes his people in one statute to purchase and hold bondmen ' forever,' in another place denies the existence of any such ri;.'ht. Indeed, that .Moses intended in the same code of laws to establihh and abolith slavery ; with one hand to het up, and with the other to strike down the institution ; to say and unsay; to enact and repeal ; to enforce and revoke; to grant rights and then destroy them. Now it is easy enough to see how Sumner or ( ■banning, Parker or Beerher, would dispose of this diflBculty, by NELLIE NORTON. 43 an aj)peal to the higher law of conscience, or by a total rejection of the Bible and its great Author, on account of abolition sentiments and precepts, but you take the Bible, the whole Bible, as true, and as consistent with itself, you do not believe it is self-contradictory. How you can dispojrrniit(fJ, and forbids absolutely the practice of them forever afterwards. But not a7)c nonf is said by prophets, apostles, or the holy Eedeemcr, against slavery. (/ rhaUcnge the worlJ to Jin- jn-vvc this assrrfi'rm.') This, to my mind, is a most significant and convincing fact." Mr. T. ceased speaking. A distressing silence reigned for a moment, Nellie, the meantime, looking first at her uncle, and then at Mr. Pratt, wishing some one would break the silence. She felt, if what her uncle said was true, her pastor ought to yield and confess that he was in error, as she now was pretty well satisfied he was. The pastor soon rallied, however, and with some warmth, replied : " Mr. Thompson ! I tell you slavery is 4fi NKLLIS NORTON. wronp, I caro not what you suy ; my hinumiid/ (cHs me it is imnirj, and all the arji^unient and fophistry in the world can't convince me it is right. My co7iscutice and my ferlinrjt puidc mo and teach me j and I am satisfied the poet dcscrihed you masters of the South when ho 8aid : * Man's inhumanity to man, makes countless thourand.s mourn. ' Is inhumanity right ? is it right to cause human sufiering ? If not, then tell me not that slavery is right. " *' Pardon me, sir," said Mr. T., "you take me quite by surprise 1 expected a reply to the argument. But I need not be astonished, for you Northern people never have given, and never can give the subject of slavery a fair and impartial investigation. The time has past for that. Prejudice against the institution has so preoccupied the mind, as pcsitively to incapacitate it for the task. Many at the South once believed it was wrong, and they owe the correction of the error somewhat to the fanaticism of the Abolitionists. When you began to denounce it a.s a great sin, and to petition Congress for its abolition, and to form your emancipation societies, our people cautiously began t« investigate the morality of the institution. Knowing that the Jiible alone was infallible on moral subjects, they began to 'Kearch the (scriptures.' 'J'he consequence is, that all intel- ligent Southerners are now convinced that slavery is right, and they never will abandon the institution, nor can they bo driven Irom it. The Northern people never discovered the evil till they had .sW^^ theii slaves and pocketed the proceeds. Suddenly they were aroused to the fact that slavery was wrong. 'J'hey did not go to the liible to prove its error, but to humanity. I^'rom thi.s source they drew their principles, and then went to the IJible to torture it into a support of their preconceived opinions. This enabled them to soo a great many things which were not there, and to place constructions upon the Divine word wholly at variance with its meaning. They have so long dallied with their Delilah that they are shorn of their man- hood. The por\-er of prejudice, in the hands of political dema- gogues, scnsutionalist.s, press and pulpit, liave completely bound them. Oppo.'iiiion to slavery has become much the larger portion of their religion. It has pervaded society to such an extent, and taken such powerful liold upon public sentiment, that but few men have moral courage enough to doubt the ?}).sc dixit of the veriest political tyro that prates from the rostrum against the South. There are mofe sermons preached against slavery than against drunkenness, ' NELLIE NORTON. 47 theft, debauchery, or any other pin to which fallen humanity is heir. A Sabbath School book cannot be written in a style acceptable to to the Northern uiiud, unless it condemns it in some part. No doubt but there are more prayers made for the cessation of slavery than for the discontinuance of idolatry among the heathens ; indeed, it is considered a crime of the 'darkest malignity, ' notwithstanding the sanction it receives from Divine Eevelation. " '• 1 have determined, " said Mr. Pratt, " to adhere to the question of moral wrong in slavery. I am not at all convinced by anything you have said or proven from the Scriptures, that slavery does not involve moral guilt. 1 will again avail myself of the very accurate definition and conclusive argument of Dr. Wayland. Slavery is the ' right to oblige another to labor for me without his contract or consent, with the additional right to use all the means necessary to insure the exercise of the original right. I suppose God made of one blood all men that dwell upon the earth, that we are all par- takers of the same nature, as we are all the children of one coniuiou parent. 1 suppose that this common nature is not affected in any respect by the color of the skin, the difference of the hair, or by any other variety of physical formation. * * * j believe that every individual is endowed with an immortal soul, and that he is placed in the present state of probation, a candidate for everla.'^ting happiness or everlasting woe. He has an intellect capable of endless progression in knowledge, and is animated with a desire to improve that intellect to the utmost. God has given him a right to improve it to whatever extent he pleases. He is endoweil with a conscience which renders him susceptible of obligations both to God and to man. la virtue of this endowment, it is his imperative duty to seek, by all the means in his power, to know the will of God ; and it is his inalienable right to serve (iod in the manner which ho beheves will be most pleasing to the Creator. He has powers of external action, and by means of his intellect he may use these powers for the improvement of his own condition ; and ])rovided he uses them not in violation ot the equal rights of his brethren, he may employ them as he will, and the result of this employment is strictly and exclusively his own. ' Now, Mr. Thompson, look at slavery in connection with these views, as a candid man, as a philanthropist. Slavery denies, in spirit, that 'God of one blood mode all men that dwell upon the earth.' It abrogates the one *■ rommon nature' derived from one common parent. It annuls the religious rights of the enslaved, and denies to them the privilege of moral and intel- 48 NELLIE NORTON. lectual culture. It restniins them from the employment of their own time for their own benefit. Now, sir, can a system be right which must neceRsarily involve such injustice? Can it?" " ^ ou are an admirable tactician," haid Mr. T. " Having found the IJible a pro-slarery book, you resort to Dr. Wayland. Divine truth being against you, you seek help from what the Abolitionists have decided to be the most simple and cdudusivc argument they have read.' Now, as you have l«lt the Uible because it is against you, and gone to the ' Author of the Moral Science ' as the best authority to which you can appeal, what will bu your next step if he should prove insuSicient!'' I ask this question in time, that you may be casting about in your mind beibrchand. A good general is al\Tay.-i prepared fur a retreat, in the event of a reverse. But I am under no obligations to reply to your article from Dr. Wayland. Our "proposition was to discuss slavery from the Bible. 1 will, how- ever, notice the views, if for iiothin-^ else, just to show the sophistry of your celebrated author. ' Slavery, ' you say, ' denies, in spirit, that (xod of one blood made all men that dwell upon the earth. ' How slavery denies its announcement you did not say. We find it in the same book in which we find 'thou shalt buy bondmen and bondmaids. ' ^Ve have the same authority ibr the belief of the one thaX we have for the practice of the other, God is the author of both — we then are free. Your charge falls (whether with becoming huniility you must decide,) upon the authur of the Bible. If we held slaves without any Divine authority, your charge would at least possess some plausibility ; but you left the Bible without showing it to be anti-slavery. It is nut very courteous to that volume to call it in as a witness against us, when you have tacitly denied the credi- bility of its testimony. Again, you say, ' It abrogates the common nature derived iromone common parent. ' How so? Have we ever denied that negroes were descended iVom Adam and from Noah; that w« have one common Father '{ Have we ever denied that they were totally depraved, fallen sinners? Have we ever denied that they are immorUil beings, or withheld t'roni them the Gospel ? Have we denied that they were flesh and blood and bones ; were subject like ourselvcH to joys and sorrows, health and sickness, life and death? Does slavery deny the common humanity of bondmen in any respect ? , 'Ib lie- i.ui mil., by sin and Buflbriug tried; Is be not man, for whom a Saviour died i" You assert what cannot be proven, and take for granted the very NELLIE NORTON. 49 point in issue. Do you hold that the obligation of a child to obey the parent 'abrogates' the 'common nature,' because children are bound to 'obey their parents ?' Is an apprentice bound to his prin- cipal for a tdrm of years thereby removed beyond the pale of our common brotherhood ? If so, every pupil at school, every young man in College, every operative in the workshops and factories, is for the time being excluded from participation in the 'common nature' inherited from one common parent? I think y«u mean more than you have said. You doubtless had in your mind the ad captandum saying of Dr. Chauning : ' The consciousness of our humanity involves the persuasion that we cannot be owned as a tree or a brute.' " Thank you for the quotation," said Mr. Pratt, "I was not able to call it. up, but the idea was in my mind; I only wanted the words. " " You suppose, then," paid Mr. Thompson, "or rather Dr, Chan- ning supposes that slavery makes trees and brutes! out of negroes. We burn trees for firewood very frequently, but I have never known a slave thus burned. We build houses and fences, and bridges, and Railroad cars and steamships, and masts 6ut of trees, but we have never as yet appropriated our negroes to such purposes. We will leave to I'^aukee ingenuity, that can make nutmegs and hams out of wood, or sell a flask of liquor for a Bible, so complete being the imitation, I say we will leave it to them to teach us how to convert a negro into the uses of a tree. As yet we have more trees than negroes, and we are satisfied for each to occupy its appropriate place. " But again, you say it makes ' brutes' of them. We use our brute here to ride, to pull the plough, to draw the wagon and car- riage ; but we have not yet learned that our slaves are able to per- form such services. It remains for some Yankee in the future to ride to town on tlie back of a negro fellow, or lo invent the yoke or harness to pull the wagOn, or to be drawn to the city by four of them. Yankee ingenuity has neveryet failed in accomplishing its purpose, and we can't say, but that a man who hn& found out that slavery makes trees and brutes of negroes, may yet, if he can only get legal jiossession of them, appropriate them to these purposes. Now, sir, I have answered your Dr. Chauning in strict accordance with Prov. xxvi : 5. Answer a fool according to his folly. " God says 'buy boondmcn and bondmaids.' Y'ou say, Oh, po !* that would be, in spirit, to deny that God of one blood made all men that dwell upon the earth. God says ' Canaan shall be a servant of G 60 NELLIE NORTON. servants to his brethren.' You t-hrink back with horror and say ' forbear, for that would abrogate the common humanity derived from one common parent.' God says ' they shall be your possessions, your money.' ' Never, no never,' you say. ' may humanity forbid, for this would be to make them as trees and brutes.' Now, sir, who is to be believed and who obeyed, you or yonr Maker y " But you do not say," said Mr. Pratt, ' that in law you consider your slaves as mere chattels? Senator Sumner said in his cele- brated speech at the Metropolitan theatre, in 1855, ' By the law of slavery, man, created in the image of God, is divested of his human character, and declared to be a mere chattel, and .said he quoted from the law of two phivc States, South Carolina and Louis- iana," "Nellie,'' said Mr. Tbomps^oD, " please hand me my scrap book from my library. I have taken care to gather, as far as I could, all laws on the subject of slavery, and codify them for my own informal tion. It will therefore be in my power to sec if the distinguished Senator has done justice to our noble little sister State." After turning the leaves for a few minutes, Mr. T. read aloud, ''Slaves shall be delivered, sold, taken, reputed and adjudged in law to be chattels pergonal in the hand.s of their oAvuers and possessors, and their executors, administrators and assigns, to all intents, constructions and purposes whalhuevor." " If Mr. Sumner," said Mr. T., " was a plain farmer, who knew nothing beyund his niiik and cheese and butter, and had read nothing but the Tribune, and had never heard anyone preach but Henry AVard Beecher or Theodore Parker, I should bo disposed to attribute fo him oil honesty of purpose, and he would claim my most earnest -pity. Hut for a United States Senator tosny that ' chattels pergonal' means ' mere iliattel;*,' is to say that his igno- rance dif^qualifies him lor his position, or that kis duplicity entitles him to the reprobation of all truth-loving and honest people. The law says ' chattels personal' U> distingui.-^h them from chattels real or landed estates and fixtures, but a more chattel is nothing more than a chattel. Senator Sumner is an animal, and would not feel reproached if I were to tell him so; but it I were to say, he is a mere animal, it would be the same as to say, he is nothing but an animal. Senator Sumner is a thing, but is he a mere thing, u thing only ?" " I see the point in your argument very plainly, uncle," said NoUie. "Mr. Sumner has made an interpolation by substituting mere for personal, and has thus materially altered the sense of the law. The way he makes the law read, is to put slaves in the catalogue with NELLIE NORTON. 51 watches, furniture and the like, while the word 'personal' is placed before them to distinguish them from real estate. They were said in the Bible to be a man's money; this is the light in which your leg- islators view them, when they call them chattels. I suppose it simply means property or possession. This much, I believe, you have shown from the Bible, you are authorized to call them. Then they are chattels, and as they are not real estate, they must be per- sonal. But the word chattel does not in the least interfere with their humanity. I wonder if such perversions are common with our abo- lition orators of the North ? if they arc, the ' blind are leading the blind,' and I do oot t-ee what is to keep us all out of the ditch of error, for the common people have no means of detecting these errors, Ijowever glaring they may be. We all gulp them down as the ox drinketh the water, and think them gospel truths. I remember reading j\Ir. Sumner's speech just before leaving home, and the im- pression made by it upon my mind was, that the South had lost all Kense of justice and humanity. I never dreamed that the honorable Senator would mislead his readers. 1 must coftfess, Mr. Pratt, that I am not only unsettled in my of>position to slavery as a moral wrong, but my confidence in the candor and honesty of the statements of our Northern speakers on the subject of slavery is greatly shaken if not entirely destroyed. I discover now, what I never heard admitted »t the North, that the subject of slavery has two sides. It admits of defence; and that upon moral and scriptural grounds. I cannot see any sophistry in uncle's arguments, and the texts he quotes are too much in point to be denied. As I heard you say once in a ser- mon, ' Let God be true, but every man a liar.' I am willing to com- mit the formation of my opinions on all subjects to the infallible word of wisdom and goodness. God cannot err." A servant entered and handed Nellie a note, which after a silent reading, she gave to her mother, who referred its contents to her uncle and aunt. It was a polite note from Wr. Mortimer, asking Miss Nellie and her young cousin to take a ride the next afternoon to see, what he considered a beautiful spring near bis plantation. It was agreed that the invitation should be accepted, and Nellie sought her young cou.sin Alice that tbcy might jointly answer the note. Tea being announced, the family retired to the dining room. While at supper, Mr. T. was informed that one of his servants was very sick at the cabins, whither he hastened without delay. " Nellie," said Mr. Pratt, after they were again seated in the par- lor, " I regret very much you so far committed yourself to the prin- 52 NELLIE NORTON. cipleB and practices of slavocracy. Yoa are giving them aid and comfort, and if we friends of human liberty have no more stability than that, wo can never be of eorvice to the down-trodden slaves. Your uncle ha.s not convinced nie, nor ifo I ner intend to Lc con- vinccil." ** Mr. Pratt," said ^ellie, " I did not cummit myself U> the slavoc- racy. but to the IJible. I have been listening with the deepest interest for you to refute the scrij/ture arpunionts bronuht forward by my uncle, by a relerence to the same high authority, but you have dis. appointed mc, and 1 have attributed it, nut to a want of intelligence on your part, or an absence of {amiliarity with the Dible, nor could I presume you wanting in desire to demolish every profilavery argu- ment ; but I have attributed your iiiilure to the weaknej^s of your cause. You have not brought up Bible arguments, because there were none. As for being convinced, I hope always to be willing to listen without prejudice to scriptural truth. This you have taught me, as my pastor, from childhood; and I desire to have the candor and moral firmness to confess an error when discovered." " But," said Mr. Pratt, "do you not know that the letter of the scripture is one thing, and the spirir is another. Paul says the letter killetb, but the spirit giveth life. Your uncle's arguments are spe- cious, and I am surprised, and 1 had almost said ashamed of you, that you have not detected his sophi.stry." " 1 wonder," said Nellie, "you did not point it out it it were so patent, especially a.s you seemed so hard pushed for an argument to sustain what you have alway,s taught mc to "believe was tlod's truth. But you say the ' letter and sjtirii' of the Bible are different. Do YOU mean that the Lord speaks one jhing and means ju.st the opposite. That when He says 'Thou shalt buy bondnien,' He means thou shall not buy bondmen'/' When lie says, ' They shalt be your bondmen /orfVff,' He means you shall emancipate them'/* No, sir, the letter and spirit do not, cannot thus contradict each otlier. That there are figures of speech in the Bible, I hnvc been taught by my Sabbath School teacher, and 1 presume none will deny this, and I have also been taught, and correctly too, I presume, that these are to be inter- preted just as the figurative writings of other authors. But if the Bible is not to be interpreted by its language, then I am utterly hopeless as to a standard of righteousness to which all may come. Should your opinion obtain popular currency, and you shoold prove yourself the man for the place, we had better have you appointed to give the spiritual meaning of the scriptures, and take away the word, NELLIE NORTON. 53 for what use could we then have for the word ? But this would be to darken counsel, or rather to extinguish the light entirely. Do you think it is right to say, ' You never intend to be convinced V" "Yes," said Mr. Pratt, "it is right to close the avenues to men- tal conviction against, all such monstrosities. Do you think I would read Voltaire or Paine with my heart or mind open to conviction ? Preposterous. Do you think I would listen to a Mormon preacher without fortifying every access to my convictions? Never ! no never !! Be on your guard, Xcllie, you are young and easily carried away by specious arguments and plausible pretences. Your uncle has met abolitionists before. He i.>* well read and can make the worse, the better side appear. There is an air of straight forwardness about him, well calculated to deceive the young. Ho is a wily tactician." "But, Mr. Pratt," said Nellie, "j'ou are not fortifying yourself against infidelity, but against truth. Not steeling yourself against the fallacies'of a Mormon preacher, but against utterances ^f a prophet of God. Not against an error, but against heaven's revelation. You are not required to believe a ' moral monstrosit}-,' but simply what God has spoken in plain language. The infidel would tell you it is a monstrous fabrication, that a just and benevolent God ordained apian for human redemption, which made it necessary that Lis own son should suffer and bleed and die. He says you demand too much of his credulity. But you answer him by saying < Thus it is written,' ' If they will not believe Moses and the prophets, they would not be- lieve one though he rose from the dead.' The arguments of my uncle are not specious but scriptural, and to my mind conclusive ; and though I am joung, and on that account perhaps the more easily influenced, yet I have not been willingly convinced, and even now, while I cannot answer uncle's arguments, and it etems as plain as that 2 and 2 are four, yet 1 confess that my feelings of humanity do not so easily yield as my judgment, but this may be because I have not heard the Ivumanity side of the question. I did not at first believe there was a scriptural side of the question, but a% I have been con- vinced of that, I am still further open to conviction by i\iQ power of Truth." The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Norton and Mrs. Thompson, who, not knowing the nature, or even existence of the conversation, proposed that Nellie entertain them with some new pieces of music, with which her uncle had presented her on her arrival. The remainder of the evening was spent by the family, in the parlor, in social converse, {"nterspersed with now and then a little muaio from Nellie or Alice 54 :;(tn announced the death of Reuben, which cast a shadow over the bright faces of the young cousins, who had only heard of his illness before. The arrangements for the funeral were also spoken of, and when Nellie ascertained that '■ Uncle Jesse " was to officiate, she regretted the arrangement for the afternoon, for she was exceedingly anxious to attend a negro funeral j but it wa.s too late, unless Mr. Mortimer was willing to stay, and she could not obtain her consent to approach him on the subject. Her mother, however, informed her she must foregoHhe pleasure of attending the funeral, and in due time be in readiness with her young»cousin for the ride. Mr. Thompson was busy during ihd day, preparing for the decent interment of bis servant ; and Mr. Pratt took this occasion to gratify NELLIE NORTOJC. 65 his Yankee curiosity, and feed his abolition sentiments, by walking about the cabins and prying into the condition of the slaves, observing the care taken of the aged and the helpless young, but WHS surprised to find so little to condemn and so much to approve. When the hour for the funeral arrived, the white family, with Mr. Pratt, went to the house of worship to witness the ceremony and hear the sermon. "Uncle Jesse" was already in the pulpit When all were seated, he arose and read a part of the 14th chapter of Job, and then lined out the hymn : " Hark from the tombs a doleful sound, Mine ears attend the cry, Yc living men come view the ground Where you must shortly lie." It was sung in full and solemn strains by the entire congregation, whose feelings seemed to be in unison with the sentiments of the hymn and the solemnity of the occasion. The minister then knelt, and engaged in fervent prajer that this sudden visitation of Provi- dence might be a warning to servants and owner. He expressed thanks that the one taken from them had pat his trust in the Son of God, and was ready and willing to go. He announced his text: " The righteous hath hope in his death." After giving some explanations of the nature and value of the christian hope, he drew a striking contrast between it and the sinner's hope which should perish. " The sinner's hope," said he, "will do for health, but the christian's is good in sickness too; the sinner's seems strong enough when he has no load to carry, but it is too weak when the heavy burden's put upon him. It is bright when the sun shines, but goes out in darkness; it is mighty plea.«ant in the sins of life, but not one spark of it is left for his death bed ; and when he comes to judgment, he will call upon the great big mountains to fall on him and kill him so that the great Master can't find him to punish him. Where's hi.s hope, then? He hain't got none, it's gone, gone forever. Poor sinner I he didn't love Jesus here, nor serve him, now Jesus won't take no notice of him. He cry for help, but Jesus, lofjking up yonder gmiling on the good ones. He cry to the mountains, but the mountains no hear him ; he call on the lulls, but the hills no answer Jbim. Poor sinner, he got no friend, no Savior at the judgment. Rut not so with the faithful servant; he done his day's work faithfully; he lived right so as to please his Master; he done what he told him ; he mind his Master up yonder. He been looking all the time for his Master to come ; he want to see r56 NELLIE NORTON. I Him ; he anxious for Him to come. He look hU day fer Him. He love his Master; he hope in His goodness and mere}*, and as he, sees the sun goinc down his heart is happy; ah I he says, "I'll sec my Master soon. He'll be in a good humor; He'll smile and say, ' well done good and faithful servant.' He feels like the good preacher of old, * Come, Lord Jesus, como quickly.' Blessed is he who the Master finds so doing. And when the mighty angel Gabriel shall blow his trumpet so loud that it will wake the dead in their graves, they will need no more hopes then, fer they will see the Good blaster standing near like He was to Lazarus' grave, and He will give 'em new wings, like the angels, to fly away with Him to that big house He is gone up into heaven now to make for them. Even now while we here are weeping and mourning, brother Reuben's spirit's gorfe up there to be happy forever. He had hope when he was well. You all know how he used to 'zort you all to bleave in Jesus ; you 'member his good prayers and happy songs, and how he said he was ready when the Master called for him. So when he got sick, the Savior sent His good spirit to give him strength, and he had hope still. Last night, when death was coming, and the doctor and Mas George told him they couldn't do nothing to save him, ho said, ' I am so glad I see the pretty angels coming for me, to take me up to my long home to be happy forever.' He said, ' Uncle Jessie, tell 'em all to be faithful servants to our good Master here, and to our heavenly Ma.sler above, for He says we must be good servants here to b« happy there. Tell them till to meet me in heaven, for when they wake up in the morning I shall be there.' Lord, make brother Reuben's dying sermon the loudest preaching these poor servants ever heard, may it stick to 'em and weight 'em down tell they come to Thee for lielp. "And now, my fellow Fervants, before I get through, let me say to you, who have not the hope of the righteous : The Lord sees you. His eyes are like two great balls of fire, set up yonder in the heavens, only they are there all day and all night too, looking down even into your hearts ; and for every wicked thought and word he will bring you into judgment. Repent, repent, or you will all perish forever." The preacher was much moved, and so were all who heard him. Mr. T. looked round at Mr. Pratt, who was just wiping the tears from his eyes. As the master arose, there was a general press forward to the coffin to take the last look at the breathless form of "brother Reuben." The wife came forward in silent grief, as the NELLIE NORTON. 57 large tear drops fell from her face like pearly dew drops from the shaken grass, till she reached the corpse, when a wild shriek burst from her lips, and she fell prostrate upon her deceased husband. A moan of deep grief and heartfelt sympathy was audible in the congregation, .After a moment she was gently removed, and the men designated for that purpose came forward, and, closing the coffin, marched slowly out of the house, followed by all, white and colored. As soon as they all cleared the door, the old ostler broke forth into a solemn funeral dirge, the refrain of which was echoed by nearly all in the procession, and, as they moved in slow and measured steps, the melody of death song filled the air, till they reached the grave, and placed the body in its last resting place. When the grave was filled up, a short prayer and the benediction by *' uncle Jesse " was the signal for dismission. While these solemn exercises were taking place, Nellie, Alice and Mr. Mortimer were enjoying the mild autumnal air, and regaling themselves with the fading beauties of the lovely forest. Passing near the residence of Mr. M., Nellie inquired, " have you any churches near you where there is a stated ministry?" "None," said Mr, M., " nearer than ten miles, and that enjoys only a monthly ministry." "Then," said Nellie, "your servants have but few religious opportunities, and make but little moral improvement, for I suppose that it is too far for them to attend unless you furnish them with" facilities for riding." " We never permit our servants, except on unusual occasions, to go so far to church," said Mr, M. " We find it to our interest and for their good, to bring the minister to them rather than send them to him. You will observe a painted house standing out to our left— that is our church.'' " That with a short steeple ? " said Nellie. " And have you a bell on it ?" " Yes/' said Mr. M., " I bought in Savannah a steamboat bell, which can be heard very well by all my servants, and we have it wrung just before the hour of preaching,* We have a good deal of uniformity in our services. We have an educated and devotedly pious man for.our minister, and he is greatly attached to the work of his ministry. He has been called to one or two city churches, and once I believe to a professorship in one of our universities, but he feels this is the work assigned him by Providence, and therefore he stays." '•How often," said Nellie, "do- you have preaching in your church ?" " Preaching twice a month," said Mr. M., " and prayer meetings the other two Sabbaths and one night in each week. The weekly H 58 N'ELLIH XORTON. I prayer meetings, however, are beld at the negro houses. They find it less labor after the fatigues of the da}', and they procure a better coBgrcgation, and therefore, at their request, I have permitted them to use their own pleasure as to the location of these meetings." " Have you many religious servants ? " said Nellie. "Yes," said Mr. M., "more than half of my adult servants are members of the church, and a large majority very conscientious and pious. They are more uniform and consistent, more regular in their attendance upon Divine worship, than any clas.sof profel<^■ed christians I have ever seen \ and there is not one among them who refuses to pray when asked, and I believe all who have families are accustomed to hold prayer with them at least once a day. They are the most religious class of people in this cr any other land. They have fewer temptations to the vices, vanities and cares of life. They are the most contented and hjrppy people of our fallen race, I j^ometimes wish 1 had been born a slave, and reared in the lap of unaspiring contentment as they have been. I do not own one who is not to-day happier than I am." *' Can any of them read ? " said Nellie. " Several of them read well," said Mr. Mortimer, '' and have their bibles and hymn books ; and some have a knowledge of Scripture that would greatly surprise you. Before 1 became a church member, I used to argue the subject of religion, taking the negative, with a very faithlul old servant of mine. He would answer from the Bible every argument that I brought up, till at last I denied the Divine inspiration of the Bible, telling him that it was written by a lew wicked men just to see how foolish men were in believing a great story that pretended to be from heaven. " Master," said he, " I'se seen a heap of bad men in the world, and I never hear them say good things like the Bible got in it. Bad men against the |Jible, and the good things it tells 'bout they no write it. You think so, master i Ah ! I knpw you don't. There's somiCthin' here," laying his hand upon his heart, " that says it's true, it's fnpm yonder," pointing to heaven, "and your heart tell you so too. The wicked one make you say the Bible not true ; he want you to burn to. the lake of fire j he want to keep you out of heaven. Better trfke care, master, you too good a man for Satan to get, but be want you. You ought to pray, master, that the good Spirit teach you like a child how to be " wise unto salvation " and good like Master Jesus, I pray for you every day; I don't want the wicked one to get you ; I want you to be christian, and lead we NELLIE NORTON. t 59 bliRSk folks io the right way. I tell you, master, if you be good man, your people be heap bettor and happier, and you be happier too. Master, do try to be good ; please, sir, won't you, dear luassa ?" Here teai-s came into the eyes of M., while he added, " under God I owe my salvation to the earnest and repeated exhortations and prayers of that good servant. I have often heard him pray for me when he was not aware that I or any one else was near him." " Do they maintain anything like family discipline ? " said Nellie. " A few of them do," answered Mr. M., " and most of thfem command obedience from children to their parents. But, like all other families of the earth, there is n^uch criminal negligence on this subject. Yet there is not that necessity for discipline among negroes that there Ls among a free people ; at least a neglect of it is not so harmful. Their children are less exposed to temptation ; they do not come in contact with the snares of a wicked and designing world as we do; the restraint which slavery places upon them is an admirnble guard against the dissipations which ruin so many youn"' men in our country. The pious among them generally take some pains in the religious training of their children, but many of them, like the whites of every land, arc guilty of sisful neglect on this subject. Many white children are ruined for the want of proper religious instructions and restraints, and it is hardly to be expected that the servant should be above his lord in this respect." " I suppose," said Nellie, *' their standard of moral honesty is very low; their ability to discriminate between mine and thine must be very weak." " They are not all honest, but there is less dishonesty among them than among any class of dependents in the world. Our house pcrvants have opportunities to take anything we have, even our inon^y, but either their sense of moral wrong, or their pride of character, keeps them from yielding to the temptations which arc thus daily placed before them. Such of us as are bachelors, as inysclf, place even our keys at their disposal, so that they have free access to everything. I have no doubt, from my knowledge of their character, that generally they arc influenced from a sense of moral honesty in abstaining from taking the things which belong toothers. Nine cases out of ten of the robberies committed in our cities are perpe- trated by white persons. There are more slaves in our cities, perhaps double the number, than of poor persons. Why do they not steal'!' They have better opportunities than the whites. They have acceaa to every house ; they know where the valuables are kept ; 60 • NELLIE NORTO^^ they have unrestrained intercourse with each other that they nji^ht form any collusion they chose, and yet they but seldom steal. The reasons seem to me obvious. Superadded to the one already men- tioned, they have everything which their condition in life demands. They are fed bountifully, clothed well, nursed when indisposed, and afforded as suitable diet when sick as other persons enjoy, and if they need anything they have no hesitation at all in asking for it, and generally it affords a master pleasure to grant the requests, feven though sometimes the}' may be very whimsical. Then again, most of our servants entertain such an affection for their masters that they consider themselves as much interested in what pertains to their interests as if it were their own. I have not a servant who would not labor as hard as I to save any piece of my property from destruc- tion, or who would" not now place himself in danger, if necessary, to save me from it. When 1 am sick they manifest the greatest concern for my recovery, and come in to see me every evening when they return from labor, and some of the more pious will come and propose to hold prayer for mc. Under these circumstances, they pray most fervently and affectionately. On one occasion, when 1 was very ill, and so delirious I k^ew nothing, an aged servant came in at midnight and told those who were watching with me, that he could not sleep till he knelt by my bedside and prayed for me. His request was granted, and after a prayer in such broken English that it was scarcely understood by those who li.'^tened, for he w;i.s an African, he retired satisfied. His prayer, however, was heard in heaven, and the answer of mercy was enjoyed by me." They arrived at the spring, and the conversation was turned upou the surrounding objects. The spring was so much less beautiful than many which Nellie had seen in New England, that shu wa.s not very profuse in its praise. As they rode home an agreement wa.s made that on some day not far in the future they would ride up to Boua- venture and sec that uni((ue and ancient burying ground. Nellie was convinced that slav«hoIding did not make a master the less a man in all the nobler element* of character. She had found a young bachelor who was an intelligent social christian, observing, with scrupulous regard all the amenities of life, with a bearing dignified and even noble, a heart, too, true and generous, a sensibility cultivated and refined, free from that rude familiarity which she had beeu accustomed to see. In a word, she had found a man whom she felt was her superior, and for whom, to say no more, she entertained a profound respect. NELLIE JfORTON. 61 Arriving at Mr. Thouipsow's as the sun went down, the party proceeded up the gravelly walk, ornamented with a variety of beau- tiful shrubbery tastefully arranged, while here and there still lingered on the parent stem an autumnal rose whose fragrance was not less fresh, and whose odor was not less sweet than when the first bland May morn vfas ushered in by the melody of the forest songsters. Promising to call again soon to enjoy some new pieces of music of which Nellie had been speaking, Mr. Mortimer bid them good evening at the door, and retired. The merits of Uncle Jesse's sermon and the scenes at the funeral were freely discussed at the tea table. Mr. Pratt said he had heard many sermons- from ministers of finished education, which would compare unfavorably for strength of argument, scriptural illustrations and gospel purity with this, and he was convinced under such a system of religious instruction the colored people would not suffer for the bread of life. He added, " if all slaveholders were like 'mine hosts,' the institution would be much lees objectionable to my mind. I would to God every slave of the South had such a master." " I have found another such," said Nellie, " in the person of Mr, Mortimer; and am prcpaircd to believe there are many more." "I assure you," said Mr. Thompson, "my neighbors' servants, as a general thing, fare as well as mine, and such is public sentiment, that if a man treats his servants with inhumanity he is mled out of Kociety, and if that does not efiect a reformation we apply the " weightier matter of the law " to him. Servants have their rights as well as masters, and we are scrupulously particular not to infringe upon them. The interests and rights of masters and servants do not conflict, but harmonize ; they are diflferent, it is true, and yet in some sense they are identical. It is like the relation of the subject and the sovereign. It is for the welfare of the subject that he should be subordinate and virtuous, honest and loyal ; he thereby ])romotes the strength and perpetuity of the government which protects him in the enjoyment of his right's, and it gives him favor with his sovereign, whos^e good will is not to be lightly esteemed. On the other hand, it is the interest of the sovereign to regard the rights of his .subject", and, as far as possible, promote their welfare, for thereby he contributes to the strength and perpetuity of his throne, by obtaining a place in the hearts of his subjects. He makes it«outhcrn slaveholder. I did not know you^recoguisied the existence of any such f-Mi. I'niy toll me what you consider to be their right."." "There are many clever things at the South," said Mr. T., "of which j'ou ut the North know nothing, and for the snp|it).sed ak^cncc of which much odium is heaped upon u.s. But to the subject of your questions. The slaves have many rights. The right of life and limb, the right to be (cd and clothed, to be nursed when sick, and cared for in old age when they become helplessly infirm. They are rightfully entitled to y>rotection from ill treatment. They have the right to the uninterrupted posi*cssion of whatever they may accu- mulate by labor in fiieir owu time, or by honest trade, and this is universally awarded to them, although the amounts thusaecumulated are considerable. They are entitled to protection from the pernicious sentiments of abolitionists which discontent them with their present condition by untruthful representations, but which do not nfford them any relief, liut again, servants have a right to the "tree of life," through faith in our common Savior. They have a right to our sympathy, esteem and confidence, and this right they enjoy at the South, but no where else in Christendom. It is true that the rights ol' the negro are recognized nowhere on earth but in the South, and by no persons but slaveholders. Not that there is not a great dcnl of prating about " freedom, emancipation, inherent and inalienable rights," and a long catalogue of unmeaning jargon in its application to the slave j but they are despised and contemned and driven hungry and naked a\^ay I'nun the doors of those whose j)rofes- sions of sympathy are loudest. Their Northern friends (?) will contribute money to free them from shivery, but not from hunger, cold and nakednese. How niany refugees now at the North turn with longing eyes back to the eomfbrt>< and privileges they enjoyed wliile in slavery. But their friends will neither help them back, nor relieve them there." When seated in the parlor, after tea, Mr. Thompson referred to the conversation of the previous afternoon, and said : " I did not reply to all the objections you urged against slavery. I will now finish what I then began. Your proposition was, that slavery annuls the religious rights of the enslaved, and denies them the privileges of moral and intellectual culture.'' • " I will withdraw the first part of that proposition," said Mr. Pratt. " What I have witnessed of their religious and moral culture NELLIE NORTON. 63 this day is more convincing than any argument you could produce. I am convinced that on this particular point the South has been misunderstood. I hold to the proposition that it denies them the right of intellectual culture, and I apprehend you will admit the fact." " 1 think," said Mr. T., " I might well hold you to the proof that such right exists. If it does, from what source is it derived ? " "From their common brotherhood to the human family," said Mr. P. " God has endowed all mer» with intelleotual powers, and holds them responsible for their improvement. Then it follows that there must be freedom to do that, for the doing or neglecting of which they will be held accountable." ''I hold," said Mr. Thompson, "they have no rights on this subject which are not in entire /accordance with the obligations imposed by slavery, since in this particular God made them excep- tions to the common brotherhood, entailing on them slavery with all its legitimate consequences. What rights to intellectual culture has their Creator bestowed on them ? Go to the land of their fathers and ascertain. They have no written language, no schools, no teachers, no means for the increase of knowledge. God has withheld these privileges from them up to the present time. They arc, as you know, an ignorant, degraded, indolent people. They have lain in ignorance for thousands of years without either the ability or incli- nation for improvement. More than two-thirds of the population of Africa are in the most servile bondage to the other one-third. The masters and slaves alike in the most stupid ignorance. This state of universal ignorance in Africa cannot be attributed to the moral and religious darkness that has settled as a pall of blackness upon the hearts of that people. Greece and Rome and Egypt in ancient days, and the Chinese at the present time, with their learning, their poetry, history, oratory, arts and sciences, and yet all having no knowledge of the living God, prove most conclusively that intellectual improvement tnay be wholly disconnected from moral and religious culture. As this is the only nation of people who have not advan(^d intellectually, there is much reason to believe they are providentially an exception to the general rule." "You do not pretend," said Mr. P., "to deny the glorious prin- ciple asserted in the Declaration of Independence : that '' all men are born free and equal." This would be a denial of a fundamental principle of republican government. This truth has thrilled the hearts of milliona, and called forth the loudest plaudita from enthu- 64 NELLIK NORTON. siastic rcpublicuDs. This part of our noble declaration is so cnu> nently true, that he who denies it should di-ny iho utiiiy ol' our race, 1 hope, therefore, that uiy honorable host nil! not be guilty of such rashness." " 1 suppose, then," .said Mr. T., '' yuu hold this declaration to be true without any restrictions or qualifications. The negro is as free as the American citizen, and is therefore his equal ; he is conse- ^jucntly entitled to the elective franchise, and even more, to hold any office to which a white man in eligible. A negro, therefore, may one day be President of these United States — his beautiful thick- lipped spouse doing the honors of the White House, and graciously condescending to receive an introduction to, and entertuin your wife and daughters. Under these circumstances, the js'ivcs and daughters of your Congressmen would have to receive the attention of the 7-*resident and his sons, if he bad any, and treat them with nil deference as equals or superiors. IJut again, if a negro is thus equal, and therefore eligible to- this high office, he ha.s the right to choose his (jabiuet, and would, as we have inrariably done, select them of his own color. Now, my dear sir, would this not be a beautiful illustration of the doctrine of 0((uality. America ruled by Africa — white men ruled by negroes — the enslaved of the Lord dictating to those whom He made free. Verily your dogma would turrt*the world '' upside down," annul the Divine order and reverse the decrees of nature. Nor can you deny that this is the inevitable result of the doctrine, that all men are born free and equal. We have always held the theory abstractly, but jiut it into practice and yet avoid these results if you can." "What extremists you fc'outhern people arc," said iMr. Pratt. " I did not mean political freedom and. cijuulity, but social, religious and mental." "Then," said Mr. T., ''you believe in social ecjuality with the negro, do you ? You would be plea-^ed to have them visit your wife and daughters upon a social cciuality: internuirry with them, have tncm for your sons and daughtci-s, amalgamate the two races, to one of which God has given a white skin' and straight hair, and to the other of which he has given a black skin and woolly hair. Thus, what Qod has joined together you would put asunder, and what ho has put so far asunder you would join together. But pardon me, sir, if T say you abolitionists do believe in the political freedom of the negro, and for its accomplishment all your abolition societies have berin organized, and all your speeches, sermons and petitions to NELLIE NORTON. 65 Congress made. W\ty this perpetual cry against slavery, if it is not that you want them freed in the political sense. Then, if you be- lieve in universal freedom and equality, it must include political as well as social freedom. Howe^"er, sir, I accept your limitation, and am glad that you do not believe in the political freedom of the negro, that you are content to leave him in political bondage, because he has no such right as freedom. He has rights, but the elective fran- chise is not one of them, as you have very properly concluded. Then what are his rights ? Dr. Channing says the slave ' is subject to the community, and the community has the right, and is bound to con- tinue all such restraints, as its own safety and the well-being of the slave demand.'. Then what becomes of the equal rights of the slave according to this celebrated abolitionist ? He is not lo be owned by an individual nor controlled by one master, but by many, poor fellow, by the ' community.' The community are not to free him, not to restore to him his lost but inalienable rigiits. Oh, no, it is to * re- strain' him. The negroes, generally, are not fond of suchpromiaencc, nor has experience taught them that they fare better in a community who holds no property in them, and whose sole duty it is to restrain them, than they do in the hands of a man whose money they are, and who therefore is the vigilant guardian of their best interests. But again Dr. Channing say.s, ' If he (the slave) cannot be induced to work by rational and natural motives, ho should be obliged to labor *on the same principle on which the vagrant in other communities is confined and oompelled to ears his bread.' Poor fellow, what a foot ball he would become out of the hands of his Southern master and .sympathiser. Has the ' vagrant who is confined and compelled to labor to cam his biead,' any right to intellectual culture? Who confers it, and how is it available? These rights of the slave * grow small by degrees and beautifully less' as they get further north. Now sir, to admit the doctrine of equal rights without any restrictions is to admit that every man has an equal right to the Presidency of these United Stat-cs, be he wise or ignorant, virtuous or vicious, white or black But these conciusions you very wisely and prudently repu- diate, and in doing so, you virtually deny the premise from which the conclusion is drawn. ' The well-being of the slave' demands certain restraints. What thQse may be, are best known to those to whom providence has committed him. The Southerners alone, of all the world, understand negro character and capacity. God never designed them for an intellectual race. China, isolated from the world and degraded in idolatry, has a history and a litcra- I Jirolo{ry, couundruu)8, enigmas, &c., and have us elect you as general expounder of abstruse science." "Thank you sir, I covet no such distinction," said Nellie, "and when our wiseacres learn to state their j roblcuis a little more glearly, the office you propose to create may well be dispensed with." The conver.sition became general and social; but Nellie's mind being ab.sorbed uith other thoughts, she excused herself and retired to the room. Her cousin Alice, a uiisa of thirteen years, had just mastered her lesson for the next day, and laid down her books as Nellie entered. " Alice," said Nellie, " I wish you had spent one summer north before I came south." " Why, cousin ? " said Alice. " Because," said Nellie, " I want to talk with you about the dif- ference in society and manners there and here." " As I am only a learner anyhow," said Alice, " I will be very glad to hear you talk about your society at home. It will be very interesting toiiie. l)o tell me all about it, my dear cousin. I will listen to every word, and noi get sleepy." •* I don't care to talk so mueh about northern society, as to t«ll you how mueh 1 am disappointed in southern society," said Nellie. *' 1 thought southei'u slave-holders were an ignorant, rude, bigoted, uncultivated and .cruel people, who delighted in oppressing and tyraniiiziug over their slaves, and treating them as brutes. I thought they took pleasure in punishing them and at witnessing their suffer- ings; that tliey were destitute of the conimou feelings of humanity, and never sympathised with the sufferings of their slaves. I con- ceived them to be a proud, haughty, illiterate people generally; too ignorant to know their own deficiencies. But I am happily disap- pointed. I find slave-holders intelligent, many highly cultivated and intellectual — men of superior general intelligence, refined, polite, genteel. I find them to be men of highly refined sensibili- ties and tender sympathies — patterns of unselfishness. I have often been surprised that uncle could obtain his consent to make it his permanent home and rear his children ajnong semi-barbarians, as NELLIE NORTON. 71 you all have been represented to be by our abolition speakers and writers. But to my surprise, I find southern character superior, absolutely superior to northern character. I make this confession with uniei'^ued mortification, and would not do it elsewhere, and yet. one should not be ashamed or afraid of the truth. There is a great- ness of soul, an independence of character, a di<:;nity of mien, a purity of thought, a manliness of carriage, an unselfishness of heart, so happily blended with unostcntation and softness of deportment, so manly and yet so modest, so intelligent, and yet so free from pe- dantry, I must say that southern character claims my most profound admiration. There is no petty tyranny here — no brutality — no such oppression as I have been taught to believe universally pre- vailed arfiong slave-holders. The line which marks the distinction between master and servant is must apparent, and yet the master does not lord it over his servant as I supposed. lie does not abuse his power, but it is exerted in a kind, generous, condescending manner. He is a kind and amiable prince, who loves his subjects and is in- terested in the happiness and welfare of each one, not only because they are his property, but he really takes pleasure in their happiness. "I am reminded of Jacob, whose paternal care extended to the remotest and smnllest member of tljc family. I tell you, cousin, such an interest in the welfare of laborers at thu north, if it exists at all, is the exception, not the rule. When a man there is well and does his work faithfully, hi.'^ wages arc paid regularly, but when he gets sick, or grows old and helples.«, ho is turned off without a thought as to his necessities. ITe has no more claims on his master. And even while at labor, the intercourse between the employer and jiiborer is not half so free and unrestrained, as here between the negro and bis master. There is a total absence generally of that kind feeling so universally observed here. I attribute this to the much hated and slandered institution of slavery. There is some- thing about, it don't know what, it is a mystery to me, that exerts a most favorable influence over your southern society. I have been highly gratified to find an absence of that little picayunish disposi- tion and that low sen.sualism so distressingly prevalent in northern society, and the rapid growth of which threatens the overthrow of all good. Father has often spoken of that dreadful tcndtmcy in our society at home, and thinks it portends much evil in the future. I do wish he would come south and live, I am so fascinated with southern society and manners." Nellie happened to cast her eye towards the side table, and saw 72 NELLIB NORTON. "Treasured Moments, by SawtcU." She took it up, and it opened at the first letter on slavery. Finding he was a New Englander, she concluded to see what he had written. iShe read aloud to Aliee: ** The object of this letter is .simply (u correct some erroneous imprcshions as to the real character of slavery in this country. The prevailing impression at the north is, that the cruel treatment of tho slave, and his consequent sufferinfrs, are such as to demand his im- mediate and unconditional emancipation. This is one of the most cogent rc:isons urged why we should take no time to consult the future good and interests, either of the master or of the slave. And to deepen the impression, the most frightful pictures of sufferings and cruelty have been drawn, and held up to the imagination till the heart has become sick, and the very name slave is associated in tho njind with all the horrors of the " middle pas.sage " and the racks and tortures of the intjuisition. Now, with all due respect to tho opinions of others, I do know that such impressions arc not in ac- cordance with facts. On this subject southern character is either not understood, or gros.sly, though 1 would hope, unintentionally misrepresented. Bold and chivalrous as is a southern man in con- test with his equals, nothing is more despicable in his eyes than a petty tyrant, who exhibits his powers only in inflicting wrongs and injuries upon the belplc«.s and iinprotectcd. Naturally high-minded, noble and generous in feelings and sentiments, he i.s found magnan- imous and kind in .spirit towards his dependents." As a general fact, I doubt whether there can be found a cla.ss of people in the world that suffer less, mentally or physically, than tho colored population of the South. None who have fewer can^ ami troubles, who wear happier faces, are more jovial and merry, and who sing louder and sweeter than they. For the truth of thi.x, I appeal to every man who has visited the South, and examined this subject for himself with an unprejudiced and impartial mind. Kx- ception,'- 1 know there are, but the.se no more prove tho general truth on this subject, than do tho convicts in the penitentiaries of New England prove thai all the old Puritans of that land of steady habits are grinding in the prison hou.se. Ilenoe, when a Northern man enters the Southern States for the first time, and witnesses the famili- arity and kindness between master and servant, he exclaims with wonder, ' where are the long whips, the scourges, the groans and tears of which I have heard so much '{ ' And ollen have I seen tho tear start in the stranger's eye at beholding the ccstacy of joy with which the dependents gather around their master on his return from KKLLIE KORTOK. TS & long absieiice, seizing his hand and seeming to vie with each othei" in manifesting their love and attachment to him. " " Enough, " said Nellie, as she threw down the book, " how singularly coincident are the results of his and my observation. Henceforth I shall refuse to join in the abolition cry against the South. Indeed, I will frown upon it as a wicked and malicious slander. It is really provoking to think how I have always been deceived — how gullible we poor Northern dupes are. Our poli- ticians, editors and preachers take us by the nose and lead us where they please. Henceforth I will think for myself, always taking the Bible for my guide. " " I tell you, cousin, the negroes at the North are a down-trodden race ; they are ignorant, mean, degraded, vicious, abandoned. Every man's hand is against them j no one respects or esteems them, if they can avoid it. They profess great love for the poor slave, but they are a nation of negro haters ; and you have only to be there and see for yourself to know that I speak the truth. I do think you Southerners have much more reason to pity the free negroes at the North, than we have to sympathize with your slaves. I would ten thousand times prefer to be a slave in Georgia, than a free negro in Massachusetts. They are more respected, better cared for, and almost infinitely happier here than there. " Nellie discovering her young cousin's eyes were growing rather heavy, suggested they had better retire, to which Alice most cheer- fully asf«ented, and was soon lost in refivshing sleep. But Nellie's mind was full of ideas, and her heart of impressions. She thought of the elevated Christian character, the manly dignity, the superior intelligence, and the amiable, affectionate disposition of her new friend, with whom she had spent the afternoon so pleasantly. " I Wonder if he is a genuine, true man. Yes, he must be ; I cannot be deceived in him : he is too transparent, too guileless, there is no asRumacy about him, he is certainly a gentleman of unuflual moral worth. He seems timid, and yet very graceful; he is dignified, and yet has the suavif^r in mocfo, as though he had been the pupil of Chesterfield. He is not at all pharisaical, and yet it is evident he is a true Christian. There is no religious cant about him, and yet he speaks as a man familiar with holy subjects. He has none of the pedant about him, yet he is certainly a finely educated and well read man. His mind is well stored with useAil knowledge, and yet he claims no superiority over any -one. He is certainly a model charac- ter — wish I had such a man for a hush, foolish heart — but J 74 NELLIE NORTON. how I would esteem and love him. Oh, 1 would be so happy ! I intend to study hia beautiful and exalted character — I think the study will be quite as fascinatio}; to uic as was that of Hotany, especially if 1 come in as frequent contact with him as I di_d with flowers." Sweet girl ! there were visions flittinji alone; her future path, " the beauty of which, like jewels, too rich to be exported, were not conveyable by expression to mortal fancy. " The next morning the gentlemen rode over the farm. When on approaching the " cotton-pickers " Mr. Thompson suggested to Mr. P. " that now was his time to make the experiment of a slave'H anxiety to throw off the shackles of bondage and accompuny him to the land of Ircedom. " Mr. T. therefore rode another way to where some hands were ploughing in wheat, while Mr. Pratt rode up to the foremost cotton picker, and alighting from his horse and walking up very near, the following colloquy took place: '« Howdy, uncle. What is your name ? " " Jerry, your sarbant, ga. " " Well, Jerry, your master has agreed to give you your freedom if you will go home with me. As 1 know you want to be free, I am glad of being the bearer of such happy intelligence. There is no mistake about it, you are free to go home with me, and we have no slaves at the North, all are free alike there. You will be as free a.s I or any one else. Now, as your master has consented, you must not refuse, but be ready in a lew weeks.*" " Who say bo 't Mas George say I niuit go wid you ? Dis nigga hab dc cousiderashun ob de objection. " " Why, don't you want to be free ? You c-an then work for your- self and have all you make. " " Eh, hab all he make. IIow he gwino to ujake any ting ? " " Work for it, to be sure. ' Ye shall cam your bread by the sweat of your brow, ' is the Bible rule since the fall. " " You make nigga free, and den make hiiy work too. Plenty work here widout gwine home wid you. " " Yes, but then you can be free and do as you please. You all ought to be free. God made you so, and you would be better off in many respects. Y^'ou could th^n go to church when you wanted to, have your own property around you, and send your children to school, and give them an education. You don't know how muob happier you would be if you were free. Now you must not refuse to go home with me, since I have been so kind as to get your master's coDsent. " NELLIE NORTON. 76 " I hab great considerashun for respect ob your feelins massa, but de colored folks, sir, is peculiar. Dey needs de considerashun ob de everdence to sbow unto dem de ducement'' of freedom. Work is work. If I hab to work when I free, and I hab to work when I no free, you see I no hab the everdence ob de vantage. Mas George gib me good home and plenty to eat and put on, and Sunday close too. I go to church ebry Sunday, and prayer mcetin' twixt times ; and I be happy, too, tank God, for he mighty good and merciful to colored folks. " " Well, then, you prefer slavery, do you ? Had you rather stay here, and be a poor slave all. your life, and work for your master, than go home with me and be free ? " " I is'nt molishu.s nor onconsiderate on dis present occasion ; de .subjick strikes berry much at de anxiety ob de cullud folks ginelly ; but I hab peculiar purswashun on dis case. I gwine to stay wid Mas George and Miss Penny. " " You don't want to be happy as a freeman, then ! " *' Ah, Massa ! jfou tink freedum gwine to make de cullud folks happy. Dis is not de konsiquence. J$, de tribulation what makes him happy. He want what is perspicus to de feelins. He wants de Lord to send and descend and condescend wid his sperit, and cause- to turn and return and overturn, and make his heart to joice and rejoice and overjoice. He want de Lord to lift up de lily white vail, open de dormur windows ob heben, wave back do dark curtins, drop his frown behin' de mountin, and take a peep ober into de camps ob Israel. Den, sa, de tribulation ob de occasion will be berry much wid de anxiety ob de cullud folks, and dey will break down at de foot ob de cross ob calvar^'^ and be happy. Dis, sa, is de perspicus consequence ob de sensible observation. " The disgusted clergyman mounted his horse and rode away to meet his friend, soliloquising as he went on the power of habit and the evils of slavery. Meeting with Mr. Thompson, he announced the failure of his mission with Jerry, and received the assurance of the master, that the result would have been the same with any othor of his ocgroes. XILLIE NORTON. CHAPTER VI A ufir Scripturr affai'nst S/'ircri/~-~Jts wisapplirntKin — ( punmt of an Enijlish \critfr — Gud usts tin- iiislttntiou uf Siuvi'rji/ as an ilbistration of Truth. TlfE next day was sjient by Nellie in writin;^ letters to her New Encland friond.s. But "a change Imd come over the spirit of her dream" on the subject of slavery, and doubtless her sentiroentg sounded strangely to her New England friends, ns coming from a des- cendant of the Puritans. She whi.spered in strict confidence to u special friend, the name " Mortimer, " and spoke of the plen.sure she enjoyed the day previous in his society. Completing the last letter, she entered the parlor, and fiudicg her aunt alone, sat down near her. After a short pause, she said, " Aunt, why has Mr. Mor- timor remained a bachelor so long ? Is he a misanthrope, or is he waiting for his dulcinea to ooniplete her education V '* Neither, I presume, " said her aunt, " He will never marry simply to escape the odium of being a bachelor. Ho is a man of taste and judgment, and will only marry when he thinks he has found a true woman. Ho is not a sliallow-brained ex(]uisite, to whom life is a dream and marrying a frolic, and the future a path of perennial flowers. He desires intelligence. rcBnement, neatness, good sense, economy and a pure hoart, nil combined. He is only waiting to find such a one, and be will offer her a home, which he will render most attractive and happy, and a heart as pure, noble, true and generous as ever throbbed in man's bosom. But why do you ask about him, my sweet neice, h&n he touched a cord in your heart?" " 0, you know, aunt, it is natural fur young ladies to want to know all about those with whom they associate. I agree with you, however, that he is a very sensible gentleman, very graceful in his manners, and fluent in conversation. I know of no man who has more power to charm and fascinate than he, and yet he seems all unconscious of his merit." " I shall be pleased to have him for a nephew," said Mrs. T. "Nellie Mortimer; why it would bo really a romantic name." Nellie blushed and left the room. After te» the family again being assembled in the parlor, Mr. NELLIE NORTON. 77 Pratt took up the Bible and remarked : '* You have said during our conversations that not one word was said by Prophets, Apostles, or by the Great Redeemer against slavery, and challenged the world to disprove it. Now I am a very small part of the world, but [ accept your banter. I will prove that the Prophet Isaiah enjoins the emancipation of slaves, as a prerequisite to an acceptable fast, to a successCui approach to an offended Deity. I will read from chapter 58 : 6 — "Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bauds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke." Now, sir, here are threo expressions which apply to slavery : 1. " Undo the heavy burdens; " 2. " Let the oppressed go free;" o. " Ereak every yoke." What burden is heavier than slavery? Who are oppressed if not the slave ? Where is a yoke, if it is not found upon the necks of slaves ? Until you undo those burdens, liberaro thefe opprest^ed, and break these yokes, all efforts at an approach to God in confession and reverence are unacceptable. But you have not done so; therefore your fasts have been an abomination in His sigh^^Q^Ye exact all your labors." Now as you have not broken the. j^^^j ^,and let the oppressed go free, you are still in rebellion again's.;^the high and holy authority of heaven which commands it. Naw, sir, as an honest man, and a christian, confess your ein, forsake your way, and obey the Almighty, that you may obtain pardon for this great iniquity, for I perceive wrath is coming upon you." ' " I thank you for the exhortation and kind interest for our deliverance from Divine wrath, which you manifest," said Mr. T. " If I find your exegesis of the Divine word correct, I will endeavor to profit by it, for I desire to be not only a hearer, but a doer of the word. You dogmatize very flippantly, I must confess, but invariably fail in moral demonstration. You assert in a very positive and solemn manner, but never prove what you as.«ert, and I must again repeat, that you possess the most remarkable taot of any polemic whom I have met, for taking as granted the very point that must be proved. I fear it is an infirmity vith you Northern theoloeians to take superficial views of solemn subjects. You assert that three expressions in the text quoted apply to slarery, and in proof thereof you reassert it. The oniu pmhandi rests upon you ; but I waive all rights in the premises, and I will attempt at leaat to show what this Scripture means. Let us go back a little. The laws of Moses abounded in commaijdments embodying the spirit of love. Mercy, kindness, oomptssion and beneficence were 78 NELLIE NORTON. duties enjoined by that model code. Tlieso vrQ.-e civon. not alone as evidences of the Divine character of the Great Law Giver, but also as rules of life to be observed by all the people. For the disobe- dience to these and other IHvinc injuuclion.«, the prophet was sent to rebuke and reform the j)eoj)le. The hand of God had inflicted severe chastisements upon them, and they were exhorted by Tsaiah to repentance, fastiuir and prayer. They seem to say in reply tq him, '' we have repented, and we have fa.'itcd and mourned and worn sack cloth, and yet the punishment has not been with- drawn ; we bare afflicted our soul:', and thou takest no knowledge of it.*' Then the holy man of God shows them their ermr. Repents ance was not of the lips, nor was mourning in the wail of the voice. " lie hold in the day of your fa.«t, ye find p/«'(tsurc and crnct affi/our iahor, behold ye fast for stri/r and ilcbatCy and to smite with the list of wickedness ; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast as 1 have chosen ? — a day for a man to afflict his soul ? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and*, .nread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou , aulciT' call this a ! .ud an acceptable day unto the Lord? Is not this pre.si' the fast iharj,^,.flave chosen ? to loo.se the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break «very yoke, is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house 'f When thou seest t*lie naked that tliou covisr him ; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"' In the preceding chapter, which is the context, the prophet had rebuked the people for idolatry, and promised mercy to the penitent. Here he answers the objection which they bad made — that'ia not a fast which siiiij>ly abstains from food, and puts sackcloth and ashes on the body. A true fast implies genuine repentanca, and genuine repentance includes reformation. While the Israelites fasted, they continued the very sins for which God was chastising them. The laws of God were forgotten, and when Ills strong hand was upon them ihcy asked for mercy, but showed none; they prayed to be delivered from oppression, but continued to oppress; they felt the evil, but did not fors;ike it; they sought a blessing for themselves, but were unwilling to-corffer it iipon others; they sighed for the favor which belonged to the obedient, while they were unwilling to forsake their disobedience. The prophet taughty them that when they abstained from food, they must have the spirit of the fast, and repent and reform. Now you have before you a true exposition of the prophet's meaning. NELLIE NOKTON. 79 " But you assert that the ' bands of wickedness ' are the bonds of slavery ; that the ' heavy burdctis ' are those which we impose upon our slaves ; that to ' break every yoke ' is to set our negroes at liberty. . An accredited 'expositor, who was an anti-slavery man, says of these bands : "The band? which we have wickedly tied, and by which others are bound out from their right, or bound down under severe usage. Those which perhaps were at first bands of justice, tying men to pay a due debt, become when the debt is exacted with rigor, from those whom Providence has reduced and emptied, ♦ bands of wickedness/ and they must be loosed, or they will bring us into bonds of guilt much more terrible." The same author continues : '" It is to undo the ' heavy burden ' thus laid on the back of the poor servant, under which he is ready to sink, it is to let the ' oppressed go free ' from the oppression which makes his life bitter to him. Let the prisoner for debt, that has nothing to pay, be discharged ; let the vexation be quashed ; let the servant that is forcibly detained beyond the time of his servitude be released, and thus break every yoke." " It was a law of Moses, that the Hebrew servants should only serve seven years, but this law had been forgotten, and many of this class had been held in perpetual servitude, in violation of this Divine law. The prophet may ha.-c meant to warn the people against this sin. *' Slaves are under a yoke, none will deny it — so are wives and children, as well as oxen. As we are commanded to 'break every yoke,' shall we therefore divorce every wife, release every child from parental authority, liberate every slave, and forbid the yoking of ^ oxen ? Certainly the breaking of e^ery yoke requires this and much more to be done. Slavery is a burden, though among a christian people the lightest that is borne; but so are the duties of the minister a burden, the obligations of life, and the responsibilities of rulers. Shall you cca.'^e to preach and labor ? Shall I refuse to be a member of society ? Shall our governors and rulers resign ? Shall the laborer cease his vocation, because all have to bear burdens ? But all this and much more must be done before we can ' undo the burdens.' But these things, you are aware, cannot be done without a total disorganization of society and governments, and a most palpable violation of the laws of God. Then what yokes must be broken, and what burdens undone? Manifestly those which are unlawful, and none others. 'Bear ye one another's burdens, and so /tdjil the law of Christ.' Now, sir, until you shall show thatalarery 80 XP.LLIE NORTOiN*. is an unlawful vokc, aod an unauthorized burdon, yuu cannot clnim that thwc \rord8 of tkc proj>hct ajply to us, n? .slaveholders. Thia you have failed to jrovc — you have not cvcu aUcniptcd it. T, there- fore, take it for pranted that you cannot do so." " You nflirni that elaves arc oppresped. ]?y this you uioun that they are 'burdened with unreasonable iiupcsidons.' Your unavoid- able ignorance of the in.^tilution promptb you to make this cbargCi No man at jill familiar with the workings of the institution will believe that, as a peneial rulo. uvy unreafionablc l.ibor is required of our slaves. They do le.«s ihau any other laboring class of any land." ** Uncle," baid Nellie> '• let n e read to you the opinion of an Englishman on this pubjci-t, wlio resided in \'ir^':iiiia for six or seven years — Mr. G. 1'. R James, ' the well known and English novelist.' He wrote for the Knivkerbncker 'U vciy inttion for me to suggest to learning, wisdom and age. At least, 1 am now perfectly satisfied. But do you think, uncle, that the Gospel dispensation will sustain your institution ? I have often heard it said that Christ and the Apostles left slavery where they found it, because they would abstain from all interference with the social and political relations of life. That they were determined to be known only as promoters of the spiritual interests of the world ; and, also, that us they found the institution very popular, they would not rebuke it, lest they might bring odium upon themselves, and thereby greatly lessen their influ- ence for good." ♦ " If Mr. Pratt is willing, we will enter upon the investigation of the subject as held by Chriot and the Apostles, next week. It may be pleasant to recreate for a few days; and besides, Mr. Mortimer, you remember, is to take you up to Bonavcnturc to-morrow j and if our Elder has no objection, he and 1 will visit Savannah." Mr. Pratt readily assented, and the party retired to their rooms for the night — Nellie to think on the pleasures of a long rido with her new Iriend, and the parson to wish he had never consented to a discussion of slavery with a slaveholder. V.' NEW TESTAMENT ARGUMENT. CHAPTER VII.I n Trip to Savannah and Bonaventure — Social Influence of Slavery — Superiority of the South — Engtiah Philanthropy-*- Slavery and Democracy — The South Superior in Morals. At early twilight everjthiag was astir at Mr. Thompsou's. The city which he aud Dr. Pratt were to visit that day was several miles distant, and they purposed an early start. * As the sun arose the carriage was at the door, and Jack announced himself ready. The two gentlemen took their seats, and promising to return that evening, were driven rapidly away. With considerable impatience, Nellie awaited the arrival of Mr. Mortimer, to accompany her to Bonaventure. The gentlemen had been gone a full hour before he arrived. But here we must leave Nellie and her escort for a time, and listen to the conversation of the two gentlemen. *' Laying the injustice and inhumanity of slavery aside,'' said Dr. Pratt, " it is to the moral, social and educational interest of the South to abolish it." " Why," said Mr. T., " do you believe we are inferior to those nations where African slavery does not exist ? " " I certainly do. And I can demonstrate to you by facts, perfect- ly cognizant to yourself and every other intelligent man, that th6 North, and every other free civilized country, is superior to the South." " Proceed, sir, with your demonstration." ** Well, to begin," said the Doctor, " you get most of your teach- ers from the North, You send your sons and daughters there to complete their education, when you wish it thorough. Hundreds of your preachere are Northern men. Your authors live beyond the Potomac, and your books are all printed by our northern presses. Now, sir, deny these facts if you can. If not, tell me if stronger proofs of our superiority are required ? " " T admit," said Mr, Thompson, "many of the facts you have stated. Many northern men and women are teaching at the South. But the reasons are not aa you suppose. It is not because we have 88 NELLIE NORTON*. not persons among u& fully qualified for the work. You have just admitted that we have educated many of our sons and daughters at the same schools at which yours are educated, therefore, they must be their equals A sufficient number perhaps have thus been edu- cated to supply the demand for teachers all over the South. Many of our best edq^ated young ladies are the daughters of wealthy men, who would not consent for them to teach. Your northern young ladies are generally poor, and obliged to do .'something lor a living. They must become servants to the rich at home, or teachers at the South — they prefer the latter. We have generally given them em- ployment, and when they have become independent and returned home, many of them have treated us like vKsop's serpent, which, when warmed into life by his benefactor, bit him in return. In many instances they have shown a heartlessness and want of veracity unworthy of a highly civilized people. Now, if this is what* you mean by superiority, why I grant it to you. I can inform you of a fact which you may not have learned : that Yankee teachers are at a discount among us. Many have resolved never to employ one again ; so many have proved to be nothing but treacherous abolition spies, that they have seriously affected the standing of the honest end true ones among them. '' But many send their sons and daughters North to complete their education. Many, like myself, are of horthern birth and education, and you know how natural it is for a man or woman to think that their educators are superior to any others, and on this account many send North. IJut there are many Southoruers ' to the manor born,' who do the same thing : ' Distance lends enchantment to the view.' "It is for this reason that the American ladies obtain their fash- ions from Paris. Do they admit thereby that French ladies are superior to thciu ? They would be insulted at such an allusion. I have always considered it a groat mistake, as well as a useless expen- diture of money, to send boys and girls North to educate them. It has made, as is obvious now, a false impression at the North, as to our educational facilities, while it has proved a serious injury to the South, by withholding much of the patronage from our own institu- tions, which was necessary to give them the position they justly deserve. We have four male universities in Georgia, not inferior to your best in New England — the standard of scholarship is the same generally, and we have as thoroughly educated and efficient ITELLIE NORTON. 89 faculties as are to bo found, as the fruits' of their labors most abun- dantly attest. , Female schools of a superior character abound all over the State, aud in every other Southern State, and their privi- leges are within the reach of all who desire to enjoy them. I may safely say, that the education of the young has become a coatagion, which has seized hold of the masses of our people^ and will no doubt fioon become universal. So that now, southern patronage to northern schools will grow small by degrees and beautifully less. "You are greatly mistaken when you assert that our books are all written beyond the Potomac. We have many southern authors, not inferior to any in the world ; the list is too long to mention, and I Would make no invidious distinctions. But, sir, wc have our poets, our novelists, our scientific authors, our theological writers. In a word, every class of writers that you will find among a sober-minded, practical literary people, anywhere in the world. In contrasting authors North and South, my observation is, that there is a strength, energy, and simplicity of style, an elevated, ingenuous method of expression, a purpose at once palpable and commendable, that I do not find in northern authors. It is true however, that we have but few authors whose trade it is to make books. Our people never write, unless they haVe something which they concciye is of im- portance to the public. At the North your people make a trade of any and everything. They make a trade of preaching, of freeloveisui, of abolitionism, of making wooden nutmegs and hams. We freely confess our inferiority in these respects, Ibr we have no such hum- buggery among us. When you speak of our inferiority, you forget the Washingtons, Jcffersons, Monroes, Madisons, Calhouns, Clays, and a host of others too numerous to mention— all born and reared in the slave States. You forget that the greatest orators of which this continent has ever boasted were southern men. You forget that the giant intellects of this government, which have commanded the admiration of the civilised world, were southern men. You foro-et that ' the Mother of States and Statesmen,' is at the South. In- ferior indeed I Where do you find, at the North, or any Where else, such an array of statesmen, patriots, orators and military captain.s. The South, sir, is the greatest land upon earth, considering it is now but in its infancy. Considering its brief cateer, it has given birth to the greatest number of remarkable statesmen, orators, heroes and theologians of any nation upon earth. Why, sir, did you know that a fourth of the pulpits in Philadelphia arc occnpie'l by southern men, and that they greatly prefer them to northern men, L > 90 XILLIE NORTOX. and the Presidential chair haa been occupied for forty-foar, otit of fifty-sis years, by slaveholders. '* But you are of the opinion that our social elevation is retarded by slavery. This is a common opinion at the North, especially among those who have never mingled with southerners at their homes. As this class is tot.nlly i^'oorant of social life at the South, their opinions are not to be trusted. Far otherwise has it been with thoiJe who have sojourned among us Jong fuough to understand southern life and character. The Kev. Mr, Hawtell, an eminent methodist divine, who spent several years in the South, thinks that socially, slavery has been of no disadvantage to us. Mr. Van Evrie, a New Yorker, thinks it has greatlj promoted our social elevation. The Hon. Miss Murray, Maid of Honor to the Queen of England, after making the tour of the United States, gives it as her opinion that wo are quite in advance of the anti-slavery portion of the union. Her testimony is valuable, as coming from one who began the tour with all the strong prejudices of an English abolitionist, against slavery and slaveholders. Bui in her letters home she wrote a most able vindication of slavery, which lost her the position of honor she had so long and gracefully oceupied.'j; But how can slavery retard the successful advances to that highest point of civil and social elevation towards which a great people should always aspiro ? Dis- tress and pauperism, are the great obstacles j the fruitful progeny of these ; ' vice and misery, wretchedness, suflcriug, iguorancci, deg- radation, discontent, depravity, drunkenness, and the increase of crime,' form one mighty incubus, which hangs like a pall upon the public uund and forbids any cuuimondablc progress. But these evib are scarcely visible ut the South — they do nut accompany slavery, but flee before it, like the darkness docs before the light. There ia DO such competition of labor hero as to reduce any man to panper' iam. There cannot be. But at the North and in England, you never have a financial reverse but what thousands of your poor arc thrown out of employment, and reduced to eitreme want. This engenders vice, misery, despondency, and degradation. The poor among us are never thus tempted, as a class. They are generally a contented, virtuous, happy, prosperous people, and are as perfect exemplars of virtuous principles as any in our land. Civilization advances in proportion to the virtue of the people. Where the standard of morality and intelligence is good among the private Qitizens of a country, it may be said to be in a high state of civili- zation. No better state of morals exists in any country than at the NELLIE NORTON. 91 South. Indeed, while I would not boast nor appear egotistical, I would give my adopted land the praise of being in advance of any country, where slavery does not exist. AVhat section of this country gave birth to niormonism and freeloveism ? not the South. What section elevates the law of conscience above the law of God ? not the South. What country has dethroned Deity to make a place fer reason f not a slaveholding people. Who deny many portions of Divine Kevelation, or torture their plain and palpable meaning to prove the reverse of what the scriptures say ? not slaveholders, but abolitionists. Where is the Bible declared to be not of God, be- cause it is a pro-slavery book ? not at the South. What people are prepared to give up the Word of Life,'rather than part with their own private opinions on slavery ? You at the North. You are now verging towards the most fatal forms of infidelity that ever cursed any people. Da*ngerous, becau.se it comes in the guise of religion ; it is in the church, in the pulpit, in your theology, in your religious convocations ; in everything that is to go before the public mind, or impress the early convictions of the young. When carried out to its full development, it will not only make infidels of you all, but it will terminate in anarchy. Thus far we have been, in the main, de- livered from these errors. We are iu danger of contracting this contagion from you, and I sometimes tremble at the thought. A dark future awaits you at the North, unless Divine Providence interposes to arrest this increasing tide of infidel sentiment. ' Come and let us reason together.' Our Maker has established four cardinal relations iu life — the strict observance of each is essential to the political and moral welfare of th6 people : 1. That bctw(!ten the ruler and the governred. 2. Between husband and wife. 3. Between parents and children. 4. Between master and .«servant. These all claim in the Bible the same divine origin, and no one but an infidel can or will deny it. But the North denies the latter rela- tion. To do 80 effectually, they have so far shaken the others, that two ©f them arc now meeting with disfavor, and the other is in dan- ger. Already have several northern States rebelled against the national law on slavery, thus most effectually denying the first rela- tion. Already, too, have free-love societies been established in northern cities, thms again denying the relation to be divine between husband and wife. With such a state of society as this will ulti- mately develop, the spirit of rebellion against parental authority must necessarily be instilled at a very early age. Then will come anarchy. All these are to be the mature fruits from the tree 92 NELLIE NORTON. of abolitiunism, for ' an evil trco cannot bring forth good froit,' and those who cultivate the tree must eat of its products. *' Now, sir, wait till there is a nianifcstatiou of our want of civili- zation, before you charge it upon us. None of these evils have aa yet Diude their appearance among us; if they had, the civilized world would have become vocal with the noise you wuuld have niado about it. As it is, you charge lis with the want of civilization, without oflfcring a word of testimony in proof of the fact. "Now, if slavery is right, morally and religiously, as 1 have already proved to you, but which I intend to demonstrate more fully before t\iis discussion Piloses, then it cannot give rise to tho evils of which you speak. * A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit- ' It is not opposed, as facts have shown, tu the highest developments of national greatness. There is no branch of indui^try necessary to this end tliat it discourages, no moral culture that it hinders, no literary, intellec- tual or scientific attainments that it does not foster. " The South abolish slavery I no, sir, never. We have too much regard for the welfare of our slaves. Wc know too well what is for their good, and we feel too deep an interest in them to throw them off, uucared for and unprotected ; a«d devoutly reverencing Ood'a institution, we will perpetuate it. " Slavery is the normal condition of tho negro, as much aa freedom is of the Caucasian. He has always and everywhere been a slave ; he always will be. Free him from his master, and he is a slave to the baser appetites of his nature. lie becomes an indolent vaga- bond, a prowling thief, a midnight rogue, a brawling drunkard or an iudifl'ercut, filthy sloth, and die.s of hunger. Ho is more virtuous, more prosperous and prolific, and much happier in a state of bondage. He lapses into physical, mental and moral degradation in a state of freedom, as the history of emancipation abundantly i)roves.*' " Do you not believe," said the Doctor, "that there are thousands of slaves in the South that would be glad to be free 'i" "No doubt of it," said Mr. T., "just as there are thousands of children who have loving and indulgent parents, yet would rejoice to be free from parental restraints. But it is best for the children, as you know,, that these desires cannot be realized. It is no less true that tho negro would be injured by his freedom. Simply, then, as a philanthropist, I am in favor of slavery." " You have strange views of philanthropy, " said the Doctor. "The moral and religious sense of the world is against you, and yet . you stand out ' solitary and alone.' Why, sir, did you know that tha NELLIE NORTON. 9S interest on the fumount invested by England for the emancipation and moral elevation of the negroes of the West Indies, amounts to five millions of dollars annually? Here, sir, is a philanthropy which speaks for itself. " " Yes, sir, " said Mr. T., " I knew the fact. I also know that when Parliament voted forty thousand pounds to educate England's poor, it voted cigliti/ thonmnd povvth to repair the queen's stables ; thus making the comfort of her horses double the importance of the moral well-being of her poor! This, too, is speo7(;i«y philanthropy from the same source. And further, I know that while England taxes her people five millions to elevate the negro, she does not allow her own people but one hundred thousand, or about one fiftieth of the amount, for the elevation of her own oppressed serfs. The truth is, negro slavery is democratic — it is opposed to monarchism — it is a death blow to it, and England was wise enough to find it out. Serf- dom disappears at its approach ; the two cannot live together in the same government. The whites will be free, where the negroes are slaves. England intended to keep her poor whites in slavery, and to do this effectually and peaceably it was neces.sary to emancipate the slaves in her colonies." Hear what Mr. Van Evrie, a Northern man, says on this subject : " To hold in check the tendency of demo- cratic ideas, to sustain and prolong its sway over the masses, European monarchisms, and especially the British portion of it, originated the 'idea' of 'free negroism' and a crusade in favor of iv/crior races. Its design was two-fold : as an antafjonism for holding in cherk the progress of American democracy ; and, in the second place, as a false issiie to its own nppjcssed masses. It began with Johnson, Wilberforce, Pitt, and others of the most bigoted school of British tories. As a general thing, both in Europe and America, those most bigoted, and most Jwstih to the freedom and equality ef their own race have been its special advocates. The time, perhaps, has not yet arrived to estimate this negro movement at its true val^e; but it will come, and, when it does, British philanthropy and 'humanity,* 'freedom,' 'emancipation,' 'abolition,' or whatever it may be termed, will be known, as it is, in fact, the icidcst spread imposture and the vilest fraud ever practised on human credulity." Now, 8ir, I would not charge a love of monarchism upon all the Northern aboli- tioni.'!ts. They have strong imitative powers, and with all are exceedingly vain. Love of applause is a controlling element of character with thcra. They are frequently thrown with the P]ngliBh people, commercially and eocially. They have ihercby caught tho 94 NELLIE NORTON. spirit and desire to ape the mothfrland. IVfidcp, vou Northern people have been taunted by the En^^dish in a uiimner, it would seem, well calculated to di(:gU8t and insolt you. I^ut a fawning sycophant is vvilling to pay dearly for his privil»\i.'es. They nsscrt that nlavery lias deniondized the Northern States. To prove to thoni it is a misLike, you are goaded on in your opposition to slavery, till you have out- stripped them in your denunciationp of it. Ihey charge to it all the violations of good order, even the " Momion murders," the " Philadelphia riot«, and the exterminating wars against the Indians." Your leading abolitioniht*;, doubtless, say nnien to all this, and then your orators and writers say " the half has not been told." So, Jehu like, you say to (hem, " Conic and behold my zeal fur human freedom;" and so you far outstrip them in your effort* to destroy this Pandora's box of evils. ," The statennien of England are far-seeing ; those of the North are not. The latter are willing to be led by tho greater minds across the water. Lordu and nobles will do anything to sustain the crown, but the crown can only be sustained by the perpetuity of monarehism, and this cannot long be done where negro slavery exists. Monarchies are opposed to Republics, and would like to sec the last one crumble into dust, or be drowned in blood. ]}ut this can never be done in America till slavery is abolished. It is, therefore, to the interest of the monarchies of Europe to foster abolitionism hero. No doubt the sagacious Ktatesmeu of England are chuckling at the increase of abolition sentiments on this continent, and see in it the precursor of a strong government, and think they hear in the emancipation clamor of the North the death knell of republicanism. I fear the sequel will vindicate their wif-doni. l?ut the blind abolitionists of the North have been dazzled and led on until tho " things that make for their peace are hidden from them." They do not see the tricks of English diplomatist*, nor will they until they are involved in ruin." " What a desponding man you are," said the Doctor, " to see dang push my inquiries further." " I am glad you arc so chary of your reputation. It |uight be well for pa6tor^ not to a.sk their youn^' lady niomber- too many (|ues- tious about their young gentlemen a.ssociatos. They might thereby ' lead them into temptation,' from which they should always endeavor to deliver them. So good night." Nellie aro.se and a.«cended the flight of stairs leading to her room, repeating mentally from 8peif«er : " Ijove is life's end, an end, l>iil never ending; All joys, all swoets, all happiness awarding ; Love is life's weallli (ne'er .spent, but ever opeuding) More rich by givinj;, lukiug by discarding ; Love 'b life's reward, rewarded in rewarding ; Tlien from iliy wretched heart fond care remove. Ah ! should'st thou live but once love's sweets to prove, Thou wilt not love to live, unless thou live to love.'' " Ah," said she, as she entered her room, and found Alice was soundly sleeping, " I would not have had that old bald-headed abo- litionist — my dear good pastur, 1 mean — to have seen deep down NELLIE NORTON. 109 in my heart for a world. T am afraid my tell-tale face betrayed me. What a pity I was'ot made of brass — no, it is'nt cither, for then I would'uc enjoy loving as I do. Why it is a real pleasure, 1 do declare. Who would have believed that I, a Massachusetts girl of eighteen summers, holding the South in .^uch unmitigated contempt, and looking ur on its people as but half civilized, should have lallen so violently in 1-^ — - ; pshaw, what am I talking about. But he is really the first and only young gentleman I ever saw, to whom I could think of surrendering my heart. And to think he is the only young man whose acquaintance 1 have formed in Georgia — wonder if there are any more Mortimers here — but surely, 1 am a very silly girl. Well, wonder who could help it 't I can't. Mrs. Tighe is right : " have you never known the silent charm' That undisturbed retirement yields the soul, "Where no intruder mijfht your peace alarm, And tenderness have wept without control While melting fondness o'er the bosom stole ; Did fancy never in some lonely grove Abridge the hours which must in absence roll I Those pensive pleasures, did j-ou never prove ? 01 you have never loved! You know not what is love." Hut perhaps my reader is a staid old bachelor, or a sceptical old maid, whose heart was never touched with the sentimental, who con- ceives all such feelings as sickly and childish, and who would rather hear, " From Greenland's icy mountain," than to spend one moment in eympathy with this sweet girl who is enjoying the happy impulses of her first love. Or perhaps some noble specimen of a true man, who wishes the highest success to this first essay of my unprocticed pen, may prefer Bible facts to love's sweet dreams of fancied bliss. Then from deference to what may be the wishes of my readers, 1 will leave Miss Nellie's happy thoughts to herself. She would doubtless take it as an unkindness in me to spread them before a curious public. So. wishing- sweet dreams, and a happy realization of these bright anticipations at an early day, to our young heroine, we bid her good night, and enter the room of Dr. Pratt and look in on him for a moment. He is reading Miss Murray's travels. Her correspondent, which Dr. P. \» reading, says : " The phenomenon of Africafl slavery, as it is sometimes called, is in truth no phenomenon at all. Where is the country or the 110 NKLLIK NORTON. period of histoid wherein slaverj did not exist in some shapo or other? Slavery has always existed, and will continue so long as there is a disparity in the intellect or energy of men. I do not enter into the question of the Unity of Races, which is 6uppo.scd to be derived from the authority of the Bible : it will be sufhoient to assert that (hi.!uinent. Wheresholl we be«;iD ?" "1 have some idea," said Dr. I'ratt. "of {.leadinir an estoppel, ns* the lawyura would say." " How ?" said Nellie. " 1 hopoyou are not oppo.>>ed to proceeding with the discUfhioD. You said lust cvetiiii": you were anxious to proceed. 1 hope do change has come over the t-pirit ui' your dream, unless it be that you unuounce yourhclf with us. convinced that you have been on the wrung i>ide all the linic. If this i.s what you moan we will give you the right hand of fellowship, and iben proceed with the investigation. For that we must have, lor my benefit, if for nothing else." " Well, you need pot be in a hurry to offer your hand just yet. 1 might not be willing to take it. I meant I would give your uncle a po»tr at the start, from which he will not recover in time to proceed with the argument during life. 1 propose to give him a Bible argu- ment against slavery, which he will never be able to answer " " Do, Mr Pratt, it" you can," said Nellie, *' for I think so far you have utterly failed j but then you have come to the di.^pcnsation of liyhtf and we may be more able to see the darkness by contrast." " I am anxious to hear your/joser from the Scriptures," said Mr. Mortimer. " If there be one verse or sentiment in the Divine Word against .slavery, it is time we slavcholdens knew it, for we have been accustomed to believe it was taught, not denounced, by heaven." '* So I have ascertained," t>aid the Doctor, *' but interest, you know, greatly blinds the mental a.s will as the moral vision some- times, and this may be the reason you have never seen it. All the rCHt of the world have long since discovered it in the Bible. ' A reward perverteth the judgment," says Solomon. Perhaps you would hco c-lcaier if }ou had no slaves. But to my argument. It is found in Matt. 7: 11^, among the holy sentiments contained in the Sermon on the Mount. It is, therefore, from Christ himself, and demands the most devout and immediate obedience. Here it is: ' Therefore all things whaffoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.' You, gentlemen, are masters — you would not desire to be held in bondage by your slaves ; therefore, if you hold your slaves in bond- age, you violate this precept You are bound by this law to do unto Others as you would have them do unto you. If this do&s not extir- NELLIE NORTON. 113 pate slavery's terrible hold upon your hearts aud consciences, I shall think that the things which make for your peace and welfare are hidden from you. There is no excuse for a misinterpretation of this precept, every one knows what he wishes others to do lor him, and this must be the rule of his conduct to them, at-»ll times and under all circumstances." " We are all very familiar with your test," said Mr. Thompson. *' It is one by wiiich we endeavor to be governed, even as masters. We call it 'the golden rule,' on account of its unselfishness and freedom from the counterfeit morality of the mercenary age in which we live. But, Doctor, is your construction of this passage of Scrip* turc the correct one ? If so, and I owe you a thousand dollars, and you, in thinking over the sacrifices it will cost me to pay it, conclude that, were our positions reversed, you would prefer me to release you from the payment, then you are bound to give me the debt. Let us see further what will be the results of your interpretation. In his moral scieqce, Dr. Dagg says: 'The Sheriff, who is about to hang a murderer, may argue, were I in the murderer's place, I would not desire to be hung; therefore I must not hang him. The jailor who is about to turn the key of the prison door may argue, were I in the place of the prisoner, I would desire the prison door to be left open.' Therefore the murderer and the felon must be turned loose upon an innocent community, after they are justly condemned by the court, and that, too, in obedience to the best and most unselfish rule ever given by heaven to erring man. The result would be, that obedience to the Divine law, given to restrain evil and foster good, would bind the hands of retributive justice, and turn loose upon the world those wicked spirits against which there would be no protection. That cannot be a correct application of the Scripture precept, which would rnakc these officers neglect duties so important to society. And equally wn»ng is its application to slavery. The murderer, the imprisonc'l felon, and the discontented slave, may all desire that liberty shnuld be proclaimed throughout the land ; but the Scripture precept docs not require that therefore they should be turned loose on society. Jt require* Owl wc (h'vrnt ourselves of sel/iahness in deculmg how we nhould net toirardu others. It limits our wishes on the one hand, nvd our actions on the other, to what is right and reasonable.^ ACCORPINO TO SUBSISTING CIRCUMSTANCES. In vicW of the mischiefs which woukl result, I ought not to desire that the mur- derer, the felon and the slave should be turned loose on society, even it 1 myself were the person, and therefore it is not my duty to O 114 NEl-IJE NORTON. turn 8uch persons Ioofc, if society has cntrus^tod thrni to my charge." Now take one more case, akin to those 1 have quoted from Dr. Dagg. Suppose the keeper of a penitentiary were to look in ou the defrradod and suffcrinj; inmates till the deepest and tendcrest sym- pathy of his nature wa.s moved in their behalf. He says to himself, " I would greatly dislike to he in their places ; this must be a very miserable life. If T were they I should desire that the keeper would, cither by accident or jiurpnscly, leave the gate open that I might make my escape. In that eveut, Doctor, you hold that, accord- ing to this Scripture precept, the keeper is bound to do as he would be done by, and therefore turn them all out. From selfish motives he would desire the keeper to betray his trust, to violato the law, and turn loose upon 8(»cicty a band of murderers, robbers and felons, and because he would desire another to do wrong he must do wrong himself, if this construction were correct, no humane sheriflf would ever arrest a lawless offender, no jury would ever convict a guilty criminal, no judge could ever pass sentence of execution«against the convicted murderer; therefore all penal law 'A'ould be suspended, and the wicked would run riot, while the innocent would have no protection i^ainst thom. Can that be a legitimate construction of the word of God, which would lead to so many wicked conseqnences? Surely you will not persist in maintaining your position. Hut if Jesus intended this Scripture to apply to slavery, it is very singular indeed he did not allude to it in the many instances in which he came in contact with the institution. JJut instead of that, he enjoined upon the slave obedience to the master, and on the master justice aN. thoufrh it necessarily meant slave. You have certainly forgotten that there are hired servants, and that the word applies to more rela- tions in life than one. The king calls bis subjects servants, the Savior called Ilis disciples servant*;, the (iod of the Old Testament called Hitj people servants, and the Apostles themselves said, ' We are the servants of Christ.' Now you would not so far risk your reputation as a scholar, Mr. Thonip.son, as to .say that ser\'ant means shnc in all these relations, or indeed in any of them. And if yuu cannot main- tain this fact, then of what use is it to attempt any proof ol slavery from (luotations where the meaning is ambiguous ?" *' For instance," said Nellie, " 1 was reading this morning in the 8th chapter of Matthew, where a centurion came to the Savior, saying : ' Lord, my servant licth at home sick of the palsy griev- ously tormented,' and the Savior said ' I will come and heal him.' Now, was this a .slave or a hired servant? How am I to know which he was?" " Are you acquainted with the Greek language, Nellie? If you are nut, your honored j^astor is. So, Doctor, we will let the original decide this question for us, for in the Greek we can iiseertain whether he were a slave or a hired servant. As it will take us some time to go through with the philological examination of slavery, perhaps we bad better defer it till to niorruw evening, and give that occasion entirely to the subject." " There is one fact, to my mind of great importance, to which I would this evening call attention. It is this: Jn the cutufut/ue uf »\ns dttiuunrcil hy the t^iuvior and JJis Apostles, slavery is not once vientioueJ. This fact is worthy of record; this of itself forms conclusive evidence of the fact that slavery was not looked upon by them as an offense against righteousness. Paul, in his first chapter to the Romans, records, under the iii.'jpiration of the Holy Spirit, the siiis of the people — it is a fearlully long and dark array of wrongs. He says : * Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornica- tion, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, ■debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers; backbiters, haters of (Jod, despiteful, jin-ttd, boasters, inventers of evil things, di.sobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.' Again, in Gal. 5: 19-21, ho says : ' Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these — adultery, fornication, uncloanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witch- craft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, n are not afraid to say so; therefore you have more courage than (/hri.-t or J J is Apostles." '* You are not afraid it will hinder the progress of the gospel. Y')U say it will advance it; that slavery is an incubus upon the civil- iaatiuu of the age, and a disgrace to Christianity. O how much Christianity and civilization have lost by the delay of the advent of abtilitionisni to so late a period ! Now, if you and Dr. IJarnes and Dr. Way land had only been in the place of I'cter, James and John, to have given the f^!aviorand the Apostles the benefit of your superior foresight, your dear discriminating powers, and, more than all, of your fearless, undaunted spirit, what an impetus you might have ^iven to human liberty and to the glorious gospel. How shall we ever be reconciled to this great loss? ' But what can't be cured iBUst be endured.' So I will try to be patient." " Why, Uncle, you surprise me," said Nellie. ** Excuse me, Nellie, and you, too, Doctor, for really when I sec NELLIE NORTON. 121 men of sense, men professing Christianity, resort to such subterfuges to carry a point, which has no argument or truth, it destroys my respect — not for you, Doctor — you are my guest and a gentleraaa, but you are in bad company, and 'evil communications corrupt good manners.' But to advert to your hypotheins. 'That the gospel was not designed to interfere with the social relations of life.' Has it changed its design since the time of our Lord? You abolitionists think it demands of you to change those relations now. Was it true then — has it changed now ? Was non-interference right then, and is it wrong now 'i Was silence on the part of Christ and the Apostles both right and prudent then, and is just the opposite course right for those who would accomplish the same end now ? Where do you learn this new les.son ? But if silence and non-interlerence were right then, and you say they were, then they are right still, and you are estopped. The silenee of Jesus rebukes the noisy abolitionist. But Christ was not silent, nor were his missionaries, l»nd yet they do not utter one syllable of condemnation, or even of censure against the institution. Dr. Wayland himself admits 'That the New Testa- ment contains no jjrecciyt prohibitory of slavery.'" " He makes that admission," said the Doctor with strong emotion. " But what else lioes he say? Do not garble him. I will quote him, and do him Justice. ' You may give your child,' he says, ' if he were approaching discretion, permission to do any act, while you inculcate upon him principles which prohibit it, for the sake of teaching him to be governed^by principles rather than by any direct enactment. In such cases you would expect him to obey the prin- ciple, and not avail himself of the permission.' Now, sir, you have a most beautiful and furcible illustration^ in this sentiment of Dr. Wayland's, of why there is no prevept in the gospel prohibitory of .slavery." " Forcible, indeed, it is," said Mr. Thompson, " but very disored- itablc to the Father of Mercies. According to this illustration. He gives his children permission to continue in what you consider a sin of appalling magnitude, and yet does not give them the slightest intimation of the fact; they have His consent to 'practice this frightful enormity,' to live and die in this ■* sum of all villainies,' without even saying, ' 1 would rather you would leave it off.' And why does He not ^ay so — why not give k precept ? Simply to teach them not to follow his ]}crmi.s8ion. The permission, 1 suppose from the illustration, being in direct antagonism to the principles which He enunciates. He must t«ach tbera disobedience to the Divine P 122 XELLIE NORTON. perini.xflion, in order to learn ihein rectitude of irfe. Huw very coujplim<'ntary joii are to the wisdom and consistency of God and to the VTord of inspiration. Abraham wjis commended by God because he mmmnnrfed His children ; hut if He hnd piven them permi'^sion to do the ^ins which He forbade, he would, according to Dr. Wayland, have been, for all that, aa pure and good aa the Father of Mercies. And those, Dr. P., uro the ' miserable .sti*ait8 and impious sophiiODfl to which even divines nre reduced, when, on the supposition that slavery is a pin, they undertake to vindicate or defend the Word which they profe.s.s to pn-JiLh " •' But you are aware, Mr. Thomp.son," said the Doctor, "that it was no part of the scheme of the gospel revelation to lay down any- thing approaching to a complete system of mural precepts. To enumerate everything tnjoined and forhidilni by our religion, the New Testament would have formed a library in itself, more volumin- ous than the lairs of the realm of Great Britain." •' The revelation is incomplete, I suppose," said Mr. Thompson. " And you of the North must add the important matters which were left out for want of room. The greot Reformer thought the ' Word of God a suflicient rule of faith and practice.' All Protestants since have given their hearty a.ssent to this view, and 4iave adopted this theory. But now you must 'add to this incomplete Bible in order to root out one of its greatest sins, which the Divine spirit could not put ip for want of ppace.' Does it not seem there mi-ht have been room added to say • J^lavery is wronjj, repent of and lursake it.' It would not have enlarged the inspired volume ntuoh And then the precepts regulating it, and teaching the duties of masters and slaves, could with great propriety have been entirely omitted. Indeed, if these precepts bad been left out, there would have been room for a whole chapter, giving in detail the evils of slavery. How much it is to b« regretted that Dr. Wayland or yourselt had not been there to make the suggestion ; for 1 know either of you would do so, if you had the making of a Bible now." " Hut who is to liU up this deliciency in the moral precepts of the gospel scheme ? Northern and Southern men, Americans or Euro- peans'/ Jews or Gentiles, Catholics or Protestants? Or shall it be left to be inferred by each fallible creature ?" " is it not a sad misfortune that so many lesser sins are rebuked repeatedly, and i\i\i great $iu should have been entirely omitted?" " But," said the Doctor, "' \\\\&i good, as Dr. Wayland says, f^ould a simple precept or prohibition have done ? They are, of all NELLIE NORTON. 12S things, the easiest to be avoided. Lord Eldon used to say that 'no man in England could construct an act of Parliament through which i\e could not drive a coach and four.' We find this to have been the case with the Jews in the ^ime of our Savior. The pharisees, who prided themselves in their strict obedience to the letter, violated the sipirit of every precept of the Mosaic code." " Perhaps," said Mr. Thompson, " Lord Eldon was a shrewder Togue than most English thieves, for it is certain that under acts of Parliament many were caught who attempted to drive through with mucTi less incumbrance than a coach and four, and were brought to summary punishment. But, Doctor,' is not a principle as easily evaded as a precept, and luce versa ? What is the diflference ? But how are principles to be inculcated except preceptively ? Again : if the Author of the Bible would lay down principles instead of pre- cepts for the discontinuance of slavery, because it was seen by hinj to be the most eflFective method, why not adopt the same plan with polygamy, idolatry, covetousness, and every other sin 7 Why make this the single exception? Why forbid any sin, if precepts are so easily evaded as to be useless ? The evangelical prophet thought that the Divine plan was, ' precept upon precept, precept upon pre- cept, here a little and there a little.' " " Do you raise your children by Dr. Wayland's rule ? Do you teach your congregation without precepts ? If so, when you return home, be kind enough to sugiiest to the Abolition fraternity to adopt the same method towards Southern slave-holder*s, and thereby prove your consistency, for 'faith without works is dead, beiog alone.' Try your theory with the South. Who knows but it will work well, and bring out a new era in the slavery question. U it were not worth while for the Savior to give a precept to the people, because they would not obey it, it would seem to be presumptuous in man to do so. But it was his custom, as you know, to give precepts, whether the people ' wou'ld hear or forbear.' " Now, Doctor, does it not seem strange that you and Dr. Waylaud should say there was room in the gospel 'for the principle but not enough for the precept ? It really does seeiu 3-ou are hard pushed for a way of escape. You cover yourselves with inconsistencies. How such gauzy sophistries can blind the minds of an intelligent people, I cannot see. Yet the scripture must be fulfilled. 'Eyes have they, but they see not : ears, but they hear not.' Now, Doctor, here is your position : Slavery is a sin 'always and everywhere,' but then it was not worth while for the Lord to tell the people so, for 124 NELLIE NORTON'. thcj would neither believe nor obey Ilim. But then he would lay down a principle^ embodying the precept, .'tnd though ambiguous, it ?uuxt be obeyed. Though Ho who rai.'r. Wayland must be inspired, to have so clear an insight into the JJivine reasons for omitting the condemna- tion of so great a sin." " Well, gentlemen," said Mr. Mortimer, "you will please excuse me for the evening ; 1 will come over to-morrow evening and hear you through with the philological question. Good evening." One of the chief attractions being gone, Nellie soon excused hcr- Bclf, and retired. «« Life's future was bright and cloudless to iier. No storms were to beat upon her path ; uo sorrows, she imagined, would ever befall her. She had made up her mind to live at the South, and own slaves, if invited to do so. True, the matter was not fully arranged between Mr. M. and herself, but in her mind the question was settled, and she entertained no doubt but his determination was fixed. He had said some things which she felt sure were intended to be understood, IfELLIE NORTON, ^ 125 and her susceptible heart readily acquiesced in his intention. But she would have felt freer, if he had mid all he meant, and all she knew he felt. " V\'^hy," thought she, " is a true gentleman so tinnd. so backward; he seems embarrassed, if even the thought comes into his mind. Ah I he is a man of very delicate and refined sensibilities and could not hear a disappointment, and I am sure I am too much of a lady to be forward in hints and approaches. lie vrould, as he should, be, disgusted, instead of encouraged. 'In your patience possess ye your soul ' is the good rule, so I will quietly wait 5 ' it will all work out right.' ' All's for the best,' said a good old Christian, and I believe it." Thus she gently fell asleep. CHAPTER X. Definition of Greek iconh nettled — '' Lfovfns" means ^' slave," proven by the best authorities — '' South-side vieic^' — Illness of Mrs. Thompson — Dr. Pratt's troubles. • Mrs. Thompson, being quite unwell, did not make her appear- ance in the parlor. j\Irs. Norton preferred to remain with her sister, though the latter persuaded her to go in and listen at the discussion, as her maid would remain in the room and afford any nece!ii.sary a.ssistance. But Mrs. N. said she did not understand Greek, and was tired of the discussion any way; she wished they would drop it, she did not sec what good it was doing, and they might enjoy them- selves much better socially, and then she was afraid her hot-headed brother might hurt the feelings of her good pastor. But the reader is an.'<;ious to hear the discussion, so we will leave the two ladies to their own enjoyments, or sufferings, and enter the parlor. " I will now proceed to answer your question, Nellie," said her uncle. •' Before you proceed," said the Doctor, '* I wish to say, this is a question you cannot settle, even in the original, with any degree of certainty. The Greek word upon which you will rely to establish slavery is Doulos. Dr. Barnes says of this .word : ' It is so exten- 126 NELLIE NORTON. eive in its signification as to be applicable to any species of servitude^ whether voluntary or involuntary. The word denotes servant of any kind, and it should never be assumed that those to whom it is applied are [*laves.* So you see, it denotes a servant of any kind, whether voluntary or involuntary. Now, sir, you can proceed." " Do you, Dr. Pratt, as a gv/wlar, not as a Northern man, but simply as a srhol-ir, endorse this view of Dr. B:irnes ? " <• Certainly I do, sir," said the Doctor. '* Very well, then," said Mr. Thompson, "I will prove that both you and Dr. Barnes are very deficient scholars, or very much blinded by prejudice, just as you may choose to be considered. " Mr. Mortimer will you please take the Greek Testament there on the table by you, and turn to Luke vii : 2. I refer to Luke instead of Matthew, because, in the latter, pais is used, which signifies a child. In Luke, the description is fuller." Mr. Mortimer announced that Doulos was the word used in Luke. "Now, then," said Mr. T., *< we will see if the definition is as ambiguous, as vague as the Doctors say. Robinson's Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testament says : 'Doulos, a bondman, slave, servant by birth.* In the family, the doulos was one hound to serve — a slave — and was the property of his master; a living posses' $ion, as Aristotle calls him. The doulos, therefore, was 7iever a hired servant, the latter being called inisthios, Mislholos. " Here, Doctor, you have the definition in full, also the fact thnt another word, vit : misthios, niisthotos, express the idea of a hired servant. Doulos always means a bondman. Now, Mr. Mortimer, turn \<> Luke xv : 10, where the prodigal said, ' make me as one of thy hired servants,' and see if doulos is used," He turned to the chapter and veree, and announced that the word used was misthion. "Mr. Uubinson says that misthios means 'hired, salaried, one hired, a hired servant. It is from misthox, hire, wages, recompense.' Now let us examine further into the meaning of doidosi Liddell and Scott say, 'Doulos, a slave, a bondman, strictly J one born so. Doulos, like the latin serinis, slavish, enslaved, subject.' " Grove, in his Lexicon, says : ' Doulos, a slave,' &c. " Alford, in his (ireek Testament, says : ' Doulos means a slave,' " Hodge, on Ephcsians, says: ' Doidos, from deo, to bind, means a bondman or slave, as distinguished from a hired servant, who was called misthios, and mislhotos.' Dr. Hodge adds : * It is evident, both from the meaning of the terms here used, and from the known NELLIE NORTON. 127 historical fact, that slavery prevailed throughout the Roman Empir»i during the apostolic age, that this (viz : Ephesians vi : 5-9,) and other passages in the New Testament refer to that institution.' * " Bloomfield says • ' The word doulos, contracted for deolos, was properly an adjective, signifying bound ; but used substantively, denotes a bund servant, usually for life.' " Trench's definition of donlos is this: ' One in a permanent rela- tion of servitude to another.' " "But," remarked the Doctor, "you will remember, there are other words besides donlos, misthios, and ^nisthotos, that are translated servant and servants, in our version. * Moses as a servant was faith- ful in all his house,' Heb. iii : 5. The word translated servant in this place is Therapon. In John ii : 5, * his mother saith unto the servants' The word tran^ated servants here is Diakonois. Now, then, how, if our wise translators gave them all the same rendering, are we to ascertain definitely that either one means slave, and the rest do not 't I think you are in a dilemma from which your scholarship will not deliver you." • " I suppose," said Mr. Thompson, "you will admit that Richard Chenevix Trench, B. D., Professor of Divinity, King's College, London, author of the 'Study of Words,' 'The Lessons in Proverbs,' &c., &c., is good authority on the difference in the meaning of these words? If you will not, we will turn you over to Dr. Barnes as ag incorrigible neophyte. " Therap>on. Of this word, Mr. Trench says : ' From the fact that the septuagint translates the same Hebrew word now by doulos, now by therapon, it will not follow that there is no difference between the words J nor yet that there may not be occasions when the one would be far more appropriately employed than the other -, but only that there are other occasions which do not require the bringing out into prominence, of that which constitutes the difference between them. And snch real difference there is. The doulos is one in a permanent state of servitude to another, and that altogether apart from any ministration to that other at the present time rendered . but the therapon is the performer of present services, without respect to the fact whether as a freeman or a slave he renders them, and thus there goes constantly with the word, the sense of one whose services are tenderer, nobler, freer, than those of the doulos.' Moses therefore was a therapon, doing honorable service for his Divine Master. Liddell and Scott say : < It implies free and honor^ able service.' 12S NELLIK NORrON. " Diahmox. Says Trench : * The differcace bet^reen h'nhnno* on one side and douhs aud tluraixm on Iho other, is that diakonos reprcheuts the servant in his activity fur the work, not in his relutiou either of servitude as that of the doulos, or more voluntary as in tht?> case of thenqton to a pt-moii. The attendants at a feast, and those with no respect to their conditiuD u» one of freedom or servitude, are as such i/iiiA-onog. What has ju>t been said of the importance of uiLiintuining the distinction between dutilos and diahntux, may be illustrated from the parable of the niurriage supper, (Matt xxii : -J-14) : " With UH the king's 'servants' bria^ in the iuvit«d liucsts, (vs. 3, 4, 8-10,) and his 'servants ' are bidden to cast out him that had not on a wedding garment (v. I'i); but in Greek, those, the britipers-in of the guests are di>nhd ; these, the fulfillers of the king's sentence are dinhotivi — this distinction being a most real one, and belonging to the essentials of the parables.'' •' In this long quotation from Mr. Trench, you have clearly drawn the distinction between the words .so often confounded in our version. My interpretations of the scriptures, to which I may hereafter refer, will be founded on these distinctions. Wherever 1 find doulo.-., or douloi, I shall be sure to call it slave and slaves, and to know I am right. Dr. Barnes to the contrary notwithstanding." " Let me see if I compruheud these distinctions," said Nellie, 'j for I suppose my understanding of the scriptures to which reference may be made, will depend upon my retention of them. Tlurapon is the performer of present services, without reference to the fact whether as a freeman or a.s a slave. /^/«A-y//'« represents the servant in his articify for the uurA-, not in his n/ution either of voluntaiy or involuntary servitude. Neither of these words cuu be relied ou to prove slavery, though in our Bible thoy are rendered servant. '< Doxdos means: 'One in a permanent relation pf servitude to anotlier ;' a bondman, a slave. This last, then, you rely upon to prove slavery. It 'always and everywhece ' means slavery. Now I um ready for you to proceed." , " Dr. Pratt." said Mr. Thompson, " 1 have proved by a number of the best witnes.se8 1 could produce, and those, too, whose scholarship the learned world has acknowledged, that doulos means xlav rod nothing else. As a lawyer would say, * I close for the present.' If you have any further testimony, produce it, ' or forever after hold your peace.' Dr. Barnes is your only witness so far ; and as interest, prejudice, and a want of information destroy the credibility of his NELLIE NORTON. 129 testimony, I await the introduction of others. If you have no other witnesses, I shall claim a confession." '' I never confess," said the Doctor, " without an imperative neces- sity. I always go before the jury, to carry out your own figure. You can proceed." " Then, in the first p'ace, I shall proceed to dhcredit your only witness. You look surprised. T do it, not for the sake of the argu- u\ent, but for the honor I would pay to Greek literature. As Greek scholars, Dr. Barnes would have us believe that cioulos may mean a 'hired servant,' just as well as a slave, not that he would urge the usage of Greek writers as proof of his assertion, but upon his own unsupported word. We look for evidence to sustain the Doctor, but find none, not a single witness, save Dr. Pratt. Dr. B. says : ' It is often used in these senses in the New Testament, just as it is else- where ' ; but he gives no single instance , in which it is thus used, nor can he. ' If the term duulos signifies a 'hired servant' or 'an apprentice,' it is certainly strange, that out of the long list of learned lexicographers, not « singrle one ever found it out. Stephcuis, in his Thesaurus Ling. Grace. Art. doulos, was equally ignorant of any such use of the term. Now, is it not to be regretted, that as Dr. Barnes is the only man who has ever made this discovery, he did not give us some insight into the sources from which he derived his information, but he has aot condescended to adduce a single example in which his definiiion is applicable. 'The Greek word, doulos,' says Dr Smith, in his Dictionary of Antiquities, ' like the Latin serus, corresponds to the usual meaning of our word slave.' Aristotle, whom we may suppose to have understood Greek as well a.s any one else, (save Dr, Barnes.) defines a slave (jloulos) to be a living working tool, a pos- session, to be not a servant of any kind, but a dace. Dr. iMacKnio-ht renders the word douhs slave. • But 1 will not weary you with thcde proofs. ' In the mouth of two or three witness^es every word shall be established.' The scholarship of the world has passed judgment against you and Dr. ^., a^id you must sufler the penalty." " You remind me very much," said the J)octor, "of one of our good preachers at the North, who, when he establishes a point, is so proud he stops to crow over it. Your crowing is rather more noisy than one would expect of a staid, prim, scholarly Christian like yourself. Better do as the blacksmith, who, when he has driven the nail, only slops long enough to cliDch it, and " "That is just what he has done," said Nellie, with a glance of triumpli towards Mr. Mortimer. " His proofs are certainly conolu. Q 180 NELLIK NORTON. sive. But, uncle, you need not think we would grow weary of additional testimony, for while you have certainly afforded enough, yet. if you have more, you can ' make assurance doubly sure.' " " Well, then," Kaid her uncle, " one or two niure witnesses. Donnegan says : ' Duulos a slave, a servant, as opposed to cltspote.*, a master.' But he never applies it to hired .servants. " Conybeare and IIowhod ; ' iJouhs a bondsman' They say of Paul'e letter to Philemon : ' This letter is not only a beautiful illus- tration of the character of St. Paul, but also a practical commentary upon the precepts concerning the mutual relations of slaves and masters, given in his contemporary epistles ' " Dr. Kendrick, of Rochester, New York, in a lew articles written for the New York Examiner, a few years ago, gives the meaning of (loulos to be iJavf. He argued the (juestion with his Abolition brethren with a 'scholarly ability that quite put them to the blush. 1 am sorry I did not preserve his articles, that you might see how he puts the (juestion forever at rest. I remember his articles created quite a fluttering among the Abolition theologianti at the time, and they put on a doleful face, and sighed through their papers, and expressed many regrets that brother Kendrick should have spoken at» all, if such were his views ; but they did not, so far as I now remem- ber, attempt to controvert his positions. " Dr. Hacket, of New England, in his revision of I'hilemun, states in a foot-note that duiiloi means slave. In the body of the letter he says servant, to please, perhaps, the Abolitionists ; but he was afraid to risk his reputation as a scholar, and therefore adds the marginal note. " Mr. Sumner makes a gre:it ado about slavery and the Bible, and declares that slavery cannot be j>roved from the New Testament, but that the very opposite can. ]iut Senator Sumner has no reputation aa a scholar, so far as 1 know; certainly none as a theologian, and if he has any for veracity, it has not made its way thus 'far frum his home. Eike many of his class, he asserts a fact, and when asked for the proof, re-asserts it with vehemence. But this is quite enough to satisfy the Northern mind ; they never ask for proof from an Abolitionist — they want none; the wildest and most reckless assertions are received a^ true beyond all question. " But, sir, I have done with the philological part of my argument, and am prepared to show, that according to the definition given by the learned world to f/'>i;/oji, slavery existed in the apostolic age; that it was known and understood by Christ and his apostles ; that thoy NELLIE NORTON. 131 Irecognlzed it as ono of the social relations of life, aad endorsed it; that they commanded slaves to be obedient to their masters; that they commended the faith of slaveholders and received them into ■ their churches. Mr. Mortimer, will you turn to Ephcsians vi : 9 and see if the word translated servants is not douloi." ''It is, sir," said Mr. Mortimer, "but I would suggest that Dr. Pratt have the Greek Testament, so as to place all imposition out of the question, so I will hand it to him." " Mas George, Miss Penny mighty sick, sir; she want to see you," Baid Phebe, entering) and interrupting the conversation. Mr. Thompson hastened to his wife's room and found her very ill with intjipient pneumonia. He immediately sent Jack for the doc- tor. Returning for a moment to the parlor he excused himself for the evening, and stated that from present indications the discussion would have to be suspended till a change was effected in his wife's health, which might be several days, for she was violently attacked. Mr. Mortimer took his hat, and bidding them good evening, re- tired. Nellie ran into the room of her aunt, whom she loved most dearly, to see if she could afford any assistance. Dr. Pratt, after sit- ting for a full half hour in a brown study, went to his room, where he found a warm fire brightly biasing. Looking to his left, on a centre table, he' discovered a small book, but finding it was entitled " South Side view of Slavery," he was tempted to put it down again, but finding no other book in the room but the Bible, and not feeling in a very devotional frame of mind, he opened the book at chapter seventh, and seeing in large letters " Revolting features of Slavery," he read; " Passing up the steps of a court hoube in a Southern town, with Rome gentlemen, I saw a man sitting on the steps with a colored in- fant wrapped in a coverlet, its face visible and the child asleep. " It is difficult for some who have young children not to bestow a passing look or salutation upon a child; but besides this, the sight before me seemed out of place and strange. ' Is this child sick,' said I to the man, as I was going up the steps. ' No, master, she is going to be sold.' ' Sold ! where is her mother V * At home, master.' ' How old is the child ?' ' She is about a year, maater.' * You are not selling the child, of course. How comes she here V 182 .KKLLIE N'ORTOy ' I don't know, ranBtcr, onlj the sheriff told me to sit down h«r6 aod wait till twelve o'clo.'k, eir.' "It in hardlj necesi»ary to say that m}" heart died withiu me. Now I had found slavery in its most nwful feature — the separation of a child from it« mother. 'The mother in at home, mahter.' >Vhat arc her feelings ; what were they when she missed the infant '/ Waa it taken openly or by stealilj ? Who has done this? What shape — what face bad be 't The mother i»* not dead ; * the mother is at home, master.' What did they do to you, Rachel, weopinj^ and refusing to be comforted, rndetermincd whether I would witness the sale, whether T could tru.'t royM-lt in ftuch a t-ceDe, I walked into a friend's law office and looked at his books. I beard the j-beriff's voice. ' the public outc.-)-,' as the vendue is called, but did not go out — partly be- cause I would not betray the feelings which I knew would be awak- enencd. One of my friends met me a few minutes after, who hikd witnessed the transaction. ' You did not see the sale,' he said. * No; wa.s the child sold V ♦ Yes, for one hundred and forty dollars.' " I could t;ike this case so far as I have related it, and go into any pulpit or upon any platform at the North, and awaken the deepest emotions known to the human heart, harrow up the ftelings of every father and mother, and make them pass a resolution, surcharged with all the righteous indignntion which lunjzuage can expres.s. (' Yes, and you ou):bt to do it," thought l)r. 1'. quite imdibly.) ." On relating what 1 had seen to nome Southern ladies, they be- came pale with emotion; they were »ileiit; they were filled with evident distrchs .... Puring my ^tay in the place, three or four estimable gentlemen said to me, * I understand tliat you sjiw that in- fant sold, the other day. We are very sorry that you happened t<> sea »♦•. Nothing of the kind ever took place before, to our knowledge, and we all feared that it would make an unhuppy impression upon you.' The manner in wbicb thi.s was said affected me almost as much as the thing which had given occasion to it. Southern hearts and consciences. 1 lelt re-!issnred, were no more insensible than mine. The system had not steeled the feelings of these gentlemen. . . 1 received three or four statemeats of the case, and this is the substance oi them : ' The mother of this infant belonged to a man who had become embarrassed in his circumstances, in consequence of which the mother was sold to another family in the same place, before the birth of the child ; but the first owoec laid claim to the child, and there was some NELLIE NORTON. IBS legal doubt with regard tc\ his claim. He was disposed to maintain his claim, and it became a question how the child should be takcu from him. A legal gentleman, whose came is familiar to the coun- try, told me that he was consulted, and advised that, through an old execution the child should be levied upon and be sold at auction, and thus be removed from him. The plan succeeded. The child wag attached, advertised and ofifered for sale. The motlur's master bought it at more than double the ratable price, and the child went to its mother. Nor was this all. In the company of bidders there was a man employed by a generous lady to attend the sale, and see that the infant was restored to its mother. The lady had heard that the sale was to take place, but did not fully know the circumstances, and her purpose was to prevent the child from passing from the parent. Ac cordingly, her agent and the agent of the master were bidding against each other for some time, each with the same benevolent determina- tion to restore the child to its mother. Rachel was comforted. Rather, she had no need of being comforted, for the sheriff was, in this case, to be her avenger and protector. Here was slavery restoring a child to its mother; here was a system which can deal in unborn infants, redressing its own wrong. Moreover, the law which forbids the sale of children under five years, was violated in order to keep the child with its mother. The man who' had the claim on the un- born child was from Counecticiit." " Who is this ' South Side view of Slavery' written by," said the Doctor, mentally; "let me see. Nehemiah Adams, D. D., published in Boston, by T. R. Marvin. What! a Massachusetts man writing this way I WeJl, we will never put down slavery at this rate ; this is bolstering it up. This is not the side of the question I want. This Southern nabob has given me too much of that already. 1 wish 1 was better prepared te meet him. But the truth is, he has the schol- ars of the age on his side; there is no doubt of that, and I shall touch that question as lightly as possible ; prudence suggestg ni/ence, so far as 1 dare maintain it. But if the scholars were bin only strength 1 <'ould do better ; but much as wc condemn slavery, I fear I shall not be able to bring one single precept from the New Testament against it, for some how or other I cannot quote one that he does not make it mean something else. Even Dr. Way land has made that unfortunate admission, that there is no precept in the New Testament against it. He never should have made any such admission, even if it be true. There was no necessity for it. The Scriptural condemnation must be by implication, and that will never reach the hearts of these incorrig- 134 S'ELLIB NORTON. ible Soiitbcrnera, especially when we cannot deny that Christ and the Apostle? lived in a land of slavery and paw the institution in all its bearinps. T know Senator Sumner pays the Bible is against it; I could quote him. but then Thon)p!!on is fiich a stickler for proof, that I know he would riddle him at once, and that would only show the weakness of my caupe. I don't know what I shall do. Yes I do, T will play the man ; I will stflnd np to the la.st ; I'll fipht slavery, though T have to do it without a weapon. I'll not do a.s Adams did. They shall not gtill me in that manner, never, no never. There is too much hternness in this heart, too much iron in this will, fof such puerile vacillation. Hut, really I am a little troubled about it. Christ did not rebuke it, the Apostles did not, neither did they pray for its discontinuance, but I do. Then it follows that I and the abolition world are, as christians, doing that for which there is no apostolic prrcrpt or example. Are we better than they ? " How hhall I curse whom God hath not cursed ? or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied ?'' But ps-haw ! What a train of reflection 1 am indulging. I do believe I am about to go crazy. Ah, its a temptation. ' Get thee behind me.' I am in the land of slavery, and it is very natural I bhould not be so stroni^ly against it, where all I hear is in its favor, as if I were where the reverse is truOk Well. I will think of wife, and write her a letter to-nipht" So we will leave' the Doctor to commune with his loved one far away, hoping he may become a more devout lover of divine and apos- tolic precepts and examples, at some future day. CHAPTER XI. Mrs. Thompson's illness — All remedies /ail — Negroes pray for her — The sick room — Affecting scene — Effect of prayer. After Mr. Thompson had dispatched a servant for his family phy- BJcian, he applied such remedies as he hoped would afford Mrs. Thompson temporary relief. On the arrival of the Doctor he pro- nounced the disease pneumonia, and informed Mr. T. that the attack was one of unusual violence, and would require prompt treatment and the most vigilant care in nursing. He was well known to the family as a skillful physician, and as a man who never g^ve needless alarm. Mr. T. felt the most painful anxietj' for his wife, upon whom he had always looked as one of God's best gifts to him. Nellie pro- posed to watch by her aunt's bedside with her uncle during the night. It was with unfeigned reluctance that she retired when iniornied by her uncle that he might need her more at another time. For several days Mrs. Thompson grew worse. Every effort of the physician wa^ ineffectual; till at length her life was despaired of. Mrs. Norton had been all attention and tenderness. She loved her sister ; and then she felt so deep a sympathy for her brother and his interesting family of children. Nellie, too, who had found a conge- nial spirit in her accomplished aunt, felt a distress at her condition almost beyond endurance. She had looked forward to so many happy, joyous days in the society of ber whose spirit now seemed vibraAjng between two worlds, and sighing to " depart and be at peace." E^u Dr. Pratt was moved to earnest prayers for her recovery. But all .seemed unavailing. The hand of (he destroyer was, it heemed, upon her, and his terrible hold none could break. " Uncle Jesse," said Phebt, when at twilight the good old servant came up to inquire how his mistress was ; '"Uncle Jesse, Mies Penny mighty low ; the doctor says she's gwino to die. You been prayin' for her, Uncle Jci-se ?" *' Don't you know I been prayio'' for dear Miss Penny. I pray most all night last night. I couldn't sleep, 1 been on my knees twenty times, I speck. Poor Miss Penny, God bless her and spare her to us a long time yet, I pray, if it be thy blessed will." " I^ncle Jesse, can't you and Uncle Dick and Gabriel and the rest of you, go and hold a prayer meeting for Miss Penny? I 'member 136 NELLIE NORTON. Mas Georfie read in the Tcfitatnent that Josus cure sick people when he here on earth. lie can cure Miss Penny but the doctor can't." " YcB, I ^'o now and pee the brothers, and we will pray for her. The Bible tay ' the pra^crof faith trhall eave the pick.' O T,- r<]. in- crease our laith. irister I'hcbe, you pray too." " 1 have been prajiti' all the time,"' paid Phebe, as bhe burbt into tear's and turned away, wipin;; her cych with her apron. \'ucle Jesse went out to bunt up " ♦he brothers." ^'ery soon they all as.«!cnihlrd in the house of pious Diek, the o.«tlcr. I'nele Jesse arose and stated the object of the ujceiing ah follows : " My brothers, God been good to tis, to pive us a kind niistis like Miss Petiiiv always been to us. She alwavs speak good to us ; she treat us well all the time. She nuss us when we sick ; she kind to our wives and chilcns. Nobody got pood luistis like we is. God send sickness on her. The doctor can't do her no j.'ood; he say she gwine to die. I call you here, uiy brothers, to pray fur our dear good mistis, that Jesus, the Great Physician, come and cure her, like he did when lie was here on earth, if it be his holy will. He say, the pnyer of faith shall eave the sick. He say wheresomcver two or three are gathiered together, there I am in the very midst. Now, brothers, Jesus is here to-night with us. 1 feel in my heart he is here. He will help us to Jiray, and he'll hear our prayers and break oflf the monia from Miss Penny. Only Minr, brothers, when you pray, for Jesus says all things are possible to them that believe. O Jesus Master, help us to believe I Brother Dick, you pmy first." All knelt, and Dick lifted up his heart in fervent supplications, while his liX'gave utterance in broken accents, with sobs and tears, to the fol- lowing prayer: "0 dear Master God, fur Jesus sake, help this poor servant to pray fur his poor sick misti.s. Jle would not ask for a. form, nor lor a fashion, but /'or de lone sake of blaster Jesus, dy dear Son. O, for his sake drop dy frown behind de mountain, and come over de hill of our traus-irc^hunis and hear de prayer of dese dy poor servants. O Daniel's God, help dy poor creature to pray aright 'fore de dis afternoon. Be dou de good Physican to stand by de bedside of my dear mistis and buke de fever and de monia, and give her to us once more, if it be dy holy will. Take her by de hand and raise her right up, and put dy strong arm under her to make her strong. She been kind to dy poor servants, she been good to all de people. Master Jesus, cure Miss Penny. She got little chilens too ; what will dey dt) widout her I O spare her for dcy's sake. And Mas George ; be too mighty good — what will he do 'f His heart be NELLIE NORTON. 137 broken ! Master Jesus, don't take Miss Penny away from him, our dear master. please, if it be dy will, break off her sickness and make her well. She teaches us dy blessed word ; she read it to us ebry Sunday; she tell us about ble.ssed Master Jesus. for his sake give us Wins Penny, our dear, good mistis; don't take her away now, if it be dy holy will. 0, broders, pray for our dear Miss Pen- ny, dat de Lord may give her to us, for dy dear Son's sake. Lord, please, dear Master God, don't send my dear mistis down to de cold grave dis time, if it be dy most holy will. "We all begs for Christ's, sake. Amen." The meeting was continued till about eleven o'clock, when it was re- solved to go to the house and ask " Mas George" to let them see Miss Penny and pray with her. About twenty, male and female, went up to the door and halted, while Uncle Jesse softly approached the door of the sick chamber, and while looking in on the pale, wan face of his emaciated mistress, the big tears chased each other in rapid suc- cession down his black cheeks. . He beckoned to his master, who came to the door. Taking him a little out, so as not to disturb the sick, he informed him that about twenty of the servants were 'at the outer door and in the yard, and wanted to see Miss Penny, and if he would let them, pray with her. Mr. Thompson beckoned to the doc- tor, who came to see what was wanting. When informed of the mission of Uncle Jesse, the doctor entered his protest, and said it must not be done — they must not come in to see her, much less to make a noise ; it would excite Mrs. T., and she might sink immediate- ly under the excitement. " Do you think she will live through the night, doctor 1'" asked Mr. Thompson, as his lip (juivercd and his voice became tremulous with emotion. " I think it jyossiUc she may, but there is no certainty about it." '* Then," said Mr. Thomp.son, '•' if my negroes do not see her to- night, they may never look upon her living form again. Unless y»u are very ]»ositive in your opposition to it, doctor, I am disjiosed to grant the request of my servants, at least od far as to let them come in and see her. Can't I leave it to her, doctor ?" " It may hasten her death, Mr. Thompson, but you can do as you please. But don't ask her if she is uillivg to see them, but if she desires to; don't let her know they are here." This conversation was carried on in a low whisper just outside of the sick chamber. Mr. T. approached the bedside of his sick wife, en one side of which Nellie wa."? sitting, with a countenance that indi- cated deep mental pain and anxiety ; her face was pale and her eyes R 138 NKLLIK NORTON. were wet with woepin{». Her mother reclined ou a soft couch near by, with her eyes fixed upon the face of her invalid sister. Phebe stood at the foot of the bed. with her hands renting. on the back of a cliair, ready to go at tlie behest of any one who comniandod her for her mistress. I'r. Pratt had oouie in an hour before, and was sitting in an easy chair near the fire. l»eep sadness was visible on every face, and a death-like stillnc-is reigned through the room. Mrs. Thompson lay with her eyes closed, ber hair brush* d neatly back Jrom her forehead, with a brow as colorless as marble and a slight flush upon her check. She had been fully conscious of her critical state all the time ; but was resigned to the Divine Will, whatever that might be. She loved her hu.>«band devotedly, and her children with a fondness which none but a mothcrever feels. Por a few days after she was attacked, she did not feel that she could give them up and leave them. But she was now content. God, her Father and Friend, would take care of them. He would guide und comfort them, and bring them all at last to the scenes of bliss which her faith portrayed in the near prospect. IJut Mr. T's heart was wrung with bitterest anguish. A dark and lonely future was before him. His prospects for this life he felt were to be forever blighted ; his pre- cious little children soon to lie bereft of a mother, With such a mother but few were ever blessed. Though a man of great iaith and fortitude in trials, generally, now they seemed to fail him. (Jod wa.i jmt, he knew, he Iclt it, but was there lovr, was there nurry and (/oo(/nf us in a j>rovidence so sad ? Could /orr tear asunder hearts so lovingly united T Could love bereave five young children of the best, most tender and faithful mother that ever blessed a ianiily by her example and intlucnce ? Ctmld love tear away from an aflectionate and devoted hmfband the wile of his bosom^ the only object that made life sweet, and without whom existence itselt would scarcely be tolerable. Could loir do all this 'i But then lie wouhl cry for help from Him who is his people's ^Irevf/t/i, and his faith would in- crease, till, by Divine asii^^tancc, he could say "though He slay me, yet will 1 trust in Him." The whole family, whito and colored, were in great distress. The servants did not feel that they could forego the sad pleasure of onc« more looking upon the face of their beloved mistress; and .Mr. Thompson, believing that this night would close the eiuthly pilgrim- age of his wife, was unwilling to deny them this privilege. Ho therefore approached his wile softly and asked her if she desired to see the servants. " She opened her eyes and looking around the room NELLIE NORTON, 139 to sec who was present, answered emphatically, '* Yes." He then told her they were at the door, and he would let them come in, one at a time, and see her, but that she must not let it disturb or excite her. "No," said she, " let them all come at once." Mr. T. stepped back and told them to go in as easily as possible, one following the other. " Uncle Jesse" led the way, and approaching the bed, held out his hand, and, taking hold of Mrs. T's hand, said "God bless you, my dear mistis, and make you well again." Juda came next, and hold- ing out her hand, burst into tears at the sight of her emaciated mis- tress. All who were not too deeply affected to speak, had some kind word for " Miss Penny," as they took her hand. Dick, for a won- • der, was behind. When he came up, she said, " Sing for me. our good old song — ' O sing to mc of heaven.' " Dick paused, cleared his throat, and looked at " Mas George," who did not shake his head. So he stepped to the door and softly called those who were just leaving. They all returned, when Dick led off, followed by all the rest — " sing to me of heaven "When I am called to die — Sing Bongs of holy ecstasy, To ■waft my soul on high. When cold and sluggish drops Roll off ray marble brow. Burst forth in strains of jpyfulness, Let heaven begin below. When the last moment comes, watch my dying face, And catch the bright serajihic gleam Which o'er each feature plaj-s. Then to my ravished ears, Let one sweet song be given ; Let music charm mc last on earth, And greet me first in heaven." A sweet, heavenly smile played over the face of Mrs. T., while the negroes were singing. Nellie, poor dear girl, sobbed irresistibly, and even Dr. Pratt wept big tears of mingled joy and sympathy. Mr. T's whole frame shook ; while many voices among the colored songsters were tremulous with deep emotion. '< Uncle Jesse," said Mrs. T., feebly, "I want you to pray for me." Jesse looked round for his master's approbation, but his face was concealed and his frame almost convulsed, so Uncle Jesse feeling that "prayer never hurt no body," he said, " Brothers and gisters, let us all pray. Do please, Master Jesus, bear us this ooc 140 NELLIE NORTOX. time more for our dear mistis. You have said what>omever we ask iu faith you will give it to us. You say in your word, Ask and yc shall receive ; and you told us the prayer of faith shall save the sick. We bleaves thy word. Darefore, O Jesus, bless my Miss Penny. Be the Good Physician, to heal her sickness and make her well again once more, if it be thy holy will. Master God, look upon poor servant, for Jesus' sake, and listen to hi« prayers. Poor sick mistis ask this poor servant to jiray for her once more — give us back Misa Penny as alive from the dead. But speak the word, and she shall get well again, for you did say, Lazarus, come forth I and the dead did live and come up out ol the grave. l>o please, my Heavenly Master, give her back to us again, for Jesus' sake, if it be thy most* holy will, and we will praise thee forevermore, for Jesus' sake. Amen." The colored people all retired to their houses after the prayer. Uncle Jesse, however, lingered at the door till he could catch his master's eye, then beckoning to him, he walked to the outer door, and stopping, said, " I mighty sorry for you, but the Lord is good — hrs mercy cndureth forevermore — it never fail him. I bleave Miss Penny gwine to get well." " But, Uncle Jesse," said his master, " the doctor says she cannot ; that fkc will die to-night." " The doctor can't cure her, Mas George, but the Lord Jesus can. He fetch up LaZaru8"froui the grave after he be dead four days, and he able to make Miss Penny well agriin, too. You look to Jesus and trust in him, and not in the doctor, and you sec if Miss Penny don't get well agin." Nellie and her mother had just given Mrs. 'J'hompson a little wine, lest she might sink under the reaction from the excitement. Having lain about two hours, with her eyes closed, save when she made a feeble effort to cough, she opened tJiem, and motioning to her husband to come to her, she said in a soft whisper, " Husband, I am going to get well." "I hope so; but why do you think it? do you ieel so n)uch better?" " 'Whatsoever ye ask, believing, ye shall receive, that the Father may be glorified in the Son,' is just as much intended for our servants as for us," she replied, " and I believe uncle Jesse asked in faith, don't you ? " " Yes, my dear, I do," replied her husband, with deep emotion. The Doctor had retired to a room, to obtain a little sleep, as the servants entered. He gave instructions, that if any, the slightest NELLIE NORTON. 141 change for" the worse, took place, to have him waked immediately. He was surprised, therefore, when a servant called him, to find it was to prepare for breakfast, instead of being an urgent summons to the sick room. On entering Mrs. T's room he gave her a careful exami- nation, and looking at Mr^ Thompson with a grateful smile upon his face, said, " Decidedly better." "Thank God!" said Mr. Thompson, as the tears involuntarily filled up his eyes to the brim. At the breakfast table, visible signs of the reappearance of the day of joy were seen in every face, and heard in every word. The night was far spent, and the rising rays were seen to gild the hori- zon. The cloud was being dispersed, and the light struggling through its hitherto dark bosom. The reader may feel relieved to know that Mrs. Thompson began to improve, and continued steadily to grow better and strengthen daily, till she was, in two weeks time, able to join the family again in the parlor — whither we will soon conduct you to hear more of Bible slavery. t CHAPTER XII. Slavrri/ denionslraled in the New Testament — Obedience to Masters as taught of God — An endorsement of the rectitude of Slavery — Insipired picture of modern Abolitionists — Secession a positive command. Mrs. Thompson made her first appearance at the tea table, which added greatly to the pleasure and hippiness of all present. Mr. Mortimer had been invited to tea. His sparkling wit, the repartee of Nellie, the puns of Dr. Pratt, and the presence of Mrs. Thomp- son, gave a joyous zest to the tea party, that made all forget the sorrows of the past, only to be grateful for their removal. The cloud had entirely disappeared, and the sunlight of joyous pleasure again filled every heart. A fervent prayer of thanksgiving was offered up by Dr. Pratt, when all adjourned to the parlor. * •' To your Greek Testament again, Mr. Mortimer," said Mr. Thompson, who held a Bible in his hand. 142 NKLLIK \n)nc>V " I liavc resigned tliat lioiior in i.ivor oi cur citric:!! I'riond," said Mr. Mortimer, rising and liaoding the (Jreek Festanicnt from the table to Dr. I'ratt. "Then," said Mr. T., ••l>(K-t(»r will vuu turn to Kplic-^iatis. vi : 5-8. ' Servants bo obedient to them that arc ynur masters according to the flesh, with fear aud trembling, in singleness of jour hearts, as unto Christ ; not ^ith eye service, as nien-plea.scrs ; but as the ser- vants of Christ, doing the will of God from the lieart ; with good will, doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.' Now the -first «suien did refuse to lot the iSouthern representatives repeal the slave trade laws, becau.sc Yankee vessels were growing rich by it. Divine providence overruled their selfishness, for the moral and temporal welfare of the Africans brought over. 2d. As the condition of the descendants of Hum is one of slavery under the Divine decree, it is right for those holding them in bondage to soften the rigors of this vas.«ialage as much as their condition will admit. Indeed, is it not the part of philan- thropy to do so, and especially of ('hristian philanthropy ? If T, a slave-holder, have a neighbor who treats his slaves cruelly, it is a debt I owe to humanity to endeavor to correct the evils in that master's treatment; and if I fail, I may endeavor to have the owner- ship of those slaves transferred, in u lawful manner, to a better maater. Now, if the Africans would sell their own slaves to us, and not make war upon on« another to secure a greater number, it would be our duty to carry on the slave trade, for the benefit of the enslaved. It would be right to transfer the ownership to a people who would appreciate the responsibilities resting upon masters, and 'NELLIE NORTON. 151 who would understand and sympathise with the condition and wants of the slaves. The wrongs then which have been connected with the slave trade did not belong to it, any further than the temptation it held out to the cupidity of the b'arbarous tribes of Africa. It purchased the slaves at a price agreed upon by the master, and then transferred them to American owners at a price agreed upon. Whether the master in Africa came into the possession of his slaves lawfully or not, may be as difficult a question to settle, as whether Jacob obtained his birthright justly. One thing we know : both were in accordance with tbc Divine purpose, and both were brought about by the Divine providence. The Hebrews, on the eve of their departure from Egypt, borrowed jewels from their neighbors ; the Jews drove out and reduced to vassalage by foiye the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. How can these things be justified ? Both acts were done in obedience to the Divine will, and were, therefore, right. Long before these acts were committed, God had said • ' Canaan shall be a servant of servants to Shera and Japheth.' Who should begin to bring them under this bondage, when or how, was not revealed. It was left for Divine prcAidence to develop these. It began with the Jews in Joshua's time, if not in Abraham's day, and continued till their dispersion, as a punishment for the rejection of the Messiah. The door ha.s again been opened by the same Divine hand — and who shall say that hand erred in so doing? As well might Jacob have said providence erred in sending Joseph into Egypt, or Jesse to have complained against the Almighty because David was persecuted by Saul. ' My ways are not as your ways ; neither are ray thoughts as your thoughts saith tb^ Lcrd, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' " It would be fortunate for the Africans if they all had Southern masters. Their condition would be much better in every respect. They would be treated better, physically: better clothed, better fed, better cared for. Their minds would be better developed, and their moral condition unspeakably better." " But you have not got to the kernel of my nut yet," said the Doctor. " If slavery is wrong in the United States, it is wrong in Africa. Though the African masters may have held their slaves for twenty centuries, does that make it right? The first master reduced the first slave from freedom to servitude ; he therefore did wrong, for no man haa a right to reduce another to slavery. Now, the question 152 NELLIE KORTON. • is: Does tlie long continuance of slavery justify the act? does it remove the wrong ? does it make a wron^ ri^ht V " iVell, sir, I understand you," said Mr. T. "You have made a man of straw, and desire me to fight him. You have supposed a ease which does not exist, and as.serted a fact, as you have many times before, which you cannot prove. You have asserted that the first master reduced a freeman to servitude. But I have proved, by Divine authority, that God reduced one-third of tlie descendants of Noah to slavery by his own decree. It was not man that made the decree, it was the Creator. It was not man that reduced the free- mtin and made the first slave, it was the Almighty — the glorious Maker and Supreme Kuler of the Universe.- Wv-ro Canaan's des- cendants ever free /ifter God said they should be servants / — had they any rights to freedom after he took them away '/ If slavery had its origin in error, then your complaint must ba laid against your Miker, not against us. I refer you to Ilim. Head the 9th chapter of Genesis again, for I find your memory is very treacherous. Now, then, sir, your nut is cracked, and, like everything else you have borrowed from Dr. Wayland, is found to contain nothing. The sophistry of Dr. Wayland is well adapted to bolster up a cause the strength of which is water, and the foundation thereof sand. He has no truth on this subject which he can produce, he therefore approximates as near the semblance of it as possible ; he has no logic, he therefore substitutes sophistry, which answers his purpose just -dn well with the Northern mind." " 1 am very glad he mentioned it, uncle," said Nellie, *' for I am sure if an Abolitionist iiad offered that as an argument against alavery to me, I could not have replied to it. It really seems that you have the Bible on your side sufficiently to refute every argument upon which the Abolitionists rely. I wish Dr. Wayland or Senator Sumner was here, or some other one of the more public men of dis- tinction at the North ; not that Dr. Pratt is not as well posted as any of them, but they are more accustomed to discussions on this subject, and mi(jht think of some argument that will escape him. 1 am exceedingly anxious to have the whole argument exhausted, the subject thoroughly analyzed. I leel confident my good uncle is able to meet the whole sandbedrim of Abolitionists." *' Dr., Pratt has prepared and preached many sermons on the subject at home, where he had all the Abolition authorities and speeches before him; he has not forgotten the arguments which fired his auditory with indignation against slave-holders. Here he NELLIE NORTON. 153 has Dr. Wayland'a discussion with Dr. Fuller, and I see lie is familiar with the writings of Sumner and Channing, and I presume he has read everything on that subject which has been given to the public — and, saving his presence, he is better posted than any Northern man with whom I have met. So you have no occasion to fear, my Nellie, but what all the strong Abolition arguments — if there are any such — will be presented. The Doctor shall have a fair chance, and as much time as he wants. " If you have no further remarks. Doctor, will you be kind enough to turn to 1 Timothy vi : 1-5, and give us the Greek of the word translated iBcrvants." " Douioi, sir," remarked the Doctor, curtly. " 'Let as many slaves as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed : and they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren ; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach other- wise, and coBsent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godli- ness : he is proud knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness ; from such withdraw thy- self.' " The following truths," said Mr. T., " are deducible from the above quotation : 1st. That slaves are to esteem their masters worthy of all honor. This refers to .heathen masters, as you will discover by a casual reading of the passage. A Christian slave was not to be puffed by his conversion, so as to look down with disrespect or even indifference upon his idolatrous master. He was not to disregard his commands because he was without the knowledge of God, and in the way of error, but he was to esteem him worthy of all honor. Abolitionists would teach them to look upon such a master as a merciless tyrant, a reprobate, a man-stealer, a heartless and remorse- less oppressor. But Paul says : ' Count them worthy of all honor.' A heathen, idolatrous master, is worthy to be honored by his slave. What a striking contrast between the advice of modern Abolitionists and primitive Christians ! 2d. The reason assigned why slaves should thus honor their masters, is, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.' Now notice this reason. The 'doc- T 154 NELLIK NORTOX. trine ' of (jod requires that slaves honor their masters. Doctrine means teaching. You remember it comes from the latin doceo to teach. Then the teachings of God are blasphemed by the disesteem of a slave to his master. Doctor, did you ever teaoh a fugitive slave thus to blaspheme ? However, I withdraw the (juestion, it is one of too great delicacy to urge; but many ministers in New England have. 'The name of God' is also blasphemed in the same way. ' Name of God' is generally understood to mean 'authority of God.' It may mean that here. The heathen master hxs a theoretical knowl- edge of the religion of his slave, and knows it requires of all its disciples to live a holy, blameless, humble, innocent life; but if his slave becomes proud, disrespectful, disobedient, his master despises his religion, to which he attributes these results, and the master and slave are thereby both made blasphemers — the latter by his dis- obedience, the former by the example of the latter. 3d. If both the master and the slave are Christians, then Paul says : ' Let them (the slaves) not despise them because they are brethren; but rather (i. e., much more) do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the beuetit.' Here are the two — the master and the slave — both in bondage t6 Christ, both freed men by the blood of atonement, brethren beloved, both partakers of the heavenly calling and benefit. But is this a reagon why the slave should ■elevate himself to a political and social equality ? No, let them viwh more do them service. It is a strong additional reason for obedience and love. What ! a master beloved by a slave ? So says Faul, and he calls him faithful also, conceives of him as a lovely charac'ter, one deserving the love of others, wearing the ornament of a Christian character unspotted by the world. You or Dr. Way- land would have said, * and they that are bolieving masters let them emancipate their slaves, let them not be guilty of the enormous sin of slavery,' so you see a new dialect has been introduced into the Church since the days of Paul. 4th. 'These things teach and exhort.' Hero is an inspired command to the minister of the gospel to instruct the slaves to obedience to every class of masters — to honor their masters — to do willing service to them — to cherish affection ior them. When the slaves are taught their duties in these respects, the minister must exhort them to the faithful discharge of these obliga- tions. But, Doctor, you Abolition preachers would not obey this Divine injunction, would you ? l''ou have not ; but, on the contrary, you have most palpably violated it, by urging them to resistance of the master's authority. When a slave violates these precepts and flees NELLIE KORtD^". 1^6 to you fbr protection and concealment, instead of lelling him aa the angel did Ilagar, ' Return to thy mistress/ or, as Paul, ' Count your master worthy of all honor, and do him service,' you take him by the hand and tell him, * You did right, sir ; I congratulate you on your escape from slaveryv' You will hide him or pay his way to Canada, and if perchance the master find him in your borders, you raise a mob, and protect him against the rights of the master, the judgment of the law, the Constitution of the land, and the mandate of heaven. How strangely the conduct of Abolitionists appears (when compared with their professions of superior piety,) with the instructions of heaven. 5th. Here is a vivid, life-like description of you Abolitionists, as given by the Holy Spirit, through Paul. It is a graphic picture, a living likeness. Paul could not* have made it more complete and perfect if he had lived in the nineteenth century, and been a regular auditor of your fanatical speakers, and a daily reader of the Tribune. Hear it, look at it, and may God help you to understand and apply it. ' If any man teach otherwise, (that is just what yoa and every other Abolitionist is doing,) and consent not to wholesome words, (this is what you have refused to do, you do not consent to, but oppose these wholesome words on slavery) even the words of our Lord Jxjsus Christ, and to the doctrine which is occording to godliness. (You reject the words of Christ, you reject the godly doctrine, by rejecting the above instructions to slaves.) He is proud (marginal reading * a fool ') knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.' Wilt you bear with me a. moment, Dr. Pratt, while I point out a few of the well drawn features of this picture. " 1st. * Proud, knowing nothing.' ' He raves,' says Dr. Doddridge. '*■ He has a dreadful mental distemper, and is brain sick. Bigoted — in Southern parlance, has the swell-head, or as Job would say, thinks he is the man and wisdom will die with him. To come directly to the point, he is a fanatic. He knows nothing, and yet his pride induces him to think he knows more than any one else. He looks with contempt upon those who oppose his views, and those who differ from him are considered stupid dolts. He is too wise in his own esteem to need further instruction, and is too ignorant to discover his own deficiencies.' "2d. 'Doting about questions.' Makes a hobby of one idea. Dotes with fondness upon it; views others as fools who disagree 166 ^'ELLIE NORTOiy. yriih him. He is 'silly and insane ' about his 'question.' TalMng,- he speaks of it } writing, he discuspes it ; sleeping, he dreams of it- ETer3'thing else is ingigniBcant compared to it. If he is a public speaker, it is his theme ; if a preacher, it seasons his sermons ; if a legislator, he makes laws for it. He endeavor? to stir up others tcr see and think with hira. Now, was not that a master stroke of Paul's pencil ? ]>ut it was guided by unerring wisdom. " 3d. ' Whcxeof coiueth envy, Btrife, evM surmisings, peryerse disputings,' &c. Here are the ugly features of this most striking face. But if you wish to !?ce how correctly they are drawn, go to the' Capitol when Congre.'^s is in session. Go to a religious convocation of Northern and Southern Christians. Go to the Metropolitau Theatre — go anywhere that the voice of an Abolitioix orator is heard, and you will see that this sketch was tsken by the unerring pencil of Divine Inspiration, and you cannot ftiil to recognize the original. You will see the 'envy and strife,' you will hear the ' evil surmisings and perverse duputinys.' You will say, these are those who ' consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,' for if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his, and the ' wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceaWe, gentle, easily to be entreated, full of love and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.' But, alas I none of these are to be seen in Abolition meetings and discussions. I tell you, Dr. Pratt, abolition- ism in its present form is an ofl'ence against God, the Bible, religioir, the peace of the Christian world, atrd against common sciree, and the more enlightened experience of the age. I would tremble, sir^ at being obnoxious to the charges here laid against those who oppos^ the Divine teachings on the subject of slavery. Do you observe here, that Paul calls this instruction oa slavery^ the ' words of the Lord Jesus Christ?' — 'that in order to enforce the precept ho gives the highest moral and religious authority known to the world, the King of kings and the Ivord of lords? And yet you, Dr. Pratt, and Dr- Wayland, and others who profess to honor the authority of Christ, array yourselves in opposition to Him, who spake as never man spake. How can you come in such direct and violent conflict with the authority of heaven. How dare you bo so presumptuous, so impious ? Why, sir, it is a fearful position. Christ commands-— you give a counter-command. He eaaets — you repeal. He speaks with divine authority — you stop your ears. He says slaves must obey their mas- ters — you say they ought not. God says they shall serve — yoti say they shall not. • Christ says these things teach and exhort — ^you say KELLifi noiito:n. 157 I t^ill teach just the opposite. Well has the Apostle said, ^^ From such unthdraic thyself." " It is time we had obeyed this divine injunction, for it is authori' tative, because positive. Already have two christian denominations withdrawn from you, and they did but obey this command of the Apostle. Soon will follow a more complete, and to the North, a more disastrous separation. When the bonds of this political Union shall have been severed, and the upheaved state of society and business eonsequent thereupon, shall have settled down, you will find that your Samson is shorn of his strength, your government tame, imbe- cile, effete, or else you will become a military despotism. Already is * Ichabod * written upon its temple of liberty, and the ' Hope of Sand,' as the Constitution was once called, has been rent asunder by the ruthless hands of fanatical abolitionists, The compact has already been broken, and we are released." " You speak with a great deal of assurance, Mr. Thompson," said the Doctor, as if he Was just aroused from some profound reverie, " I cannot reply to you now. I have much to say — you seem to have had all your own way this evening, and I have • given you rope.' I would reply now, but Mfs. Thompson is feeble, and it ' might not be best for her to sit up longer, so I will not tax her patience. As I am anxious for all present to hear what I have to say in reply, I will defer my answer until to-morrow evening." The party retired to their rooms — Mr. Mortimer having taken leave at the conclusion of Dr. P's remarks. Mrs. Norton was very anxious to hear what het pastor had to say in reply, for her faith in the rectitude of abolitionism was very much shaken ; -she began to fear it was a sin, and one of such mignitude that she dare not com- mit with indifference. She had previously felt very little interest in the discussion, thinking there was no veri/ great sin in slavery, or her brother would have seen it; and that there must be some errors which made its abolition right, else so many wise and good men at the North would not have advocated it, or perhaps it was a (juestion not settled at all in the Scriptures, and therefore men entertain dif» fercnt views about it. But she had never been able to see very clearly either the right or wrong about it. But now that Jesus had taught it, that the inspired limner had given so graphic and appall- ing a description of the opposcrs of slavery, she felt if this was true, if her brother had made no mistake in his interpreta- tion of this Scripture— the matter was no longer one of indiffer- ence — she must decide — she, too, like her daughter, roust come out 158 NELLIE KORTON. from among them and separate herself, or she would be n party to their wrongs. Nellie was delighted. She felt grateful that she had seen hel* error, and had avowed lier change of sentiment. Her uncle's expla- nations were as clear to her mind as a sunbeam. She was astonished that her pastor should feel disposed to reply at all. She had never studied his character. She knew not how strongly pride of opinion and pride of position sometitnes influence even chrisiians against their conscientious convictions. She knew not how difficult it would be for Dr. Pratt to say, " We of the North are wrong after all, and you of the South are right, but I waft .igno- rant of this fact till convinced by a Georgia-slaveholder." Ah ! it Wbs too much— the Doctor could make no such admission. But our readers must desire to hear what Dr. I*ratt had to say in reply. Be patient, for time and tide no more hasten than they " wait" for the accommodation of the inquisitive and impatient. CIIAl^TKR Xm. Music — Emharraseing Position — Success — Doctor J^/ a It's Gasco- 7indc — Mr. Tliompwn's Rrjihj — A Trne Picture of Northern Cruelty — Abolition Preachers omit a part of the Gosj)cl — Cannot Preach it at all — Infidelity of Abolitionism. Mr. Mortimer came over about fotir o'clock, P. M., in pursuance of an invitation from Nellie to enjoy a musical treat which she had prouiised him. He never failed to fill his engagenietits with her. for they were obligations, the performance of which was most pleasing. Her music was in exquisite taste — her voice soft, sweet and melo- dious ; but he imagined that in conversation she possessed greater power to charm and fascinate. He very soon proposed a promenade in the flower yard, though long since had the frosts of winter left the shrubbery entirely bereft of its adornments of leaf and flower. Yet one was by his side more delicate, more beautiful and lovely than any which had bloomed, as he imagined, outside of Paradise. Her words were sweeter music to him than the harp or piano, the fotest songster, the chiming of NELLIE NORTON. 159 sacred bells, or the chanting of holy songs. He was conscious of an affinity between them, which, when he was absent from her, made him long to be in her presence again. Thougli he had said much to her before, he had never fully unfolded his feelings, nor was he certain that his own deep, ardent affection was reciprocated. I^e had no reason to doubt her partiality for his society, but no positive declaration had ever been made by either party. This occasiop he had selected for the purpose of coming to a definite understanding. He plucked the frost bitten rose buds, rolled them in his hands, and crushed them between his fingers, which were cold and bloodIe.ss. HLs heart palpitated with unusual rapidity- — his throat became unac- countably dry, and the powers of speech strangely forsook him. What was the matter ? Am I sick ? he thought, no I have no headache, no fever, no symptoms of disease. '' But this is a very awkward and foolish position. I will speak." But the supper bell is ringing, and we must not eavesdrop the young lovers. They linger, and are in a low couversation. The spell is broken, the dumb is speaking, the patient has recovered, and ^he future must develop whether Mr. Mortimer was successful. Nellie's face is flushed, and she has no relish for tea, while My. M. is unusually vivacious. But the reader is waiting with impatience to hear Dr. Pratt, who has the floor. In his hand he holds a small bit of paper, which mu.st be either the skeleton of his speech or a memorandum of the points of his argument. We may begin to tremble, for Jupiter stands forth in his majesty, with the wand of power in his hand. " The time has come when self-respect, philanthropy and patriotism demand that I should be heard in defense of my principles. Duty calls, and I re.spond with pleasure. I will no longer prove recreant to the high trust which I feel is reposed in me of vindicating the purity of abolitionists and the rights of man. The character of tho former have been aspersed, while I have sat silently by; were they present I would ask their forgiveness. But by whom aspersed? Who has become the self-appointed judge to sit in trial on the motives of a highly enlightened and eminently christian people? Who has become the expounder of divine and heavenly truth, and a teacher of correct morals and religion? A slaveholder — one who lives in the daily violation of the most palpable principles and spirit of our holy religion — one who binds men in the chains of bondage — -one who coerces men and women against their will to labor for his benefit — one who totally disregards the righis of others — one who comes in coq- X60 N'ELLIB NORTON'. tact with the iateiligciiccof the age, and in coniSictwith the religious coDvictious of the civilized world-^uno who has the presumption (^excuse the word) to say that abolitionism is funaticism ; that such goodly men as Wayland, Chanuing, Bcet-her and l?:irnes are fanaticp; that such statesmen as Sumner, Lovejoy, Seward, Wilmot, in the United States, and the wisdom of the English Cabinet, are knaves. One born at the North, reared in our schools, rocked in the lap of pious horrors lor the inhumanity of slavery, and then, and Omn, proved a recreant to the early instructions of truth ! Such is the man who would lecture abolitionists on good morals and the divinely inspired word — a man who endorses an institution that beans on ita face a perpetual fraud, and embodies in its essential elements the most flagrant wrongs — wrongs which are ' so transcendent, so loath- some, so direful,' that they must be encountered uhrrevcr tliey can he readied, and the battle must be continued, without truce or com- promise, until the field is entirely won. Slavery — the very word is a, reproach to our dialect; it should be stricken from use; it is a stigma upon the civilization of the age — a burning disgrace to our Christianity. What evils have followed in its train '{ Kather may I ask, to what evils has it not given rise ? Are there tears in tins lovely, sunny land ? — they are the tears of slaves. Are there sighs and groan ings at the 2Jorth 'i — they are on account of this moral pollution that hangs as an incubus upon society. Do wives and hus- bands weep over an inhuman separation from each other? Slavery must bear the curse. Are parents and children ruthlessly torn asunder ? — the iron hand and heart of slavery have crushed and broken these loving spirits. Do huiuanlty and religion weep over the indulgence of the most brutal passions that ever disgraced our race ? — it is because slavery has given rise to the indulgence of these unhallowed propensities. Are the stroan)s of human life made bitter and its paths set with thorns ? — these are but the natural fruits of the evil genius of slavery. Are there wranglings in the halls of our national legislature ? — slavery has broken its peace and sundered its bonds of union. Are the peace and harmony of our churches invaded ? Are the friends of religion at enmity with each other ? What has done all this? Who has dared to iuvade the sacred sanc- tuary, the Holy of Holies 'i The emissaries of satan embodied in slavery. It has placed its polluted hand upon the consecrated ves- sels, and has the presumption of Uzziah to offer holy sacrifices upon its divine altars ; then turning to the true and appointed priests of NELLIE NORTON. 161 the Most High, would lecture them on moral and religious propriety, and give them exegeses of the Divine word. Now, Mr. Thompson, you have a bird's eye view of the evils of slavery and the presumption of slaveliolders. Do you say that an inspired Apostle endorses and enforces this institution ? Dare you say thai the immaculate Sou of God fostered slavery ? The thought is presumption — its expression blasphemy. Slavery always has, and always must, resort to the most palpable perversions of Scripture to sustain itself Then, sir, tell me not that slavery is right. It is not true. I would not believe it though one rose from the dead to testify to it." Mrs. Norton was elated as her pastor proceeded, and felt sure he was demolishing every position her brother had taken. She felt well satisfied when he was done that human wisdom could do no more, and that human ambition could desire no more. She fully expected her brother would yield. What could he say in reply ? " Are you through ? " quietly asked Mr. T. " I am, sir," was the Doctor's emphatic reply, with an air of satis- faction, which was rather amusing, as it seemed to say " I have triumphed." " I have no reply" said Mr. T. " to make to your fulmination. I must be contented with a very modest little criticism, which I hope you will receive kindly. I shall oflfer nothing in defense of myself for presuming to teach you. It is the duty of those holding the truth to give it to those who are in error, whether they will hear or forbear. With such honorable company as Washington, Calhoun, Clay, Madison, Jackson, Berrien, Crawford, etc. ; with such pious asso- ciates as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Solomon and lilisha, Bas- eomb, Thornwell and Fuller, I am not reproached by being called u slaveholder. I have been greatly disappointed, Doctor, in your reply, as you consider it. I thought you would show that my interpretation of the Scriptures was wrong, that the text meant somethiu"- else. I supposed you would bring up some anjnment to prove abolitionism right, but you made no effort to do so, and I think displayed much wisdom by the omission. A good lawyer sees his weak points before his opponent does, and never alludes to them, lest his antagonist should take advantage of them. You are wise and crafty. You assert much, and do not fail in your proofs, because you att«mpt none. I must say of your speech, however, that it is eminently character- istic. You are a representative character. You illustrate abolition, ism. You would have the word slavery blotted out from our 162 NELLIE XORTOX. Iftnguage. What would jou insert ia its place in the New Testament ? " It is a stigma upon the civilization of the age and a burning dis- grace to our Christianity," you say. Why, Paul, why were you so unfortunate iu the selection of a word, which has become a stigma upon civilization? How much more flo for you to put it into the l»ivineword. But answers Paul : "The Holy -Spirit gave nic the word, and told me to write it." But did you not know it would be offensive to the delicate sensibilities of this jge, and that much com- plaint would be made agaiust it? " Ves," says Paul, "I knew that those who would ' nut consent to wholciome wurds, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,* which He gave me, would always be 'doting about questions and strifes df words'; but. they are only the * perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, who are destitute of the truth.' But, Paul, cannot this word slarvry be blotted out from the revelation ? ' If any man shall take away from the iconLsoT the book of this prophecy, (Jod shall take away His part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.' Then I guess, Doctor, we had better not meddle with this word. AVe had better have the stij^ma upon our civilization than to have our part taken out of the book of life. W^e cannot very well get it out of our language, so long as we use that old fashioned book called the Bible, and as our sainted parents have told us it came from heaven, and as their dying testimony bore wit- ness to its heavenly coiuforts and immutable truth, it might be well for us to respect even its wunh, as these are the signs of its inspired thoughts. 1 confess uiyself at a loss. Doctor, lor your speech i.s hard to tiud. It passes out of mind. One cannot very well hold it. 1 think though you said something about the evils of slavery, what we .Southerners call the aJniKts of the institution. I promised to be frank and ingenuous iu this discussion, no matter what it costs of ieeling. 1 will keep my word. Slavery has its abuses as well as every other relation in life. Some cruel, heartless masters, destitute of proper moral feelings, sometimes .separate husband and wife; and the same evil, by similar characters, is done to parents and children. There are cruel masters as well as cruel husbands and parents ; there are tyrannical masters as well as kings and princes. But you do not say * the evils of marriage or of the parental relation,' you do not say ' the evils of jxiwer,' but the nlrnscs of marriage, the abuses of the parental relation, the abuses of power. So we say the abuses of slavery. These abuses in slavery, like those of marriage and power, are the exceptions, not the rule. That they ought not-to exist, that NELLIE NOKTOX. 163 t'ncy are contrary to the preccptis and genius of Christianity, I most freely admit ; that they should be corrected, is the firm conviction and earnest desire of our people generally j that tliey have been greatly diuiiuishcd for the last few years, until they are scarcely to be found in our land at the present time, is the observation of every close observer. Every master is held responsible, both by kw and pubhc sentiment, for the mild and proper treatment of his slaves, for furnishing them with food, clothing and religious privileges ; that we are accountable to God for the manner in which we treat those whom ITc has placed in bondage under us, is a fact believed by all among us, save those who may reject the Divine revelation. There is not a master of moial standing in all the land who would not con- tribute his influence to the correction of every abuse of slavery. We know what those abuses are ; you and your abolition fraternity do not. We are willingto be instructed on this subject by each other, but not by those who deny the moral and Scriptural validity of the institution. W^e understand our responsibilities, and assume them with the same con6dence of our ability to discharge the duties con- nected with thiem that we cherish in the other relations of life. We feel able to think and act for ourselves without the officious inter- meddling of abolitionists. While Southerners are willing to aid one another iu correcting every abuse of slavery, they will resist with their whole moral, mental and physical powers any and every attempt to break its chains. The existence and use of an institution and its abuse are two widely diiferent things, as unlike as white and black, light and darkness. Marriag-e is of God, and is therefore good, but its abuse is wide spread and ruins thousands, ' but must marriage on this account be abolished '( ' ' No,' said Mr. Mortimer, ' not yet T hope.' All smiled but Nellie, who blushed deeply. Mr. T. pro- ceeded : ' Govern (iicnts are indispensable to the well-being of society, but rulers are sometimes tyrants and usurpers. Shall governments be abolished on this account ? The parental relation is greatly abused. A heartless mother or brutal father may treat their children with shocking inhumanity. Shall this institution of heaven be abolished on account of these occasional abuses ? We may safely say there is no po.sition of trust or power in which fallible man has been placed but what has, by some, been abused. Shall man, on this account, never again be entrusted with positions of honor or power ? Surely you would not thus disintegrate human society ! No, you would not do tLi*^ but, as a member of that society, you would labor to correct the evils, and thus benefit your race. This seems to 164 yULUK 5ORT0?f. be the plan marked out hj the Divine Providence for the Soalh,and we are fnllowinpj the guidinc hand and doing the work thus assigned to us. But let as nhnr, and wc will ncconiplish it. All abolition interference but stays the hand of reformation. Correct the evils that exist among you at the North, for thoy are fearful, and we will attend as best we may to those at the South. Take the beam out of your own eye 6nit, and then you can see more clearly the mote that is in ours." " To .«how," said Nellie, " there are cruelties not less abhorrent at the North than any which can poesibly exist at the South, I propose^ if you all will permit mc, to read a few extracts from a book written by a Philadelphia lady, who knew personally the facts of which she writes. Speaking of the leading abolition characters, male and female, with whom she was acquainted, she says : ' They make a great noise in the world, and create for themselves the reputation of philanthropists. These persons are generally small and mean in all their operations. The sight of a widow struggling through tho world with her fatherless children cannot awaken their pity. Tho picture of misery presented by the forlorn state of those helpless children, who arc taken into the houses of our citizens and treated with a degree of cruelty that would appear apoehryphal to those who have not been eye-witnesses to it, has no effect to call forth their sympathy. The wretched class of sewing girls, who form so large a portion of our cities, who toil from early morning till late at night, for the miserable pittance that but just suffices to keep soul and body together, who go down to the grave while yet but very children, or, what is far worse, live on, if living it may be called, to a prema- ture and imbecile old age, shuf mit from rvrri/ nijuymevt of life, debarred from all the innocent recreations of youth, aye, debarred even from those bright Iwpes which come to the happy, these slaves, Oirsc rrri/ nUnrs of the North, find neither friendship nor humanity amongst the.'^c abolitionists; but, on the contrary, these noble beings, these friends of the oppressed and down trodden slave, employ the poor sewing girl, beat her down in her price, make her work till as near mid-night as possible, and then make her wait for her wages for weeks and sometimes for months after she has earned them. " I know a poor girl, a dress-maker, who worked at her trade until four weeks before her death, wearily dracging herself about to her customers, and then sitting down in her lonely garret to put together the finery that was to adorn them. ♦She was a christian, a member of the Episcopal Church, and had a name and a soul as pure NELLIE NORTOPr, 165 as the tlntradden snow. She was in a consumption, and when she found herself growing rery weak, she sent for my mother and myself, and we hastened to her and performed every little office of friendship that was in our power. One day she said to me, * Lizzie, I have a request to make of you.' ' Name jt Bridget,* said I. ' I want you to take this little bill to Miss — ■ , in Girard street; tell her how ill I am, and that I really need the money, and ask her to please settle it. I have already gone there several times, and she has always put me off. ..*.:.. She was dressed in a handsome silk dress, and had on quite a profusion of jewelry. I handed her the hill, and told her that poor Eridget was very ill and could not possi- bly live but a few weeks, and begged her to pay it. She spoke (juite saucily, and seemed to think it a very insulting thing to ber dignity to be dunned in that way. I left the matter in her bands, and I am ready to prove that poor Bridget went to her grave in Ronaldson's burying ground without ever receiving one penny of the money. There is not a lady in the whole Southern country that could have been capable of such an act." " Nor has a slave ever died under such circumstances of want,'' said Mr. Thompson. " A poor woman," continued Nellie, "with a husband bed^ridden for months, she feeble, and at the time in bed, with six children crying for bread, sent a little account to a wealthy lad)" in Philadel- phia, who lived in elegant style. When poor little Ellen Plarly arrived, the woman of wealth was surrounded by some visitors. Sending for the lady into another room, Ellen modestly and bashfully told her errand. The reply was characteristic : ' And is this what you bad the impertinence to bring me from my company for, to hear this miserable story about a sick father and mother and ? whole troop of starving brats? ' The old tale to move people's pity, but it won't do, I can tell you. You ought to be taken up as vagrants. If I was not very charitable, I should send you to prison at once — however, I won't be hard with you — here is a half dollar, come back to-morrow ftod I will pay you the rest, and remember to tell your mother that I shall never employ such a low bred person to sew for me again, I find it quite insufferable." " Now," said Nellie, " have a little patience while I present some instances of cruelty in Northern masters and mistresses, which I presume cannot find a parallel in the South. "This same little Bilen Early was the daughter of a gentleman who sat out in life as a New York merchant, with as bright prospects 166 NELLIE NORTON. in business, and with as pure and angelic a wife as ever graced the fashionable circles of the city. But her too generous husband lost all by security. Being reduced in health by consumption, till he was unable to give his personal attention to any bu.siness, and having been forsaken in the day of his adversity by the numerous heartless friends who in former years had thronged his parlor, his wife sold her jewels and obtained money enough to pay their expenses to Philadelphia. Here they were reduced to such straits that, as their children gi-ew large enough, they were corfpelled to put them out fur their food and clothing. This was the fate of dear little Ellen, who was placed with a iNlr. Wilson, about twelve miles from the city. The sensitive mother's heart shrank within her as she clasped the dear daughter to her bosom before committing her to the man who had promised she should be treated as a child in his family. "When once domiciled in the family, slie was made to iron and wash ; she scrubbed the house, and did an amazing amount of chores of every description. She drove the cows home at night, carried in the wood, and often had to split it. She carried all the water from the spring, a full quarter of a mile. Her food was of the coarsest and most scanty kind imaginable. " When, after an absence of at least a year, she returned home to her mother, she was very much in the condition of pious Job of Scripture memory, wheo he was forced to scrape himself with a potsherd. She stared vacantly, and sometimes wildly upon every body; sometimes seemed absent minded, and again fierce as a tiger. The startling truth burst uj)on the poor heart broken mother, that Ellen had lost her reason, but how or wherefore she could not tell. Oue day when the li«ht of reason had for some hours lit up poor Ellen's face her mother resolved to cjuestion her particularly about her home in the country. 'Ellen,' said she, did Mrs. Wilson ever whip you when you lived with her ? ' '0 yes, every day,' answered the girl. 'What did she whip you with?' 'The cowhide some- times, sometimes the wall.' ' How do you mean the wall, Ellen ? ' < 0, she beat my head against the wall till I had such a queer feelijig in it, and I. could see sparks of fire in my eyes. Then Mr. Wilson used to kick me all about the room.' ' What did you do to deserve such treatment, Ellen ? You must have been very saucy to them, Ellen, and very bad ? ' '0, no, mamma, I was not saucy. I think they thought me stupid, and indeed I didn't know how to do any thing right just as I was told, for I had neyej worked so hard before ; but I wasn't bad.' Here Ellen began to sob and cry as if her heart NELLIE NORTON. 167 Avould break, but at the moment one armed Jim, a drunken neighbor, came reelinp; up the court, singing a rollicking song, and Ellei?, starting up with a wild burst of laughter, ran out to see him, and in lier face ©ne could perceive no gleam of reason lefl. A few days after, in a wild delirium of the brain, Ellen left the house, and was uot missed by her parents till near nightfall. Every search for the poor dem;_Hed child was fruitless. A day or two afterwards Mr. Harley read the following in one of the morning papers, which told the sad sequel of poor Ellen. Judge of the feelings of the poor mother's heart as her husband read — " ' Found drowned ! — The body of a little girl was found yesterday morning iioating in the river Schuylkill, by a party of boatmen. Thft child was about ten years of age, had on a faded calico dress and linsey woolsey petticoat. In her pocket was a handkerchief, thimble and tine tooth comb. The coroner held an inquest on the body, and the jury rendered a verdict of accidental drowning. The body has been taken to the green house, where it awaits the recognition of friends.' " Such is the result of tl\c cruelty of Nofthcrn masters to their poor slaves. You have read of poor little *Lily, who was whipped by her rich mistress, in a Northern city, until she fainted, and was then borne to the garret and Idtked up in the room with two skele- tons to frighten her into terms, aud made to stay there for weeks, while her food was bread and water. You may also have read of the wrongs and cruel treatn>ent of little Harry, for a trifling offense. lie says of his master : " * He ordered me t© undress. I did so. He told the mep to tie me up to a limb of the tree with some strong cord they had brought with them. This' they soon accomplished, and then I felt the hard and heavy blows of the cowhide cutting and bruising my flesh, and seeming to be grinding my bones to powder. I held out as long as I could, but at last I cried for mercy. I implored his pity, still the blows descended, and at each repetition laid open the quivering flesh. In the midst of this agony consciousness forsook me, and I knew not what happened to me for hours afterwards. When, however, I at last opened my eyes, I found I was laid in my own garret, but there was no one near me. I felt an intense burnine: thirst. There was no water at hand. I tried to rise from the bed, but my bruised and mangled body WQuld not permit me. I writhed in agony I heard a noise on the stairs of a heavy step ascending. The next moment my master entered the room. He held a lemon ia his hand^ 168 NELLIK NORTON. cut ia two. For what purpose he had brought it, I soon learned. He turned me over oa my side, aud with a malicious leer on his face he squeezed the juice into the open cuts on my back. God ! my mother ! can you imagine the torture he inflicted upon me. T felt the cold shivering of agonized despair run over me. I implored him to have mercy upou me, as he hoped to find mercy with God ; but no, he pursued his purpose till he had satisfied himsels, and then left me, deaf to my cries for water, deaf to everything but the cruel promptifigs of his iron like heart.' *• These are no fancy sketches," added Nellie. " They are written by a pious and intelligent lady of Philadelphia, who vouches for the truth of them before {.he t'earcher of hearts. Such is the refined cruelty of Northern philanthropists ! who are heart sick at the inhu- manity of Southern slaveholders. Perhaps it would be best for us Northern people to abolish slavery at home, or, at least, discontinue its .abuses. Our example might do more for the South than our pre- cepts have as yet accomplished. These Southerners will not be so apt to heed our eflforts while we preach one thing aud practice another. Nor will they hear us as long as we misapprehend them. They know we are ignorant of many of the things whereof we affirm, and it is not strange that they refuse to be taught by us. The abuses above alluded to were perpetrated by prominent abolitionists, who would give a thousand dollars each per annum for the abolition of slavery." Nellie ceased speaking, und for a time no one seemed disposed to speak. Soon, however, Dr. Pratt broke the silence by saying, " Mr. Thornpson, you are frequently twitting me with a failure to produce Scripture or argument against slavery. I shall beg leave to dissent from the admission of Dr. Waylaud, " that there is uo precept in the New Testament against slavery," and prove to you there is. I remem- ber being in Baltimore a few years ago at a christian convocation, and to have heard a Southern minister, perhaps Dr. Johnston, of South (Jarolina, ask one of our most celebrated divines, " What he consid- ered to be the strongest Scripture in the Bible against slavery." Taking the New Testament in his hand, he turned to 1 Cor. vii : 21, and read : " Art thou called being a servant ? Care not for it ; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." I hold, sir, that here is an inspired preference expressed for the freedom of the slave. It is best, " Use it rather," it is for his development as a christian, and therefore will promote his efficiency, and consequently is for the glory of his Savior, If all these good results are to follow the emancipa- NELLIE NORTON. 169 tioa of a christian slave, then every christian master is under obli- gation to liberate his christian slave." " Your quotation," said Mr. Thompson, " without the context, would seem to bear the construction you give it". If the master proposes to free his slave, and the slave is advised to accept it, there must be some reason for the advice which made the condition of freedom preferable. But let us go back and read the context, begin- ning at the 17th verse : " But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lurd hath called every one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. Is any man called being circumcised '( let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision ? let not bo circumcised. . . , Let every man abide in the same calling icherein he was called." Here, Doctor, is a key furnished by the inspired author of this language by which to reach his meaning. The Jew was called being a Jew; let him not desire to be a gentile. The gentile was called being a gentile; let him not at his conver- sion desire to be a Jew. The master was called being a master, and the slave was called being a slave. Then let neither of these be discontented with his condition, but " abide in the same calling wherein they were called." With this interpretation agrees Dr. Alford, who was himself an abolitionist. The early Fathers, as they are called, believed this passage favored slavery. Chrysostom says : *' If thou art called as a slave care nothing for it ; nay, although thou canst become free, yet serve rather, for the believing slave is yet free in the Lord, and the free man a slave of Christ." Your construction is of modern date, and owes its origin to abolitionism. Indeed, it seems to conflict with the groat idea which occupied the mind of the Apostle when he wrote, to wit : That the gospel of Christ was not to unsettle the relations of human society. There is not the slightest intimation to the master that it is his duty to liberate his slave, not even a preference for it is hinted at, nor is the slave to seek his liberty. If, then, this is your strongest Scripture, and your best argument, your tJause is indeed a weak one. Do you derive authority from this text for the organization of abolition societies for sending out abolition emissaries and tracts, and for stirring up insurrectionary feelings in the minds of wicked and discontented slaves ? But according to this " strongest Scripture," none but christian slaves would be entitled even to accept freedom, if tendered ; nor does your construction seem to impose any obligation whatever, even on chris- tian masters to liberate their " called " slaves. So that the very most you can make of this passage is, that if a christian master V 170 NELLIE NORTOX. should thiuk it best for his pious slave to be free, and voluntarily offer him his freedom, that it would be well for the slave to accept it. Such things have frequently been done in the South. A slave is converted, exhibits a deep sense of his obligations to his race to preach to them the gospel, feels called to bear the news of salvation to his fathiT-land. His nia.stor is made acquainted with his convic- tions and desires, and feeling a deep sympathy in the same good work, sets him at liberty, and pays his expenses across the water, having first given him a generous outfit, and then contributes annually to the support of his pious missionary. Under such circumstances, if a slave may "be made free," 1 would say with all my heart, " Use it rather." Nor would any pious Southern christian disfcent from this view. Your view of this passage is not universally conceded by Biblical critics, even among abolitionists. Conybeare and Howson, the for- mer " Late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge," and the latter " Principal of the Collegiate Institution, Liverpool," both learned critics and.translators, give the passage in examination this version : " Wast thou in slavery at the time of thy calling? Care not for it. Nay, though thou have the power to gain thy freedom, seek rather to remain content." In the foot note these men say : " The Greek here is ambiguous, and might be so rendered as to give directly opposite precepts ; but the version given in the text, (which is that advocated by Chrysostom, Meyer and DcWette,) agrees best with the Kai and also with the context." Here, then, are two abolition witne.^^ses, at least, who testify that your pillar of abolitionism is a strong column in supporting slavery. Now, Doctor, 1 wish to call your attention to Paul's instruction to Titus. Chapter ii: 9-10: "Exhort servants (doulni) to be obe- dient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again ; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our iSavior in all things." Titus, as you know, was a young minister, who was just entering upon the great work to which he was called. Paul was giving him a charge as to the matter and manner of his sermons and exhorta- tions. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells him to " Exhort slaves to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things." Now would it not have a better moral effect for you Northern preachers to study'Paul to Timothy and Titus a little more, and the writings of Wayland, Channing, and the class who so unhesitatingly oppose the teachings of inspiration, a little NELLIE NORTON. 171 less. Would it not be safe for religion to preach just what God says, or must we "add to and take fVom " the Divine law, in order to perfect it ? Do you think, Doctor, you would be willing to teach to my slaves and others in the South the doctrines here taught ? Would you be willing to tell them, as a minister of Christ, that they could not " adorn the doctrine of God our Savior," without obedience to their masters, and unless they "strove to please them well in all things ? Could you do this, dare you do it, without coming in conflict with your abolition principles?" The Doctor sat silently looking on the floor for a moment, and then raised his head as if he would speak. Slowly turning his gaze on Mt. Thompson, he finally replied : "Why not'/ I do not see that it materially interferes with my ptinciples. It only teaches, as Dr. Wayland has said, patience, fidelity, meekness and charity — duties which are obligatory on christians towards all men, and of course towards masters. And I will also add with Dr. \V. that it is to be observed that the Apostles arc in every ease careful not to utter a syllable by which they concede the right of the master, but they always add a reason for these precepts, viz : the relation in which the slave stands to Christ." "It only teaches, you think," said Mr.T., "patience, meekness, fidelity and charity. But does it not teach obedience to masters ? It says, 'obey your ma.sters.' Does it mean something else? But the Apostles are careful ' not to utter a syllable by which they concede the right of the master.' Though it is sinful to disobey, so that by disobedience the servant reproaches the doctrine of God our Savior ; and their obedience is of so great importance that the unerrin|:;J wisdom of a holy God sent oft-repeated messages, injunctions and commandments requiring positive and uncomplaining obedience and acquiescence to the master's behests ; yet * not one syllable is uttered conceding the master's right.' I am reluctant, Doctor, to accuse you and Dr. Wayland of mental obtu.seness, but really something is wrong. What is it ? Where shall I fiud it ? To what shall I attribute it ?" " The Unitarian says : ' The divinity of Christ is not taught in the Bible.' The U^niversalist says future punishment is not' to be found there ; the Roman Catholic says there is a purgatory to be found there ; the Jew says the Messiah has not yet come, that there is no divine evidence of it j the Atheist says there is no God. You .say all these err, and I most cordially agree with you in that opinion, but the unreasonableness of these errors" are not less apparent than that of yours. 1 will, however, call your attention to this fact again 172 NELLIE NOHTON. i when we come to consider the Kpistle of Paul to Philemon. But f cannot l<^ave this subject, Doctor, without saying that to mmplctely antagoniftic arc the teachingK of the JiiUi' to thofe of nholitionist$f that t/ou cannot preach the tchole goitprf of the Sf>n of God. Yortr pvtlpit* will never again have a pure gospfl — >/ortr hearers leiH never hf" blessed tcith ministerial instructions on the ichvle of revelation. Mark what I have said, and let God and Hi.« word bear witness to ita truth Of falsehood." " Well, husband, it is petting rather late," said Mrs. Thompson, " and I feel fatigued. If the company will excu.se me a.s an invalid, I will retire." "Certainly, wife, and we will suspend till to-morrow evening. Mr. Mortimer, you will return again." " Thank you, sir. 1 desire to hear you through. I am very much interested." Mr. Mortimer handed Nellie to the piano. All having retired, she felt less restraint in singing a song, at his request, which breathed the sentiments of a heart pure and loving for the one who stood by her side. At a late hour, Nellie retired to her room. She was really happy. No misgivings — no shrinking back. Here were two congenial hearts, united already in a bond of pure, unselfish love. No mercenary motives, no social policy, no worldly element had kin- dled the virtuous fire that burned within. " And then tbat Lope, that ficrj hope, Oh I she awfik'd, such happy dreama. And gave her soul such tempting scop* For all its dearest, fondest schemes." l^ELLIE NORTON. . 17S CHAPTER XIV. A Coniptete Endorsement of Slavert/ by Inspired Example and Precept — Dr. Barnes in Error. ^ Mr. Mortimer returned to Lis home, entered his solitary room, , stood before a large tiiirror surveying himself for a moment, solilo- quising as follows • " Yes, I am the same identical man I was before; though really I have a different sensation about me. I wonder what Nellie, so pure, so angelic, could have promised herself in consenting to become Mrs. Mortimer ? She could not have promised herself a handsome husband, or one very etjgaging in conversation, nor one very intelligent. Well, she loved me, and love "thinkethno evil and hideth a multitude of faults." I am a perfect blunderer, an Unmitigated bungler. Did ever anybody feel so embarrassed and appear so awkward as I did ? But it is all over, and I was successful, yes, successful in winning the noblest heart of the noblest, purest, , most fascinating, graceful angel out of Paradise. Who so happy aa I ? None, positively none. But this is only the happiness of hope, of anticipation ; how much more delightful will be the reality. Nothicg shall ever prevent the realization of such a beautiful and bright prospect, unless heaven reverses our purpose; but heaven is propitious, and therefore the sequel will be a joyous reality. "Auspicious hope^ in thy sweet garden grow Wreaths for each toil, a charm for every woe : Won by their sweets, in nature's languid hour, The way-worn pilgrim seeks thy summer bower; There, as the wild bee, murmurs oo the wing, What peaceful dreams thy handmaid spirits brin^ ! What viewless forms th' yEolian organs play, And sweep the furrowed lines of anxious thought away. Conjugal hope I thy passion kindling power, How bright, how strong in youth's untroubled hour." " Maspa, I 'clare you sleep all day, I 'bleave ef I let you," said aunt Hannah as she shook the bed whereon her young master was soundly sleeping. Mr. M. opened his eyes, and was surprieod to find he had slept till past nine o'clock. Why did you tiot wake me earlier, aunt Hannah ? " " Why, you see, master, you comes home late, and 174 NELLIE NORTON'. I hates to 'slurb you 'fore you gits your Da]! uut. I 'speck that youDg Miss over at Miss Tliompson's, what keep you up po late, I never see you stay out so late 'fore. I 'spect .somc'n twixt you and that gal, aint they ma.s. You gwine to git ms a mistis ? 1 hope she be good, but I know you wouldn't git no other sort." Her Master a.«;loseH .Stewart, the Ando- ver God, the GikI of Wm. II. Jic>ger3, which is worshipped in the Winter street (Church, is a monster, composed of oppre.» ?' Again, in speaking of the spiritual union which existed between these slave- holding Christians and their Savinr, Paul say.s : ' We (i. e., himself and they) are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.' In the days of Paul, slave-holders were united to Christ, but in Dr. Barnes' day they are too bad to be members of his mystical body. Then they were 'beloved in Christ Jesus,' Now they are worse than the heathen who * burn the widows on the funeral pile.' Then they were 'dearly beloved.' Now they are excluded as unworthy of a place in the catalogue with those cruel barbarians who, in their idolatrous devotion, 'swing on hooks,' or inflict other ' painful torture on the body.' Then ihcy were ' fellow-helpers of the truth.' Now it is asked, ' What would be the advantage of substituting a religion where such views and purposes (as slave-holders entertain) are NELLIE NORTON. 181 avowed, for those systems which now actually prevail in heathen lands.' Then slave-holders were entrusted with high official positions in the Churches. Now, Dr. Barnes says ' the duellist, the horse- racer, the bull-fighter, should be left unrebuked till slavery is anathematized ! Christ said : ' I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel,' as was exercised by the centurian slaveholder. Now, Dr. B. says ' he is guilty of an enormous system of injustice and wrong.' Now if Christ and Paul recognized them by such endear- ing appellations ; if they committed such high and holy trusts to (hem ; if the Apostle accepted them as ' co-laborers, fellow-helpers,* why should not you? Have you discovered wrong which Jesus overlooked, or are you purer, better, more "separate from sinners " than He ? Is slavery more sinful now than then ; has moral odium attached to it since those days ? If so, by whom ? From what source do you derive your information ? What book have you accepted as your code of morals and religioh on this subject? Have you, like Joe Smith, found a new revelation, which says that slavery is wrong, the 'sum of all villainies,' that you must withdraw from slaveholders all religious and moral fellowship, and denounce them and the institution ? Oh yes; you have found the revelation! Not under a rock, where Joe Smith found his, but it came like Minerva : it was the offspring of a brain, not that of Jupiter, no nor of any of the gods, but of those 'whom the gods would destroy.' "Were Paul here, he would not accept it as coming from above ; he would call it 'another gospel,' and say of him that preached it, 'let him be accursed.' " Paul, in writing to his two young brethren in the ministry, is not silent on the all-abRorbing topic of slavery. But what are his instructions to them? Did he say exclude slaveholders from any participation in the privileges of the Churches ? Did he tell them to have no fellow.ship with such ? This would have been your advice ; Dr. Barnes would have said so. But Paul did not; for this would have condemned his own practice. His position is ju tho.se happy faces, hear those cheer- ful voices, Mr. Pratt; these are the oppressed, down-trodden and miserable slaves, who groan beneath the burdens of involuntary ser- vitude, and writhe in the galling chains of vassalage. Though they could not help their condition if they would, yet, after all, I believe they are voluntary slaves. What better freedom do they want than this ? to what good purpose would they apply it ? From the joyous faces, the glee and mirth, the fun and frolic, the unrestrained hilarity of these negroes, I verily believe the language of every heart is : " I was born for rejoicing, a 'summer child ' truly, And kindred I claim with each- wild jojous thing; The light frolic breeze, or the streamlet unruly. Or a cloud at its play, or a bird on the wing.' 190 NELLIE NORTON. Now, Mr. Pratt, don't you think they are happy ? Are you not most agreeably surprised in this respect, and do you not believe if all our Northern people were to see just what you and I see, they would be greatly softened in the bitterness of their opposition toward slavery ? Don't answer uie as an abolitionist in controversy with my uncle, but as my friend, expressing simply the truth." " My opposition to slavery takes higher ground than simply the condition of the enslaved. The universal equality of the race, as taught in the Declaration of Independence, is its basis." " I did hope," replied Nellie, '' to have received a direct answer to my question." The Doctor was silent, and she said no more. The Doctor seemed sour and ill-tempered as they walked away, while Nellie and Alice chatted gleefully of the odd and ridiculous songs to which they had jvftt listened. They both agreed that" Jinin the ingine " deserved a place in the public prints, provided its original composer could be found and his name accompany it. He certainly deserved a niche in the temple of fame. Pity a poet of such original genius should pass away unknown to the literary world. Would not N. P. "Willis embalm his' name in the essence of poetry, or Mr. Thackary immortalize it by criticism, or Dickens make him hero of some charming talfi ? The girls thus amused themselves till their morose escort had well nigh dispersed the mental cloud that obscured his social sun. Feeling no disposition to awaken a train of unplea- sant reflections, further to disquiet the Doctor's thoughts, and know- ing it was about the time Mr. Mortimer was expected, Nellie pro- posed a return to the house. She found Jlr. M. seated in the parlor, with Miss Murray's travels in his hand, conversing with Mrs Norton, who now looked with peculiar interest upon her future son-iulaw. On the arrival of Nellie, her mother made an excuse and left the room. The two loving hearts being all alone, one would suppose the hour to have been given to expressions of the tender aftections of the heart, or the blissful lot which they both anticipated in the future ; but Nellie's mind was enthused with the subject of slavery. Having spent the early morning in reading Miss Murray, and having just witnessed some new evidences of negro happiness, she was much disposed to speak from the abundance of her heart on this new subject. " Mr. Mortimer, did you ever read Miss Murray's travels in the United States? I see you have it in your hand." <' I have not had the pleasure of seeing it before." NELLIE NORTON. . 191 " Would you be entertained by a few extracts from it, giving he? views on slavery?" " Certainly. I would be very glad to hear them." Nellie opened at page 206 and read : " Slavery may not be the best system of labor, but it is the best for the negro in this country. If it be true of the English soldier and sailor, that his condition has been ameliorated in the last fifty years, it is quite as true of the negro. Slavery is that system which exchanges subsistence for work, which secures a life maintenance from the master to the slave, and gives a life labor from the slave to the master. Slavery is the negro system of labor ; he is lazy and improvident ; slavery makes him work, and insures him a home, food and clothing; it provides for sickness, infancy and old age, allows no tampering or skulking, and knows no pauperism. All cruelty is an abuse ; docs not belong to the institution ; is contrary to law ; may be punished, prevented, and removed. If slavery is subject to abuses, it has its compensa- tions also : it establishes permanent and therefore kind relations between labor and capital. It does away with what Stewart Mil! calls * the widening and embittering feud between labor and capital.' It draws close the relation between master and servant ; it is not an engagement for days or weeks, but for life. The most wretched feature in hiring labor is the isolated, miserable creature who has no home, no work, no food, and in whom no one is particularly inter- ested. Slavery does for the negro what European schemers in vain attempt to do for the hireling. On every plantation the master is a poor law commissioner, to provide food, clothing, medicine, houses, for his people. He is a police officer to prevent idleness, drunken- ness, theft, or disorder ; there is, therefore, no starvation among slaves, and comparatively few crimes. The poet tells us there are worse things in the world than hard labor, ' Withouten that would come a. heavier bale' ; and so there are worse things for the negro than slavery in a Christian land. Archbishop Hughes, in his visit to Cuba, asked Africans if they wished to return to their native country ; the answer was always No. If the negro is happier here than in his own land, can we say that slavery is an evil to him ? Slaves and masters do not quarrel with their circumstances; is it not hard that the stranger should interfere to make both discontented? All Christians beheve that the affairs of this world are directed by God for wise and good purposes. The arrival of the negro in America makes no exception to that rule There has been malignant abuse lavished upon the slave holders of America 192 NELLIE NORTON. by writers in this country and in EDgland j they consider abuses as the necessary condition of slavery, and a ciuel master as its fair representation. They have no knowledge of the thing abused — they substitute an ideal for a reality. They have shown as little regard for truth and common sense as if we were to gather up all the atro- cities committed in Great Britain by husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, and denounce these several rela- tions in life in consequence of these abuses. ... To attempt to establish the hiring plan with Africans is as wise as to attempt to establish the constitutional government of England in Ashantee or Dahomey. Carlyle says the world will not permit Cuflfy to lie on his back and eat pumpkins forever, in a country intended by Providence to produce coffee, sugar and spices for the use ot" all mankind, and that he must one of these days resume his work for Brother Jona- than or some other master. The blacks in Hayti have only changed masters ; they are the slaves of a black chief as in Africa. The pagan mummeries have been resumed — they are engaged in petty wars instead of peaceful labors. The Emperor has his standing army, and is anxious, as more important potentates, to employ it in the legitimate business of cutting throats. The African cannot originate a civilization of his own ; from the slave civilized and instructed by slavery can any regeneration of the African continent be alone looked for.' " On page 212, Miss M. says: " I find- that the term 'slave' ii rarely made use of in the South. The blacks are called ' bur ser- vants,' or more commonly ' our people.' We must remember that when slaves are to be dispo.sed of, people in this country do not con- sider they are literally buying men, but services, and what we hear of are the abuses, not the laws of the system. Should a master ill treat a slave, the law protects the latter; and I am inclined to believe cases of such treatment are rare. If a slave violates the law, a judge sends to his master, and says, .iThis is your servant, if you do not punish him, I must.' Of course the culprit much pre- fers to be corrected by his own master, by whom all extenuating circumstances are understood, and allowed for j and he is usually left in his hands." Again, on page 215, she says : " I have observed a noble, gen- erous, gentlemanly spirit in this part of the Union. I feel assured that if the Southern proprietors, as a class, had found reason to believe that the institution of slavery was prejudicial either to the Christian or temporal interests of the blacks, they have chivalry NELLIE NORTON. 193 enough in their composition to have cast aside mere motives of private interest ; but they knew, as we did not know — that was the difference. They have a right to accuse us of ignorance and conieit, and they are more forbearing than we had any claim to expect." On page 219, she says : " I now see the great error we have conv. mitted is in assuming that the African race is equal in capacity with the European, and that under similar circumstances it is capable of equal, moral and intellectual culture. The history of Egypt, of Rome, of the English, French and Spanish Colonies, and the expe- rience of American slavery, prove the reverse. No separate Afri- can civilization has sprung up from centuries of contact. St. Do- mingo has relapsed into barbarism, except in the case of some of the towns. The other emancipated colonies, not excepting Jamaica, are retrograding fast in the face of a white population, and notwith- standing Government influence : in the United States, spite of more than a hundred years of white association, though they have been made rather superior to their brethren in Africa in intellect and moral character, they remain — and ever will remain — inferior to the whites. 1 believe — and must not hesitate to express my belief — the negro race is incfipable of self government ; and I suspect its present condition in the United States is practically the best that the character of the negro admits of. It is for their happiness and interest to remain in tutelage. .... The most practical mode oi* improving a semi-barbarous race is to place it in the proportion of one to two in the midst of a civilized people. The system of slavery has been blamed for the ignorance and vices of the Africans. Are (hey less ignorant or more virtuous where slavery does not exist ?" On page 221, writing from a plantation in South-eastern Georgia, she says : " 1 forgot to mention that there are from three to four hundred negroes on this estate. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have no white servants ; their family con.sists of six sous and two dauo-hters. I should not like to inhabit a lonely part of Ireland, or even Scot- land, surrounded only by three hundred Celts. I believe there is not a soldier or policeman nearer than Savannah, a distance of sixty miles. Surely, this speaks volumes for the contentment of the slave population. When I think of the misery and barbarism of the peasantry of Kentail, and other parts of Scotland, (putting aside that of Ireland), and look at the people here, it is hardly possible not to blush at the recollection of all the hard words I have heard applied to the slave-holder of the South. Why, the very pig-sties of the negroes are better than some Celtic hovels T have seen. Mr. Y 194 NKLLIE NORTON. Cooper is under some diffieulty about a uegro f;tniil}- he took in trust to manumit from the produce of their own l;tbor. The people are. averse to being freed, and especially to being sent to Africa. It certainly seems a cruelty to force them to accept that which they consider no bqon. 1 believe thi.'^ is a dilemma by no means rare." " Now, sir, what do you say of Miss Murray 'i " "That she is a lady of accurate observation, sound judgment, great moral honesty, and what is better, if possible, a truthful woman. I am much obliged to yf>u for the extracts, they are well oxpre.ss'ed, and contain factij which her people ought to consider and accept. She has d(me what but few foreigners have ever done before — given justice to the South and to slave-holders." As Mr. Mortimer was about changing tho subject to one uiort- congenial with bis heart, and one, too, not at all objectionable to XelHe, they were summoned to the dining-room to partake of the sumptuous and elegant Christmas dinner prepared by Mrs. Thomp- son. pinner being over, at the appointed hour, Dr. Pratt, with the family, repaired to the Church to iulfil his engagement in preaching to the colored people Nellie and Mr. Mortimer alone preferred to remain at home. The Doctor's text may be read in Luke ii: 10-11, Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all i)eople. For unto you is born thin day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the*Lord. His theme was this : "Salvation through Christ Jesus, to a fallen world, is good tidings of great joy. He first showed the need of a {Savior. Man \vas guilty, and therefore justly condemned by the lighteous law. 2d. That he was unable by any act ot his cwn to free himscll" from that condemna- tion. 8d. That Christ's atonement accomplished what neither man .nor the law could do, for He was made unto us wi.sdom and right, eousness and sanctitication and redemption. 'J'lie jtropositions were logically proven, and the sermon well elaborated, and to a more cul- tivated auditory would perhaps have had a tint* effect, but the preacher po.sse.s.sed no powers of ada]itation to the uneducated persona before him. Very uKiny of them, however, knew Christ experimen- tally, and felt his love soothe their hearts like an emollient to an aching wound. They knew he was talking about Jesus, and though his thoughts were too profound, his reasonings too abstruse, and many of his words were as Hebrew to them, yet they had heard the text and knew what it meant, and like the deaf woman who always would go to church, they "had a great many sweet and happy NELLIE NORTON. 195 thoughts about tlie Saviour." So, upon jthe whole, they enjoyed the meeting very much. It wag understood that the Doctor was going to leave them in-a few days to return to his Northern home. So " Uncle Jesse," when called on to close the meeting, proposed that the " brother Qome down from the pulpit, as the brothers and sisters wanted to shake hands with him for the last time." Brother Dick was called o^ to sing while the parting hand was given. He looked round to see if the men'bers were present who could sing the«ong which he considered appropriate for the occasion. Being satisfied on that subject, he, with his choir, sang the following, each line of which was repeated three times, with an air, enthusiasm and melody which mupt be heard to be fully appreciated : "Christ wa.s born in Bethleiiem, Anil in the rannger stayed; The Jews tliey crucified him. And nailed him to the tree. They put him in the sepulchre, And over him foiled the stone; Down came the angels And off of him rolled the stone. Christ he rose triumphant To conquer death and hell. Mary she came a weeping To see her lovoly Lord — bhout ! shout! the victory ! I'm on my journey home," While they were singing this unique song, with a pathos peculiar to our colored people, they marched up in a confused browd to take leave of the Doctor, each extending the hand to every other white person in the house, and then to each* other. After the benediction was pronounced, a circle of the colored sisters about the centre of the house, each holding the other by the hands, .sang the following song, marking time with their feet, bodies, and uplifted arms : "Shout children, for I ain't got weary yet; • My Lord called me and I must go, For I ain't got weary yet. When I touch one sfriiie the whole heavens ring. For I ain't got weary yet. There's a long white robe in heaven for me. For I ain t got weary yet Thai long white robe I'm bound to wear, For I ain't got weary yet. There's a starry crown in he«voii for mo. For I ain't got weary yet. There's golden slippers In heaven for mc. For I ain t got'weary yet. Those golden slippers I'm bound to wear, « For I ain't got weary yet." 196 NELLIE NORTO-X. They emphasized with voice and gesture, "I ain't got weary jet," aud shrieked at the top of their voices, •' That starrj' crowo I'm hound to wear," '' Those golden slippers I'm bound to wear." The enthusiasm became wild and noisy, and some of the circle, who were young, and therefore more impulsive than the rest, became almost frantic with excitenaent. Here and there an old sister might be seen standing at a short distance from the happy circle of singers, with folded arms and closed eyes, rocking to and fro, humming in a sing-song manner, like some of the less informed preachers of a half century ago delivered their sermons. The Doctor and Mr. Thompson and family left these happy people to enjoy themselves as long ai they chose, and in their own way. The Doctor made some remarks on the peculiarity of negro charac- ter, and Mr. Thompson thought these peculiarities were natural and providential, adapting them to the position assigned them. The reader is perhaps growing impatient to see the " conclusion of the whole matter." I will not, therefore, stop here, even to describe the more than happy interview between Nellie and Mr. Mortimer, suflBce it to say they both wore smiling faces, and seemed quite as cheerful and happy as at any former period — perhaps it was the happiest Christmas of their lives — but of this, more anon. CHAPTER XVI. The Right of Masters Froccd by Positive Precept — The Dining Party — Dr. Pratt Goes North— What be/ell him in Charleston — Mr. Mortimer Visits the North — Ndlie rrtunin with him — An Agreeable Sttrprine. Although it was Christmas night, it was agreed that they would have a little social conversation on slavery, by way of recapitulation, and to conclude the discussion. The Docto.r's health seemed much better and tie was rapidly improving, and had made up his mind to leave in a few days for Savannah, en route for home. " Well, Doctor," said Mr. Thompson, " as you are shortly to leave us, and will probably be busy making your arrangements, I will first recapitulate, so far as I can remember, my arguments on slavery, NELLIE NORTOJpr. 197 hoping that when you return home you will fully examine them in the light of revelation, with an impartial mind, to see whether 1 am right, and I trust you may be brought to see your error and re- nounce it." First. It has been proTcd that God instituted slavery by subjecting the descendants of Ham to those of Shem and Japheth. Second. That this slavery was made perpetual by the positive enactment of heaven. That man is therefore not responsible either for the origin or con- tinuance of the institution. The divine law, both in the Old and New Testaments, gives the relation of slavery its full sanction. There is no law to condemn ; there is much to approve and regulate the institution. Even Dr. Wayland admits there is no precept against slavery. But there are prohibitions against all wrong — therefore slavery is not wrong, for " where there is no law there is no transgression." Third. The Holy Spirit positively enjoins obedi- ence on the part of slaves to their masters, thus giving the seal of the divine approbation to this relation. Fourth. It has been shown that the Jews in Palestine, and slaveholders in the South, enslave the same people. Fifth. Masters are taught how to treat their slaves, but instruction on this point would have been omitted if the relation had been wrong, for the Bible no where teaches us how to do a wrong. No where in the gospel is a man taught how to treat his second, third and fourth wives. Poligaray is a sin, and therefore is not regulated by inspiration ; the sin is rebuked, but no duties connected with it are mentioned. Sixth. The Apostles admitted slave- holders and their slaves to church membership, without requiring a dissolution of the relation. But they did require them to abandon their sins and iniquities j therefore slavery was not considered to be a sin by these inspired men of God. Seventh. The Apostles required slaveholders to withdraw from abolitionists as incorrigible opposers of the teachings of Christ, and as disturbers of the peace and quiet of the churches. Kighth. That abolitionists cannot preach (he whole gospel. They do not believe that " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and that it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. They there- fore omit that portion ef it which commands slaves to be obedient to their masters. Lastly. It has been shown that abolitionism unavoidably tends to infidelity ; that abolitionists are now taking positions which em- body the worst forms of infidelity ever known to the world. Having joined the church and obtained control of the pulpit, press, theolo- 198 NELLIE NORTON. giual chairs aod publiahing houses — in a word, having obtained control over the moral and religious sentiments of the North, their influence is potent and irresistible for the destruction of truth and righteousness. I have now one thought more, and my work is done. You quoted and endorsed Dr. Wayland's language /that " the Apostles are in every case careful not to utter a syllable by which they concede the rujM of the master." 1 have already proved' thut by implication and by example they did concede this right. I now propose to fultill my promise by proving very briefly that this right is conceded by positive precept. Ln speaking of his desire to retain Onesimus in his service, that he might minister to him, Paul says, in Philemon lo-14 : " Whuiu I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. But without thy mind would 1 do iiothiti(/." Why did not this great Apostle keep this runaway slave ? He evidently needed his services, and greatly desired them. If he did not admit the right of Philemon, then he would have violated none in retaining the slave. According to the Northern sentiment, which gave rise to the anti-fugitive slave law, he was and of right ought to be free. His master never had any Ti^ht to hold him in slavery ; he was guilty of man stealing when he bought him, and any act of "the slave which jeleased him from this unjust ownership of a covetous tyrant should be hailed with joy by all the good, and aided by all the lovers of liberty. But this inspired man of God took a diffeient view of it. "You are entitled to your .slave, brother Philemon. I want him, would like very much to keep him I need his services while I am here in bonds, but he is yburs and I cannot keep him without your permission. I have as much right to take your provisions, your furniture, or any other property you possess. He hks Jung been unprofitable to you on account of the wicked and abandoned life he has led, but now he is a converted man, feels his wrong, has repented it, recognizes his obligations to you, and desires to return. I, loo, feel it my duty to return him to you. I send this letter by him, asking that in consideration of his repentance and reibimation, you will receive him, and forgiving the past, will treat him kindly," You will, perhaps, think this a South- ern view. I will therefore refer you to the opinions of great and good men across the Atlantic, who have not generally been accused of favoring slavery. Coneybeare and Howson. " He (Paul) wished to keep him NELLIE NORTON. 199 (Onesiinus) at Rome, and employ him in the services of the goepel. Yet he would not transgress the law, nor violate the rights vj Phile- mon, by acting in this matter without his consent." Here is the testimony of two emancipationists to the fact that Paul fi'uuld not " violate the rights of Philemon." Then he had rights, else Paul could not have violated them. These rights the Apostle '•conceded" in sending his slave, for if he had sent him only as a helper of the gospel, any other brother might have done as well, and Onesimus would have been detained, inasmuch as the Apostle wa8 so desi#ous to have his setvices MacNight. " Without knowing thy mind, n-hose slave he is, I would do nothing to encourage him to stay with me." Doddridge says in his paraphrase : Whom indeed I was desirous to have kept near me, that he might have officiated for thee, and in thy stead have attended upon me in the bonds I suffer for the sake of the gospel But I would do nothing in this affair without thy fxj^ress consent. Matthew Henry says: Paul herein, notwithstanding his apostolic power, would show what regard he had to civil rights, which Chris- tianity does by no means suspend or weaken, but rather confirm and strengthen. Onesimus, he knew, was Philemon's servant, and there- fore without his consent not to be detained from him. Other authorities might be cited, but these are enough to prove that wise and good men of other times believed that the Apostles did concede the right of masters. The opinion of Dr. Wayland is of modern origin. None of the fathers agree with him ; none of that host of learned and devout theologians of the two last cen- turies concur in his views. His own prolific brain, in its terrible conflict with truth, gave birth to this subterfuge, in order that he might present at least a plau.sible pretext for his persevering and incorrigible opposition to slavery. Better men than he, men of erudition and mental acumen, who have been willing to be tauf>-ht by inspiration and receive without cavil its holy instructions, have discovered much truth in favor of slavery, the existence of which your Dr. W. denies. •' It is true," replied the Doctor, <' that Paul seems to concede the right of Philemon in the language you quoted, but he and his chris- tian brother were upon most intimate terms of friendship and frater- nity, and he sent Onesimus back to prevent a rupture of those ties, and not as an act of justice — the latter it could not have been." "It was either an act of justice, or it was an act of injustice," 200 NKLLIK NORTON. said Mr. Thompson. Oncsimus was either a freeman or a slave, i. e., he was either the property of Philemon or he was notj if he were, then it was an act of justice to send him back ; if he were not, it was an act of injustice to send him to IMiilenion. If he were a freeman, Paul outraged the rights of a fellow being; if he were a hlave, he did simply an act of justice, which was due to Philemon, as well as to that holy system of moral honesty and pure religion, of which he was a representative. If Oncsimus was a freeman, he had always Veen one, unless he had been manumitted, of which there is not the shadow of evidence. If he had always been free, then Paul was mistaken about the injustice he had done his master, since he had never been in a relation which demanded any service to i'hile- moD. Paul sent him back in the capacity of a slave. Did he do so out of deference to the fWlings or to the rights of Philemon ? If to the /ir/iitgs, then he was guilty of reducing a freeman to bonda;5e that he might retain the friendship of a man who was guilty of the "sum of all villainies." But would Paul, that great Apostle, whose immutable adherence to right had brought upon him the bit- terest persecutions, and for which he was then in bonds ; that l^aul, who had given up all things for Christ, and counted them not loss, but gain ; that he, who had forsaken all liis worldly gains, honor, kindred and nation — in a word, everything, for truth and righteous- oesH — that he, who had stood before the Sanhedrim and hazarded all for the sake of righteousness, who, in chains, reproved the wicked- ness of Felix in such eloquent terms that the heathen prince trembled at the recital of his crimes and their conscfiuences — he who, with a moral heroism, almost without a parallel in the great uchievemeuLs of Christianity, stood before the bloody tyrant Nero, and pleaded the cause of despised Christianity, and triumphed in swaying the mind of that most cruel of all the Caesars — that this Paul should be guilty of an act of injustice to prevent the rupture of fraternal ties between himself and our simple-minded christian brother I Why, Doctor, the idea is preposterous ! But did Onesimus go back to save the feelings of Philemon? Was his regard for one who had held him in unjust bondage su tender as that ? Did he voluntarily yield himself up from a stxite i)f lawful freedom to one of perpetual bond- age, just to please Philemon ? If so, then, Doctor, learn a les.sou of kindness. Dear, good Paul knew his brother Philemon had been guilty of a great wrong in holding Onesimus in slavery. The slave had escaped and gone several hundred miles to Home ; the Apostle tinds him there, and after his conversion receives him into the NELLIE NORTON. 201 churcli. Then he sajs : Now, come, Onesimus, your master and I are good friends and brethren ; we love each other very miich, and I intend to perpetuate that friendship at any cost. I am aware of the sin of slavery, and know your master did wrong in holding you in ♦hat relation ; but, come, you must go back; I love him and must keep his love; go back, and let him continue to outrage your inalien- able rights. Now, was he not very kind? Doctor, do you aboli- tionists feel so towards us slaveholders of the South ? If not, I would entreat you to learn affection and courtesy from this inspired Tarsian. Avoid the errors growing out of Paul's want of decision and firmness, but imitate the excellent virtue of amity, which you think controlled his action in sending back this runaway slave. You cannot deny that all the facts in the history of this case go to prove beyond all question, that Onesimus was lawfully the slave of Philemon, and that Paul sent him back in response to the demands of justice : had he done otherwise, it would have been an outrange upon the rights of the master, such as you Northern people unblush- ingly perpetrate daily, in the name of our blessed Christianity, against the rights of Southern slaveholders. But the day of retri- bution comes on apace, when you will no longer " cry peace, peace," but when for all these violations of human rights, and this setting at nought the revealed will of God, you will see in anguish the swift destruction as it comes upon you." "How cowld those inspired of God to instruct man as to the duties which he owes to his fellow-beings 'concede the right' of one man to hold another in involuntary servitude against his will, entail- ing on him all the evils of this horrible system?" replied the Doc- tor, for the want of something more apropos. " How one inspired man did concede this right I have already shown you," said Mr. T., " but ye believe me not." The " evils of this horrible system " have as much real existence as the ghost of Banquo that gave such alarm to iMacbeth. The latter had murdered the former, and he imagined he saw his ghost, and was greatly alarmed. You of the North first introduced slavery and the slave trade : when you found it unprofitable you sold them into Southern slavery, into his " horrible system." Do your consciences torture you for it? Do you seethe ghost? Does it harrass your minds and disturb your dreams ? Are ^u trying to atone for your former cupidity by adopting this mode of denying your great sin, if slavery be a sin ? But, seriously, involuntary servitude is not neces- sarily against the will of those who serve. The contentment and Z 202 NELLIE NORTON. happiness of our servants aiford the most gratifying evidences of their willingness to serve. It is a singular fact, and one worthy of note, that African slaves have never voluntarily attempted to throw oflF the yoke of bondage. When any attempt of the sort has been made by insurrections, unprincipled white men have always been the instigators. God has given the master a right to the labor of the slave, and no man shbuld interfere with it He has also given certain rules for the government of the master in his treatment of the slave. The obligations are reciprocal. The servant should be faithful at all times and under all circumstances, both to the good and to the .froward. The master should " do justly and love mercy " in his treatment to his slaves, doing as he would be done by, "under subsisting rela- tions." To conclude, God has forged the chains of slavery, and riveted them upon the descendants of Ham and Canaan. He has formed the relations of master and slave, and united them together now. " What God hath joined together let not man put asunder.'' "When do you think of returning home, Doctor?" said Mrs. Norton. " In a few days, ma'am ; just as soon as I can arrange for the trip." " I am almost tempted to go with you, I am so anxious to see hus- band," said Mrs. Norton. " 0, no, mother, you cannot go 7ioiv; for, however anxious we may be to see father, and he to see us, I know he would nothaye us return before spring," said Nellie. As the conversation was not exclusively .social, the reader is not anxious to know what was said. , Two days after, Mr. Mortimer gave a dining to l)r. Pratt, to which Mr. Thompson and family were also invited. It was something new for so many fashionable ladies to be seen at this bachelor estab- lishment, for although Mrs. Thompson frequently went over in com- pany with her husband, yet it could not be said to be a place of resort for the ladies of the community. The servants gazed with wonder, while their ivory teeth shone through their ebony lips like the silver lining upon the dark cloud. Their crackery and unique appearance somewhat amused the tidily dressed maids of Mrs. Thompson. She had inculcated more or less taste in her servants, by bringing them into perpetual contict with her Own unexceptionable neatness. But the dining passed off delightfully, leaving pleasant recollections to be treasured in after days. Nellie looked round, and observed very closely everything 1^ NELLIE Norton* 203 about the house. There was some furniture, but oo arrangement. There were carpets, but they were threadbare; the bureau was dusty ; the plastering of the house was cracked, smcfky and full of cobwebs ; everything indicated a want of attention. Only here and there was a rosebush in the jard ; no flowers, no taste. " how uninviting ; but there is a warm heart and a noble spirit that pre- sides over this chaos, and which will, with the aid of my guiding hand, bring order and neatness out of this wreck and confusion." A few days after, Dr. Pratt bade adieu to his Southern friends. At Savannah he took the train for Charleston to reach a steamer, whose Captain was an old and particular friend, and from whom be hoped to receive some favor in the way of a free passage. A sad occur- rence, however, befell the Doctor while in Charleston, which his friends have never noised abroad, and which is here alluded to only as an incident characteristic of his laith. As it will be considered a virtue rather than ^ failing by his Northern brethren and congre- gation, and as he has decided never to^visit the .South again, it may be a kindness to give it publicity. At the hotel in wkich he took lodgings in Charleston, there was a very neat, genteel mulatto boy of about seventeen summers. As the Doctor had to stay over about three days waiting for the steamer to sail, he became very conversant with the boy Ned. Among other topics of conversation was that of slavery. Though naturally contented and happy, the Doctor found him quite pliant under his representations of the blessings of free- dom. So being emboldened by his successful attempts to impress the boy, he asked him why he had never made his escape on a steamer. He stated to him that many had done so, and succeeded in making good their escape, and added : " You can do so, too, if you will. I will give you any assistance in my power " "But I's got no cap but dis," said Ned, " and dey will see de hotel sign and take me up. Den I's got no fine close to wear whenl gets to New York." '* I will loan you my silk velvet cap, and when you get to New York we will buy you some good clothes to wear. Will you go?" " O, yes, sir, dat I will, l^'ou'll fix me up fine, won't you ? Give me boots and a fur hat like your'n, and git me a heap of nice things, and then I can do as I please and won't have no work to do. Hoop ! that '11 be great, hurrah for Ned." The boy went oflf into ecstacies, and the Doctor lapsed back into a serious mood over the sad disap- pointment that was to blight these happy anticipations of the simple minded boy on his arrival at New York. ^ 204 NELLIE NORTON. Late in th'e^^fternoou the Doctor walked down to the steamer, which was to sail ^bl^ next morning at ten o'clock, and; sauntering round, selecteci the place where Ned was to conceal himself. After tea he gave Ned the cap, and told him where to hide, and that he must stay in his concealment till they arrived in New York, and that he would come every day and feed him. Before the sun arose, Ned was on the steamer and safely ensconced in his hiding place. But Harap, the colored supervisor of the ser- vants at the hotel, soon missed Ned. and having made " diligent search" for him, returned without " tidings." The fact was imme- diately reported to the landlord. He very soon suspected that his hoy had been seduced, and was endeavoring to make his escape. The truth was his suspicions had been somewhat excited previously, on account of the great attention and unusual time which Ned had devoted to Dr. P's room. He looked over his register to see who was at his house, and finding no one from the North but Dr. Pratt, he felt convinced that he was /he author of the mischief. So sending immediately for a lawyer, he advised with him as to the best course to ascertain the guilty party and obtain redress. He was advised to have Dr. Pratt arrested, and to take out a search warrant for the steamer, both of which he did at once. The Doctor was iinmediately brought before the municipal court having jurisdiction of such cases. He pleaded not guilty. While the landlord was proceeding with the testimony, proving that he was the only man at his house from the free States, that Ned waited on him, and that he alway.s over stayed his time when in his room, and that he had dropped some hints to the- other waiters, the mystery of which was now solved by the circumstances, and while the Doctor was growing very serious, as his vivid imagination pic- tured a guard house with iron bars, himself looking from the inside, and perhaps something unspeakably worse in the not distant future. While all this was taking place, the ofiicers sent to search the steamer, returned, bringing Ned with them. The appearance of the boy* a-wakened some merriment with all save the Doctor and his angry landlord. The peaked head of Ned running up to a point on top was inclosed down to his'eyes by the cap which sat so gracefully on the intellectual cranium of the Doctor of Divinity. Ned's optics were much less than two new moons, but were certainly dilated to an unusual extent by the excitement of his novel situation. " Whose cap is that on your head ? " cried the landlord, rather unamiably. '• This here man's," cried Ned, pointing to Dr. Pratt. NELLIE NORTON. 205 " How did yoa come by it,'' reiterated the enraged landlord^;, "I hope the Court will call the gentleman to order j his questions' are irrelevant ; negro testimony is not good in court against a white man," said the counsel for the defendant. Dr. Pratt looked better, a ray of hope dawned upon his darkened future. Negro inequality was right, at least, in this instance. "The Court cannot permit any questions addressed to Ned ; he cannot be a witness in the trial of this case." " Is thif^ your cap, Mr. Pratt ? " asked the landlord. "I had one like it, sir; it may be in my trunk, or the boy may have stolen it. I did not give — " "Stop, Mr. Pratt," said his counsel. *' I appeal once more to the Court, and ask that the prosecutor may not be permitted to ask questions of my client. A man cannot be forced to give testimony against him- self. I hope the Court will not take into consideration any admis- sion which has been made by my client." "That Yankee rogue gave that cap to Ned to hire him to run away with him. You ought to be rode on a rail, lynched and driven out of town." " Order! order ! " said the Court. "The Court will not permit any such remarks by prosecutors or others to defendants on trial. I will strictly enforce order, and punish any further violations of the rules of the Court." " May it please your honor," said Dr. Pratt, " I am a stranger in your midst; I have not an acquaintance in your city, save Capt. C , who is to sail in one hour from this time, (looking at his watch.) Will the Court do me the favor to send for him that I may prove my character ? " The Doctor was much agitated, but firm. The Captain having heard that his friend was accu.«!ed of attempting to steal the boy, had concluded to come up and render him any assist- ance in his power. He entered just after the Doctor had taken his seat. " If the Court will give Capt. C. an opportunity to make any statements he may see proper in regard to my character, I will be obliged to it, and receive the same as a kindness," said Dr P. " Capt C- has permission to do so," said the Court. " I know Dr. Pratt to be the pastor of a large, wealthy and intel- ligent congregation in the State of Massachusetts. I have known him for a dozen years or morCfand during that time he has enjoyed the confidence of his flock," said the Captain. " Isn't? he an abolitionist," thundered the landlord. "Order! order!" cried his counsel. 206 NELLIE NORTON. " It is a proper question," replied the Court, " but not very pro- perly asked." -^ "I believe he has never been accused of favoring slavery, but still I never thought. him so unreasonable as to be" guilty of such a crilne as that of which he is accused." " Do you purpose leaving on the steamer this morning, Mr. PraU?" asked the Court. "Yes, if permitted, and will bid adieu to the South forever." " There are two reasons why the Court will acquit the defendant ; 1. It is a golden old maxim of the law that ' ninety and nine guilty men had better go free than that one innocent man should suffer.' The circumstances throw deep suspicion on the character of the prisoner, but do not demonstrate his guilt.^ 2. He is a citizen of another State, and. on his way hither, and cannot by any possibility commit a similar offense again, even admitting him to be guilty in the present case. The end of punishment is the prevention of crime — the end b^ing. obtained in this case without the infliction of punishment,' it is ordered that the prisoner be released." The Doctor made a grateful bow to the Court, locked arms with the Captain, and with a wiser head, left for the steamer in great haste. On the breaking out of the present war, Dr. Pratt, became a chap- lain for a Massachusetts Ptegiment. On the morning of the 22d of July he left Washington City to reach his congregation in camps, and in due time arrived at Centreville, when the first noise that saluted his ears was the wild clatter of the panic-stricken army as they fled before the impetuous pursuit of the Southern soldiers. Visions of Charleston flitted athwart the excited imagination of the sage Doctor, and mounting his horse he gave evidence of his ability to lead the most dashing and reckless cavalry. lie had read that Scripture which sa^s of danger : " Only with thiue eyes shalt thou behold ; .... it shall not come nigh thee," and he labored suc- cessfully to secure its fulfillment. Ou being twitted by a brother chaplain a few days afterwards for his speed, his apt reply was char- acteristic of the wholesome lesson he had learned from past dangers. " The prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself" The Doctor Sagely concluded after this that it was predestined that he should remain at home with his congregation and family, o-iving aid and comfort to his country by inflammatory speeches in favor of the glorious Union, the Stars and Stripes, and against the VtLWS. NORTOy. 207 SoQtli. He has filled his mfsK^ < x«ll Mid SMarad^th* higbast com- mendation from his mnpter Abivhsin. ^ On the first of May, NeIKe tod li«r nother lefi their alTectiooate kindred with mingled feelings of pleMwre and paio. Nellie aang, " Homeward Bound," as the staaater gentlj rocked npoa the nndo- lating boeom of the deep; bat viaio/M hin^hiA? Ui cheered the heart and filled np the measare of hope as aha theroftlit of the noble and loved one behind, who was soon to foU«w bof. Sftfely st home once Dore, Nellie lost no time in beginning h^r prepcrmtions for the tenth of Jnif, on which occasion ahe was to assnme another name and character, and leave for a Northern toor. She fonnd time, howcTer, to read and answer a letter from a Sonthem correspondent enoe a week. Her pastor was greatly displeased with the match, and tried bj operating on the mind of her father to break it off. Mr. Norton, boireTer, was a pmdent man aqd a doting father. Nellie was his Mot; be confided greatly, too, in her judgment, and positively refused te say a. word against the oonsummation of her desires. Mr. Norton had s)>ent several years of h% earlier manhood in Virginia, and did ■ot approve of Dr. Pratt's bitter opposition to slavery.^ On the 28th of Jane Mr. Mortimer left Savaonah for New York, where he spent several days before tearing for New Eoglandf^nd where, on the 5th of July, he was met by the Rev. J. L. from Oeor* gia, the pastor of his negroes — whose expenses he had pn^Kised to pay if he would take the trip, suggesting that it might prove beneficial to his health. The truth was Nelb'e and Mir. MorUmer had both agreed before ahe left, and after the JDocto/s saisfortaae at' Charleston that they most have some ona else to onita tbem in the holy ties of marriage, and she left it with Mr. M. to mi^e the anangement. >Tbe tenth was a bright and beantifiri day, and at eleven o'clock Mr. Mortimer and his Southern parson made their appearance at Col. Norton's, where, a few moments afterwards, the two Iovib,^ bents solemnly covenanted to perform all the duties of hnsbaci fS'A wife raqnired of them by the laws of Ood and man until ^hey Ahc^d be separated by death. ^ Cordial congratulations, happy smil&s, %i«tn. of MingM joy and regret nude vp the scene which for a few bio- ments trcnspind : 3«t bappj tb^, the kan>left of tbeir Uad, . Wln» gentler itArs aslte, and ia on* fiats TWIrbearts, tbsir fortaaas, and their balaitt *i*mA. "^ sot the eoatser tie of baaua laws, 2€?3 JflLLIE NORTON. UDnafanil oft, and foreign to tfte mind, That binds their peace, bat hnrroonj itMlQf AttuDing &1I their passions into lore. Where friendship full exerts Lcr softest power, Perffect esteem enlivened by desire — Ineffable, and sympathy of soul; Thought meeting thoug^it, and will prorMting will. With boandless confidence: for nought but lof* C«n answer lore and render bliss secare " Sitratoga Spring, the Fulls of Niagara, and the eitj of Qaeb«e, were visited by the bridal {>artj. /In due time their &ces w«rc tunied honaeward. Stopping for a few dajs in New Eoglaod to gaM onoe more upon the loved scenes of her early childhood, tod to bid a last farewell to Iricqds and kindred — on the fint of October Nellie left the dear home of her earlj happjr daj0 to aluure the pleasures and divide the sorrows of her honored husbaad io the Efli- pire State of the South. On arriving at her new home^ she was greeted by her uaclf^^^d aunt with joyous spirits and loving hearts. A change striking and delightful had come over the appearance of the bachelor's premisw. The house had been neatly painted, the rooms newly plastered, th« threadbare carpets had given place to new, soft, rich Brussels. The foniiture ifas all new, beautiful and stylish. Sofas, chairs, ottomans, what-Bots, &c., all ju^t from the great emporium of Northern com- merce, and of the latest style, adorned the mansion, and proved the ioving forethought and tender regard of Mr. Mortimer. Nellie Ihrew her arms around her noble hu.«band, and thanked him from a warm and affectionate heart fur these new tokens of Lis love. Being installed as mistress of the premises, Nellie sat about am >rgaBisation and systematic arrangement of the family and hoaseboki interests. Taking her aunt as the model, it need not be stated that she raooecded beyond the expectations of her most aangaioe frienda. Her home is now the asylum of the sick and wounded aoldier of the Southern amiy ; he always finds a cordial welcome, and a gene- rous hand to supply bis wants, or to soothe his sufferings. Her ooble husband wields a trenchant bla(fe in favor of Southern ligbta, and has on many battle fields taught the t* *o qaa&l beibiv lue inviocible ooarage. M<. A