perfect stranger, who had showed the utmost civility, in giving all the road, and only could not get beyond the long reach of the driver’s whip—­and he a stage driver, a class generous next to the sailor, in the sober hour of morning—­and borne in silence—­and told to show that the colored man of the south was kindly treated—­all evincing, to an unutterable extent, that the temper of the south toward the slave is merciless, even to diabolism—­and that the north regards him with, if possible, a more fiendish indifference still!”

It seems but an act of simple justice to say, in conclusion, that many of the slaveholders from whom our northern visitors derive their information of the “good treatment” of the slave, may not design to deceive them.  Such visitors are often, perhaps generally brought in contact with the better class of slaveholders, whose slaves are really better fed, clothed, lodged, and housed; more moderately worked; more seldom whipped, and with less severity, than the slaves generally.  Those masters in speaking of the good condition of their slaves, and asserting that they are treated well, use terms that are not absolute but comparative:  and it may be, and doubtless often is true that their stares are treated well as slaves, in comparison with the treatment received by slaves generally.  So the overseers of such slaves, and the slaves themselves, may, without lying or designing to mislead, honestly give the same testimony.  As the great body of slaves within their knowledge fare worse, it is not strange that, when speaking of the treatment on their own plantation, they should call it good.

OBJECTION V.—­’IT IS FOR THE INTEREST OF THE MASTERS TO TREAT THEIR SLAVES WELL.’

So it is for the interest of the drunkard to quit his cups; for the glutton to curb his appetite; for the debauchee to bridle his lust; for the sluggard to be up betimes; for the spendthrift to be economical, and for all sinners to stop sinning.  Even if it were for the interest of masters to treat their slaves well, he must be a novice who thinks that a proof that the slaves are well treated.  The whole history of man is a record of real interests sacrificed to present gratification.  If all men’s actions were consistent with their best interests, folly and sin would be words without meaning.

If the objector means that it is for the pecuniary interests of masters to treat their slaves well, and thence infers their good treatment, we reply, that though the love of money is strong, yet appetite and lust, pride, anger and revenge, the love of power and honor, are each an overmatch for it; and when either of them is roused by a sudden stimulant, the love of money worsted in the grapple with it.  Look at the hourly lavish outlays of money to procure a momentary gratification for those passions and appetites.