“The large estates are managed by stewards and overseers, the proprietors just amusing themselves with seeing what is going forward.  The work is done wholly by slaves, whose numbers are in this part of the country more than double that of white persons.  The slaves on the large plantations are in general very well provided for, and treated with mildness.  During three months nearly, that I was in Virginia, but two or three instances of ill treatment towards them came under my observation.  Their quarters, the name whereby their habitations are called, are usually situated one or two hundred yards from the dwelling house, which gives appearance of a village to the residence of every plantation in Virginia; when the estate, however, is so large as to be divided into several farms, then separate quarters are attached to the house of the overseer on each farm.  Adjoining their little habitations, the slaves commonly have small gardens and yards of poultry, which are all of their property; they have ample time to attend to their own concerns, and their gardens are generally found well stocked, and their flocks of poultry numerous.  Besides the food they raise for themselves, they are allowed liberal rations of salted pork and Indian corn.  Many of their little huts are comfortably furnished, and they are themselves, in general, extremely well clothed.  In short their condition is by no means so wretched as might be imagined.  They are forced to work certain hours in the day; but in return they are clothed, dieted, and lodged comfortably, and saved all anxiety about provision for their offspring.  Still, however, let the condition of the slave be made ever so comfortable, as long as he is conscious of being the property of another man, who has it in his power to dispose of him according to the dictates of caprice; as long as he hears people around him talking about the blessings of liberty, and considers that he is in a state of bondage, it is not to be supposed that he can feel equally happy with the freeman.  It is immaterial under what form slavery presents itself, whenever it appears there is ample cause for humanity to weep at the sight, and to lament that men can be found so forgetful of their own situations, as to live regardless of the blessings of their fellow creatures.

“With respect to the policy of holding slaves in any country, on account of the depravity of morals which it necessarily occasions, besides the many other evil consequences attendant upon it, so much has already been said by others, that it is needless here to make comments on the subject.

“The number of the slaves increases most rapidly, so that there is scarcely any state but what is overstocked.  This is a circumstance complained of by every planter as the maintenance of more than are requisite for the culture of the estate is attended with great expense.  Motives ... of humanity deter them from selling the poor creatures, or turning them adrift from the spot where they have been born and brought up, in the midst of friends and relations.