“Allow me; one minute if you please!” returned Scranton, with a nasal twang peculiar to his class, as he began to work himself up into a declamatory attitude.  “You southerners don’t understand what a force them northern abolitionists are bringing against you; and you know how slow you are to do things, and to let your property all go to waste while you might make a good speculation on it.  There’s just the difference of things:  we study political economy so as to apply it to trade and such like; you let things go to waste, just thinking over it.  And, you see, it’s our nature to be restless and searching out the best avenues for developing trade.  Why, deacon, your political philosophy would die out if the New Englander didn’t edit your papers and keep your nigger principles straight.”

“Nigger principles straight!  Ah, indeed!  Only another evidence of that cotton bag love that has caused the banns of matrimony to be published between tyrants who disgrace us and northern speculators.  The book-publisher-poor servile tool-fears to publish Mrs. Johnson’s book, lest it should contain something to offend Mrs. Colonel Sportington, at the south.  Mr. Stevens, the grocer, dare not put his vote into the ballot-box for somebody, because he fears one of his customers at the south will hear of it.  Parson Munson dare not speak what he thinks in a New England village, because Mrs. Bruce and Deacon Donaldson have yearly interests in slaves at the south; and old Mattock, the boot-maker, thinks it aint right for niggers to be in church with white folks, and declares, if they do go, they should sit away back in one corner, up stairs.  He thinks about the combination that brings wealth, old age, and the grave, into one vortex,—­feels little misgiving upon humanity, but loves the union, and wants nothing said about niggers.  We understand what it all means, Mr. Scranton; and we can credit it for what it’s worth, without making any account for its sincerity and independence.  I am one among the few who go for educating the negroes, and in that education to cultivate affections between slave and master, to make encouragement perform the part of discipline, and inspire energy through proper rewards.”

“What!-educate a nigger!  These are pretty principles for a southerner to maintain!  Why, sir, if such doctrines were advocated in the body politic they would be incendiary to southern institutions.  Just educate the niggers, and I wouldn’t be an editor in the south two days.  You’d see me tramping, bag and baggage, for the north, much as I dislike it!  It would never do to educate such a miserable set of wretches as they are.  You may depend what I say is true, sir.  Their condition is perfectly hopeless at the north, and the more you try to teach them, the greater nuisance they become.”