the exercise of his ingenuity he might invent; from such a statement for instance as was published not long since in an Eastern paper, as "an extract of a letter from Georgia."

With the subject of slavery at the South, it would certainly be as well for our Northern brethren in no respect to interfere,-this is a matter belonging exclusively to the Southern people, and let them have the management of it. Many erroneous views are entertained abroad in relation to the condition of this portion of our population. A vast proportion of the slaves in the Southern country, enjoy as many of the comforts of life, as are allotted to many day laborers in any other country, and many of them would gain but little as to real enjoyment, if they were to change places with their owners; and I am not sure that any great mistake would be made by an individual who, on forming an estimate on this subject, should assert that the colored population was on the whole the happiest class of our community. They work, to be sure, as laborers do in other countries, and as laborers must do if they expect to live any where. "In the sweat of his brow," it was decreed that man should eat bread, till he returned to the "dust from whence he was taken;" but the industry necessary to man's support is favorable to his enjoyment, and the laborer who by his own exertions is enabled to supply his own wants, has a reasonable share of all that happiness which can be enjoyed here below. While the industrious individual will usually be virtuous and happy, the idle one will be vicious and miserable in every condition of life. The different grades in society are necessary in the arrangements of Providence, and are in accordance with his will; and we should no doubt make very erroneous calculations in attempting to judge of the happiness of one class of community, by contrasting its condition and mode of living with that of another class. In the Divine benevolence a due degree of enjoyment is allotted to all, and one class, or one individual, finds much satisfaction in a station or pursuit, which would afford little comfort to others. The slaves in the Southern States, contrary to the opinion of many who never witnessed it, engage in their labors with readiness and spirit; they seldom require coersive measures to urge them to duty. They who witness their cheerfulness when they meet together of an evening, or even when employed in their usual avocations, would not suppose they ever yielded to depression of spirit, or felt regret at the stations .they occupied-in fact, dissatisfaction and regret is seldom manifested by them. A mischievous fellow getting amongst them and bent upon evil, might be instrumental in exciting restlessness and discontent, which otherwise would have been wholly unknown, and might occasion mischief, which, without him, would never have happened. But is this to be wondered at, when we witness the discontent, which an

artful or designing politician is sometimes instrumental in producing in the ranks of freemen, even under the most perfect forms of civil government? That evil men may be successful in exciting mischief, the mobs which occur in populous cities conclusively demonstrate.

However unfavorably a state of slavery may be viewed, still as it exists in this country it has advantages over some other conditions which may be found in all communities upon earth. The slave is indeed obliged to work for his support while he has health and strength, as many others have to do; but when he is sick he is certain of being provided for he knows his owner will take care of him; if he has a wife and children, he is sure they will not suffer in consequence of his indisposition; during his illness he is supplied with nourishment and nursed with care, and that without anxiety or expense to himself; and when he recovers his health, he does not find that he has contracted a debt which he is unable to pay, and he does not therefore fear a justices warrant, nor is he troubled with bank notices; and he feels confident that there will be no diminution of his family supplies in consequence of his having his earnings for a while suspended. Still it may be said, and truly said, that this individual is not free-that is, that he has not that sort of political freedom which his owner enjoys. But what if he had this, would he then be any better off-would this something of which he may be told without duly understanding it, actually diminish his toils, or increase his enjoyment? Less labor than he now performs would not put him in possession of the comforts with which he is now surrounded, and more he would not be apt to perform by way of providing against misfortune. To a large proportion of the slave population emancipation would not be a blessing, they would not live better than they now do in consequence of the change-they would not work less for a support, or such of them as did work, less would probably acquire habits, which would occasion to them the change of a comfortable habitation for a jail or a workhouse.

Intent as the abolitionists are upon effecting a change in the condition of the slave population of our country, they appear to make very little enquiry, whether they are prepared for the change they propose, or would be benefitted by it-they seem to think that a set of beings who have long been accustomed to a situation in which they are useful and where they are satisfied, can at once be transfered to a different station, without any of the requisite preparations for the alteration. It is the civil condition of the slave alone which excites their solicitudetheir more important interests they very little regard. Were they to urge upon the owners of slaves the importance of communicating to them moral and religious instruction, and were this subject properly treated, it is very possible they might be instrumental in doing some

good, while in their present course of conduct they are only doing mis. chief, and that continually. For what benefit have they yet done to the colored population of our country-they have made their condition worse even at the North, and seem likely to make it worse at the South. It is to them the outrages against the negroes in the Northern States are to be attributed; they have occasioned the house burnings, the beatings, and the robberies that the poor negroes have sustained there, and how much good can they be supposed capable of doing them here? I do not say, or pretend, that the leading Abolitionists at the North have themselves gone to the negro houses, pulled them down, and destroyed their contents; but I have no doubt, that they have by their imprudent proceedings occasioned these evils-they have resulted from their injudicious intermeddling with matters which did not belong to them. In relation to the religious and moral instruction of the slaves, it will not be pretended that there is not a lamentable deficiency in this respect almost every where: were proper exertions made to communicate to them the important truths which the Bible contains, there can be no doubt their moral characters would be greatly improved. The Bible contains nothing but what it would be desirable that every class of beings in community should be made acquainted with; and the more perfectly those in a state of servitude were instructed in the truths and doctrines of the word of God, the better would they be qualified for discharging the duties of the stations they might be called in the order of Providence to fill. The Bible contains the rule of conduct for masters and servants-it enjoins a just and proper course upon all orders of men, and forbids any violent attempts to overturn the settled order of society, in pursuit of any selfish purposes. And while the great rule "of doing to others as we would that they should do to us," is acknowledged to be obligatory, it should be understood, that in its application a due regard should be paid to the situation of the parties on whom it is to operate. And if a servant under this view were to conclude, (as he would do if he reasoned justly,) that if he were a master he would not incline to have his rights invaded by his servant; and if a master were to reflect, that if he were a servant he would be unwilling to be subjected to injustice or cruelty ;-the rea soning of each would lead to a correct course of conduct in both. It would tend to make each render to the other that which was right ac cording to their respective situations. Each would be required to do to the other, what the other might be expected to do to him, were there a change made in their respective stations. It is highly probable, that the want of duly discriminating between the civil and moral condition of slaves, has in many instances occasioned erroneous impressions on the subject of their religious instruction. All instruction communicated to

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them should have an exclusive reference to their moral improvementwith their civil condition their teachers should in no respect interfere : it is from the evil of sin they should aim to deliver them, and from its bitter consequences to secure them; and while this object is faithfully adhered to and regarded, much good might be effected. The consolations of the Gospel reach individuals in every situation of life-its directions are not confined to any one class exclusively-its blessings are freely offered to all. The Saviour died to redeem the fallen race of man-through his merits and righteousness and the influence of his regenerating spirit, salvation can be obtained by the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the bond and the free. As the situation of servants necessarily circumscribes their spiritual privileges, their owners ought to feel it a duty to provide for their proper instruction, for the more intimately they become acquainted with the great truths of the Gospel, the more will their moral characters be elevated. The inevi table tendency of the Gospel is to make men better in every condition of life. And it will not be questioned, I presume, but that all the important truths of the Gospel may be orally communicated to those who are incapable of reading them. The first salutary effect of the Moravian efforts amongst the degraded Esquimaux Indians, was produced by the mere reading to them the account of the Saviour's suffering and death. In the same way may all the important truths of the sacred volume be communicated. The Abolitionists I know are often free in their censures upon those regulations in the slave holding States, which prohibit the slaves from being taught to read. But as favorable a subject as this is for declamation, I would ask, what proportion of the slave population of our country could, under any circumstances, be made to be a reading people? But what is of more importance to ask, what proportion of them, if all could read, would confine their reading to books that would improve their morals as well as inform their minds? If those who could read, would read the Bible only, or books which tended to illustrate its truths, reading would then be beneficial to them, and to those amongst whom they resided. But if they were to read, as they no doubt would be invited to do, those publications which the anti-slavery presses would furnish, their reading would then only tend to make them restless and discontented, and would probably seduce them to a course that would ensure their ruin. A consideration of the difficulty of keeping improper publications from those who could read them, has no doubt had its influence in producing many regulations on this subject. When we consider the mischief done in many communities of freemen by the circulation amongst them of vile and licentious publications, is it to be wondered at, that an opinion should be enter- ^ tained, that a capacity for reading similar productions might not be

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beneficial to a still more ignorant class? The Abolitionists themselves occasion restrictions on this subject, which they afterwards take pleasure in condemning.

It ought to be the desire of all benevolent individuals, and of all political economists, to be instrumental in producing the greatest amount possible of human happiness; but such an object would be very little promoted by the liberation of the colored population of the Southern States with their present acquirements, either as related to themselves or those amongst whom they resided. As an evidence of this, look at the free negroes in those sections of country where their numbers are comparatively few. Have their characters been elevated as their civil privileges have been increased? Have they been found generally very desirable members of the communities in which they live? What is the proportion of crime committed by them, as estimated by their numbers, when compared with the white population amongst whom they reside, or with the slave population in any of the slave holding States? I verily believe there are fewer crimes of the more attrocious grades committed by the slave population of the Southern States, taken altogether, than there are committed by an equal number of other colored people wherever they may be located; and I do not know but I might safely say, there were fewer of the higher order of offences committed by them, than would be found to be committed by an equal number of individuals in almost any other country whatever. There are fewer murders, for instance, occurring amongst the slaves in the slave holding States, than are committed amongst an equal number of individuals almost any where. Let those who doubt this examine the court records from abroad, or of our own land, embra. cing a population of more than two millions of persons, and compare the criminal convictions there, with those which take place amongst our slave population, and see in whose favor the comparison will preponderate. It is not intended by these remarks to intimate that slavery is particularly favorable to morality, but it is intended to say that there has been, and continues to be, a vast deal of misapprehension on this subject, especially amongst those Abolitionists who suppose, or pretend, that in the slavery of the South, there is a continued succession of crimes, as well as of injustice and cruelty. I have very little doubt but that there are now fewer crimes committed amongst the slave population of the Southern States, than there would be in any brief period amongst the same individuals if they were made free-the change in their circumstances would not promote their industrious ha bits, and would in all probability occasion a resort to modes of living very little in accordance with their moral advancement.

I saw published a few days since in a Northern paper, an account