The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-07-04
American Notes.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

, L
But as chapter II contains such keen re
buke on slavehoding, and since many ar
now taking the Voice who do not yet under
stand all that has been published on TIN
subject; and since too friend has special
ly requested the insertion ofthis chapter,
have thought best 10 give it to our readers
in this and the next No. of our paper. Those
who have not seen this will find it worlf
reading; and those who saw it in 1912 will
lose nothing by reperusing it. J,H.
SLAVERY.
The upholders of slavery in America
of the atrocities of which system, shall
not write one word tor which | have moi
ample proof and warrant-may be divided
into three great classes.
The first, are those more moderate and
rational owners of human cattle, who
have come into the possession of them as
so many coins in their trading capital, but
who admit the frIghtful nature of the In,
stiiution in the ABSTRACT, and perceive the
dangers TO society with which it is fraught,
dangers which. however distant they may
be- or howsoever lardy in their coming
on, are as certain to fall upon its guilty
head, as is the Day of Judgment.
The second, consists of all those own.
ers, breeders, users, buyers, and sellers of
slaves, who will, until the bloody chapter
has bloody end, own, breed, use, buy,
and sell them at all hazards; who dog
gedly deny the horrors of the system, in
the teeth of such mass of evidence as
never was brought to bear on any other
subject and to which the experience of
every day contributes its immense amount;
who would at this or any other moment,
gladly involve America in a war, civil or
foreign, provided that it had, for its sole
end and object the assertion Of their right
10 perpetuate slavery, and TO whip, and
work, and torture slaves, unquestioned by
any human authority, and unassailed by
any human power; who, when they
speak of Freedom, mean the Freedom to
Cypress their kind, and to be savage, mer.
CHESS, and cruel and of whom every
man on his own ground, in republican A
merica, is more exacting, and sterner
and less responsible despot, than the Ca
liph Harounal Raschid in his angry robe
of scarlet.
The third, and not the least numerous
or influential, is composed of all that deli
cate gentlity which cannot bear superb
or, and cannot brook an equal; of that
class whose Repubicanism means, Twill
not tolerate man above me; and of those
below, none must approach too -
whose PRIDE in land where voluntary
servitude is stunned as a disgrace, must
be ministered to by slaves and whose in.
alienabe rights can only have their
growth in negro wrongs.
II has been sometimes urged that, in
the unavaling efforts which have been
made TO advance the cause of Human
Freedom in the republic of America
(strange cause for history to treat oily
sufficient regard has not been had to the
existence OF the first class of persons and
it has been contended that they are hard
" used, in being COMPOUNDED with the
second. This is, no doubt, the case; no.
bic instances OF pecuniary and personal
sacrifice have already had their growth
among them and it is much to be re.
GREETED that the gulf between them and
the advocates of emancipation should have
been wdened and deepened by any means !;
the rather, as there are, beyond dispute,
among the slave-oWners, many kind mas.
ters who are tender in the exercise oftheir
unnatural power. Still it is to be feared
that this injustice is insepaTablo from tho
state of things with which humanity and
truth are called upon 10 deal. Slavery is
not whit the more endurable because
some hearts are 10 be found which can
partially resist its hardening influences !;
nor can the indignant tide OF honest wrath
stand still, because in its onward course it
overwheIms few who are comparatively
innocent, among host of guilty.
The ground most commonly taken by
these better men among the advocates of
slavery, is this; 1T is bad system; and
for myself | would willingly get rid of it,
if | could most willingly. But it is not
so bad, as you in Eng land take it to be.
You are deceived by the representations
of the emancipationis!s. The greater part
of my slaves are much attached to me-
You will say that do not allow them to
be severely treated out 1 will put it TO
you whether you believe that il can be a
general practice to treat them inhumanly,
when it would impair their value, and
would be obviously against the interests
Of their masters
Is it the interest Of any man 10 steal, to
game, 10 waste his health and mental fac
ulties by drunkenness, to lie, forswcar
himself indulge hatred, seek desperate re-
venge, or do murder? No. All these
are roads to ruin. And why, then, do
men tread them? Because such incIina-
tons are among the vicious qualities OF
mankind Blot out, we friends of slave
(.A. AZ r. k,,,