By the way, I understand that there were benevolent masters, and paternalistic households. I understand that the condition of free blacks was somewhat precarious, especially if they did not have a trade, and therefore the most humane thing might be to keep them on, and that, as long as they stayed, there might not be a felt urgency in emancipation. I understand that Lee both freed his slaves and fought for the South, so loyalty to the South was not solely dependent on the support of slavery.
On the other hand, these great men who probably treated their slaves pretty well also forbade them an education; continued to make it legal to break up families, even after legalizing slave marriages (rather late in the game); would not allow those who killed slaves to be charged with murder; would not establish a regular process of manumission that the slave might take advantage of, but left it solely up to the master; allowed their own kin, the results of liaisons in the slave quarters, to remain as slaves, rather than be acknowledged; and so on. Institutionally, the practice of chattel slavery was barbaric, and at odds with the ideals of the Revolution. At least Jefferson looked forward to the demise of the institution; at least Washington freed his slaves by testament upon Martha's death; and I can understand the compromise at the time that permitted its continuance. But Lincoln was right, in his "House Divided" speech, we had to choose what kind of nation we were ......... |
