| Yes, and, in any case, once granted, it is necessary to show why the principle should not be applied to the black man. In the South of his time, there were numerous freemen (primarily in states like Maryland and Virginia) who plied their trades and kept their affairs in order. There is no particular reason to think that those who still labored in the fields, under the yoke of slavery, once allowed to hold their heads up, and given an education, could not measure up to their white counterparts. Besides, chattel slavery was particularly evil, leaving the black man no rights that the white man was bound to respect. One could be beaten or killed with impunity, one could have ones children or spouse sold away, one could be denied the comforts of the church. Custom softened the peculiar institution, but even good masters sometimes broke up families when they were bankrupt and trying to salvage their affairs......... |
