the gospel fanatics, who could not discover any method to amalgamate torturing girls and preaching Christian love at the same time.

There was a church member of the same class. Mrs. H. used to boast that she was the best hand to whip "a wench" in all that country. She had a post in the yard to which she pinioned the girls, and after scourging them until she was tired, on the Lord's day morning, she then would sprinkle them with the usual mixture of salt, vinegar, &c., leave them fastened, exposed to the sun and flies, walk to the church, sit as demure as a popish nun, and after service repeat her flaying or not, according to her whim. I once expostulated with her upon the impropriety and wickedness of this course." Mrs. H. how can you possibly whip your girls so publicly on the Lord's day morning, and disturb your neighbours going to public worship?" Her answer was a memorable specimen of slave driving and slave torturing Christianity. "If I were to whip them on any other day of the week, I might lose their work for a day; but by whipping them on Sunday, their backs get well enough by Monday morning!" That woman, if alive, is no doubt a member still.

It is utterly incomprehensible to every reflecting mind, how a pilferer of men, women and children, can be an honest and righteous man. Slavery is a system of wholesale plunder. It commenced in " the highest kind of theft ;" and is prolonged by continual stealing. Slavery is oppression, fraud, and the forcible seizure of rights, comfort, property, liberty, and life, without cessation, and without end. Slavery is theft of the most atrocious character; it is always kidnapping; and there is neither the name, nor the cloak, nor the appearance, nor even the pretension of integrity connected with its malignant robberies. Now, that a man can be upright during six hours weekly in his intercourse with white men, who will force him to be just towards them; and the remainder of the seven days, be a voluntary rapacious grasper of every coloured citizen's labour whom he can rob with impunity, to squander upon his lusts and profligacy; is a paradox, that no person of common sense, and much

less no man of Christian principles, for one moment, can admit.

On my return to Virginia, in 1815, after the discussion respecting manstealing, which took place in the Presbyterian General Assembly of that year, I was informed, that there had been a great excitement during my absence, respecting a coloured man who belonged to a preacher, and I was referred to Mr. F. for the particulars. Mr. F. had been nurtured among the Friends, and although I believe not actually numbered with the society, yet he retained many of their principles and habits of life. After the usual salutation, I introduced the subject, and he spontaneously disclosed his feelings in these words, "I believe that you preachers are the greatest hypocrites in the world.” I answered, "Not all of us I hope, Mr. F. certainly they are not all deceivers." Mr. F. replied, "How do I know? there's R., I thought he was the best man in the world, and look at the trick he has played me. I will hear no more of your preaching and praying, it is all hypocrisy." He finally said, that so far he could not apply his censure to me; but he had no doubt that if there was only the chance, I should swap, cheat, and drive slaves like the rest of them.

After the first burst of his indignation had passed away, he resumed his usual equanimity, and then proceeded to recount the tale. Instead of the conversational form, I have condensed it into a narrative.

It seems that some years before this period, the preacher had exchanged a stallion horse for a citizen; the difference in value of the two animals was paid as usual. There was an understanding at the time of the barter, that when Tom should have fully earned the price paid for him, he should be emancipated; and with this enticing lure in prospect, Tom, to use their own expression, went to work like a negro. Merely to relieve his wife, and against their mutual principles and feelings, Mr. F. had purchased a coloured woman for domestic duties, and with this female, Tom by consent of the parties cohabited. Thus years revolved until some one of the honest Christians around, put it into Tom's head, that he had earned much more than he cost,

and therefore, was justly entitled to his freedom by the

contract.

Tom took proper advice, and being assured that the valuation of his labour was correct, began to talk to R. the preacher about going free. His claim was at first disregarded; then denied ; and as Tom became more clamourous, he was threatened. Amid this feverish excitement months passed away, until in a momentary fit of delirious rage, Tom finding that he could not be free, resolved to mutilate himself, and with an axe chopped off the thumb and forefinger, I think, of his right hand.

This gave a new aspect to the affair. R. speedily after removed to a distance, and not caring about Tom in his then sulky humour and helpless state, left him to be cured, and to work through the winter in any way which he could. At the latter end of May, 1815, the preacher appeared to make a final disposition of Tom. He attempted to sell him in vain. By all persons, even those who had no truly just notions of their own, the man was deemed to be justly entitled to his freedom. These would not purchase. The other "Brokers in the trade of human blood," would not buy a slave thus maimed and damaged, and the slave barterer was in a quandary. The path of duty, justice, and humanity was plain and obvious, but that required the abandonment of several hundreds of dollars; and consequently, it was useless to expect that a man who had already violated his agreement, and been the cause of an irreparable injury, would voluntarily "do justly and love mercy." He knew well, that Tom would be a source of unceasing vexation around his own house, and therefore, he had no alternative but to traffic or emancipate him. The former seemed impracticable, and the latter would cost too much. A good conscience is too precious a jewel for a slave-driving preacher to possess! One method only remained, and that was to tamper with Mr. F.; and through Tom's connexion with his domestic coloured female, and his benevolent sensibilities, to induce Mr. F. to purchase the man, notwithstanding his altered condition, at the original price. When this proposition was first made to F. it was indignantly rejected. "I bought a woman against