This text is part of:
Table of Contents:
Lecture
VI
: the abstract principle of slavery discussed on
Scripture grounds
, and misrepresentations of the principle examined.
Lecture
VIII
: domestic slavery, as a system of government for the
Africans
in
America
, examined and defended on the ground of its adaptation to the present condition of the race.
[318]
The child is often stultified in early life, and, without self-respect, grows up a stupid, slovenly, and insufferable eye-servant.
Thus, that which made the young slave a source of so much annoyance in the kitchen, the chamber, and the dining-room, began in the discipline of the cabin, and with those who themselves were good servants, and who, for the most part, intended to do their duty in their humble way to their children.
Now, there are many families of great moral worth among us who entirely neglect the discipline of the cabin.
They take no account of the young negro, nor do they inquire into the treatment of wives.
This is a fault — a great fault.
It presses with great force upon the interests of the master, as well as upon the domestic happiness of the African family and the moral character of the rising generation.
The duty of the master is urgent.
He should restrain the exercise of cruelty to wives.
He should do the same in behalf of the children.
Both his example and his precepts should unite to introduce a sounder system of discipline.
A well-trained slave, who respects himself, is far more valuable in any view than a stupid eye-servant.
The master who will not condescend to pay some attention to the discipline of the cabin must content himself with the latter.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.
