The letter states that young Matthews
had been left in charge of the farm; that he gave an order to the
servant, which was disobeyed, when he proceeded to the house, _obtained
a gun, and, returning, shot the servant._ He immediately, the letter
continues, fled to his father's residence, where he still remains
unmolested."--Let it never be forgotten, that no slaveholder or overseer
can be convicted of any outrage perpetrated on the person of a slave,
however diabolical it may be, on the testimony of colored witnesses,
whether bond or free. By the slave code, they are adjudged to be as
incompetent to testify against a white man, as though they were indeed a
part of the brute creation. Hence, there is no legal protection in fact,
whatever there may be in form, for the slave population; and any amount
of cruelty may be inflicted on them with impunity. Is it possible for
the human mind to conceive of a more horrible state of society?
The effect of a religious profession on the conduct of southern masters
is vividly described in the following Narrative, and shown to be any
thing but salutary. In the nature of the case, it must be in the highest
degree pernicious. The testimony of Mr. DOUGLASS, on this point, is
sustained by a cloud of witnesses, whose veracity is unimpeachable. "A
slaveholder's profession of Christianity is a palpable imposture. He
is a felon of the highest grade. He is a man-stealer. It is of no
importance what you put in the other scale.
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