Pro Slavery Arguments
US Senator John Calhoun, Supporter of Slavery, 1837 Speech:
“. . . I hold that in the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two, is, instead of an evil, a good—a positive good. . . I hold then, that there never has yet existed a wealthy and civilized society in which one portion of the community did not, in point of fact, live on the labor of the other.”
Black equality: His writing ability and intelligence (throughout the book)
George Fitzhugh, American Author, Speaker, Noted Racist, 1857 Writings:
“The negro slaves of the South are the happiest, and, in some sense, the freest people in the world. The children and the aged and infirm work not at all, and yet have all the comforts and necessaries of life provided for them. They enjoy liberty, because they are oppressed neither by care nor labor….In the last place, the negro race is inferior to the white race, and living in their midst, they would be far outstripped or outwitted in the chase of free competition. . . . Our negroes are not only better off as to physical comfort than free laborers, but their moral condition is better.”
Aunt Hester’s cruel punishment/whipping (p.22-23), conditions (25-26), etc.
Black equality: His writing ability and intelligence (throughout the book)
US Senator James Henry Hammond, Supporter of Slavery, 1858 Speech:
“The senator from New York said yesterday that the whole world had abolished slavery. Aye, the name, but not the thing; all the powers of the earth cannot abolish that. God only can do it… The Jews, in the time of the theocracy, and the Greeks and Romans, had all slaves; at that time there was no nation without them.”
“Fortunately for the South, she found a race adapted to that purpose to her hand… Our slaves are black, of another and inferior race. The status in which we have placed them is an elevation. They are elevated from the condition in which God first created them, by being made our slaves. None of that race on the whole face of the globe can be compared with the slaves of the South. They are happy, content, unaspiring, and utterly incapable, from intellectual weakness, ever to give us any trouble by their aspirations... We use them for our purpose, and call them slaves… our slaves are hired for life and well compensated; there is no starvation, no begging, no want of employment among our people…”
Nuance of skin color and population contradict (20-21)
Aunt Hester’s cruel punishment/whipping (p.22-23), conditions (25-26), etc.
Black equality: His writing ability and intelligence (throughout the book)
Professor Thomas Dw, Supporter of Slavery, 1832 Speech:
“A merrier being does not exist on the face of the globe, than the negro slave of the United States… and the master much less cruel than is generally imagined. Why then, since the slave is happy, and happiness is the great object of all animated creation, should we endeavor to disturb his contentment.”
Songs are actually in sadness and mourning (27-28)
Slaves often say their master is kind; it is dangerous to do otherwise (30-31)
DOUGLASS Other Argument Rebuttals
-Free blacks led a privileged life (his experience being free (91-92)
