FREE POPULATION. 



205 



lenient to their slaves than men, but this doubt- 

 less proceeds from the ignorant state in which 

 they are brought up ; they scarcely receive any 

 education, and have not the advantages of ob- 

 taining instruction from communication with 

 persons who are unconnected with their own 

 way of life ; of imbibing new ideas from general 

 conversation. They are born, bred, and con- 

 tinue surrounded by slaves without receiving 

 any check, with high notions of superiority, 

 without any thought that what they do is wrong. 

 Bring these women forwards, educate them, 

 treat them as rational, as equal beings, and 

 they will be in no respect inferior to their 

 countrymen ; the fault is not with the sex, but 

 in the state of the human being. As soon 

 as a child begins to crawl, a slave of about its 

 own age and of the same sex is given to it as a 

 playfellow, or rather as a plaything ; they grow 

 up together, and the slave is made the stock 

 upon which the young owner gives vent to 

 passion ; the slave is sent upon all errands, and 

 receives the blame of all unfortunate accidents ; 

 — in fact the white child is thus encouraged to 

 be overbearing, owing to the false fondness of 

 its parents. Upon the boys the effect is less 

 visible in after-life, because the world curbs and 

 checks them, but the girls do not stir from home, 

 and therefore have no opportunities of wearing 

 oft" these pernicious habits* It is only surpris- 



