Untitled - African American History

CCXX HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SLAVERY.
deed a superior race, has a better opportunity of enjoy-
in other words, is elevated
the mixture of blood. Her sin does not entail mis
ing the privileges of domestics ;
by
fortune but good fortune on her children. Nor does she
lose any social position even with her own race. Under
such circumstances the prevalence of this sin is not sur-
prising.
It is undoubtedly true, that from this cause the poor
white females of the slaveholding States are not subject
to as great temptations and importunities as they would
be under other circumstances. That the ignorant poor,
under the heating Southern sun, would compare unfavor-
ably with those of colder climates in this particular, ex-
cept for this institution, is manifested by the immorality
of some ignorant districts in slaveholding States, where
but few negroes are found. How far such a result
counterbalances the evil admitted, can be weighed only
by the great Arbiter of the universe.
A social evil of no small magnitude, arising from this
condition, is the imbibing by children of the supersti-
tions, fears, and habits, of the negroes, with whom they
are necessarily, to some extent, reared. The negro is
not yet more than semi-civilized. The marvellous and
the unearthly, ghosts, witches, and charmings, are min-
gled even with his religion. Great caution is necessary,
on the part of the Southern mother, to protect the young
child from such influences.
The inability of the slave parents to control and govern
their own children from the intervention of another
power, the master's, has been considered an evil of this
social system. Theoretically it is ; practically it is not,
for two reasons : first, the master never interferes with
but rather encourages such government ;
it is an aid to
him. And, second, unless the child in some way inter-
feres with the comfort or wishes of the parent, the negro
has no disposition to control his waywardness or his
vices.