gone, too,’ he replied, in a low voice.  My friend gave me a look, and told me afterwards that Abednego had ran away, and that his family considered it a disgrace, and never spoke of him.  I hear of a negro boy who absconded, and when he was found and being brought home, an old washerwoman watched him as he went up the street.  ‘La,’ said she, ’who’d a thought he’d a beginned to act bad so young,’ But let us leave off Abolition and take a walk.  Our cigars are out and we will resume the subject to-morrow afternoon, when we light some more.”

* * * * *

“Now,” said Abel, “having a couple of particularly good cigars, where did we leave off?”

“Its too warm for argument,” said Arthur, watching the curling of the gray smoke as it ascended.

“We need not argue,” said Abel; “I want to catechize you.”

“Begin.”

“Do you think that the African slave-trade can be defended?”

“No, assuredly not.”

“Well,” said Abel, “how can you defend your right to hold slaves as property in the United States?”

“Abel,” said Arthur, “when a Yankee begins to question there is no reason to suppose he ever intends to stop.  I shall answer your queries from the views of Governor Hammond, of Carolina.  They are at least worthy of consideration.  What right have you New England people to the farms you are now holding?”

“The right of owning them,” said Abel.

“From whom did you get them?” asked Arthur.

“Our fathers.”

“And how did they get them?”

“From the Red men, their original owners.”

“Well,” said Arthur, “we all know how these transactions were conducted all over the country.  We wanted the lands of the Red men, and we took them.  Sometimes they were purchased, sometimes they were wrested; always, the Red men were treated with injustice.  They were driven off, slaughtered, and taken as slaves.  Now, God as clearly gave these lands to the Red men as he gave life and freedom to the African.  Both have been unjustly taken away.”

“But,” said Abel, “we hold property in land, you in the bodies and souls of men.”

“Granted,” said Arthur; “but we have as good a right to our property as you to yours—­we each inherit it from our fathers.  You must know that slaves were recognized as property under the constitution, John Q. Adams, speaking of the protection extended to the peculiar interests of South, makes these remarks:  ’Protected by the advantage of representation on this floor, protected by the stipulation in the constitution for the recovery of fugitive slaves, protected by the guarantee in the constitution to owners of this species of property, against domestic violence.’  It was considered in England as any other kind of commerce; so that you cannot deny our right to consider them as property now, as well as then.”

“But can you advocate the enslaving of your fellow man?” said Abel.