Volume Ii Part 19 (1/2)
”It don't signify what Burke says about it,” said Mr.
Stackpole, rubbing his chin ? ”Burke is not the first authority; but, Miss Ringgan, it is undeniable that slavery, and the slave-trade too, does at this moment exist in the interior of your own country.”
”I will never excuse what is wrong, Sir; but I think it becomes an Englishman to be very moderate in putting forth that charge.”
”Why?” said he, hastily: ”we have done away with it entirely in our own dominions ? wiped that stain clean off. Not a slave can touch British ground but he breathes free air from that minute.”
”Yes, Sir; but candour will allow that we are not in a condition in this country to decide the question by a _tour de force_.”
”What is to decide it, then!” said he, a little arrogantly.
”The progress of truth in public opinion.”
”And why not the government, as well as our government!”
”It has not the power, you know, Sir.”
”Not the power! well, that speaks for itself.”
”Nothing against us, on a fair construction,” said Fleda, patiently. ”It is well known, to those who understand the subject” ?
”Where did you learn so much about it, Fleda?” said Mrs.
Evelyn, humourously.
”As the birds pick up their supplies, Ma'am ? here and there.
It is well known, Mr. Stackpole, that our const.i.tution never could have been agreed upon, if that question of slavery had not been, by common consent, left where it was ? with the separate state governments.”
”The separate state governments! ? well, why do not _they_ put an end to it? The disgrace is only s.h.i.+fted.”
”Of course, they must first have the consent of the public mind of those states.”
”Ah! their consent! and why is their consent wanting?”
”We cannot defend ourselves there,” said Mrs. Evelyn. ”I wish we could.”
”The disgrace, at least, is s.h.i.+fted from the whole to a part.
But will you permit me,” said Fleda, ”to give another quotation from my despised authority, and remind you of an Englishman's testimony, that beyond a doubt that point of emanc.i.p.ation would never have been carried in parliament had the interests of even a part of the electors been concerned in it!”
”It was done, however, and done at the expense of twenty millions of money.”
”And I am sure that was very n.o.ble,” said Florence.
”It was what no nation but the English would ever have done,”
said Mrs. Evelyn.
”I do not wish to dispute it,” said Fleda; ”but still it was doing what did not touch the sensitive point of their own well-being.”
”_We_ think there is a little national honour concerned in it,”