I saw that slaveholders would have gladly made me believe that they were merely acting under the authority of God in making a slave of me and in making slaves of others, and I felt to them as to robbers and deceivers.
Douglass describes his realization that slaveholders attempted to legitimize their actions by claiming divine authority, which he perceived as a profound act of robbery and deception.
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The laws which determine the destinies of individuals and nations are impartial and eternal.
It had no interest in recognizing or preserving any of the ties that bind families together or to their homes.
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