On the record
They look outside of it for pretexts to hide its inherent baseness; but not one of them, so far as I know, has had the effrontery to justify it on its intrinsic merits.
Source
gutenberg.orgHorace Mann: “They look outside of it for pretexts to hide its inherent baseness; but not one of them, so far as I know, has had the…”
Editor's note · Context
Mann notes that many try to obscure the inherent wrongness of slavery without justifying it on its own merits.
Share
More from Horace Mann
A southern slave stands higher, politically, than a northern laborer, if the latter must vote as his employer dictates.
The liberty of voting includes all other liberties.
My instincts, reason, judgment, conscience, may all mislead; but from the first time, now years ago, when I heard this subject broached, my instincts, reason, judgment, conscience, have all been in its favor.
The man of independent circumstances has this liberty; and no man’s circumstances, not even the poorest and the humblest, should be so dependent as to take it away.
Other voices in this conversation
