The remark in the olden time was not unfrequently made, that slaves were the most contented and happy laborers in the world, and their dancing and singing were referred to in proof of this alleged fact; but it was a great mistake to suppose them happy because they sometimes made those joyful noises.
Challenging a common pro-slavery argument, Douglass asserts that the singing and dancing of enslaved people were mistakenly interpreted as signs of contentment.
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I wished it was possible I could remain small all my life, knowing that the sooner I grew large the shorter would be my time to remain with them.
Our very lack of preparation for the conflict disposed us to look for some other than the way of blood out of the difficulty.