The long system of repression and degradation of the Negro tended to emphasize the elements of his character which made him a valuable chattel: courtesy became humility, moral strength degenerated into submission, and the exquisite native appreciation of the beautiful became an infinite capacity for dumb suffering.
This passage analyzes how the systemic repression of slavery distorted the inherent character traits of Black people, transforming virtues into aspects of their subjugation.
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