CHAPTER XLVI. FRANK RUSSEL'S OPINIONS.

nowthatthissystemofslavery,ifwedon'treformit,willeatoutthiscountrylikeacancer." "Iknowit,"saidFrank."Forthatmatter,ithaseatenintousprettywell." "Now,"saidClayton,"iffornothingelse,ifwehadnofeelingofhumanityfortheslave,wemustdosomethingforthesakeofthewhites,forthisiscarryingusbackintobarbarism,asfastaswecango.Virginiahasbeenruinedbyit—runalldown.NorthCarolina,Ibelieve,hastheunenviablenotorietyofbeingthemostignorantandpooreststateintheUnion.Idon'tbelievethere'sanycountryinold,despoticEuropewherethepooraremoremiserable,vicious,anddegraded,thantheyareinourslavestates.Andit'sdepopulatingusourmenofability,inthelowerclasses,whowanttoberespectable,won'tstandit.Theywillgoofftosomestatewherethingsmoveon.HundredsandhundredsmoveoutofNorthCarolina,everyyear,totheWesternStates.Andit'sallthisunnaturalorganizationofsocietythatdoesit.Wehavegottocontemplatesomemodeofabolishingthisevil.Wehavegottotakethefirststeptowardsprogress,sometime,orweourselvesareallundone." "Clayton,"saidFrank,inatonenowquiteasseriousashisown,"Itellyou,asasolemnfact,thatwecan'tdoit.Thoseamonguswhohavegotthepowerintheirhandsaredeterminedtokeepit,andtheyarewideawake.Theydon'tmeantoletthefirststepbetaken,becausetheydon'tmeantolaydowntheirpower.Thethreefifthsvotethattheygetbyitisathingtheywon'tpartwith.They'lldiefirst.Why,justlookatit!Thereisatleasttwenty-fourmillionsofpropertyheldinthisway.Whatdoyousupposethesemencareaboutthepoorwhites,andtheruinofthestate,andallthat?Thepoorwhitesmaygotothedevil,forallthemandasfortheruinofthestate,itwon'tcomeintheirdayand'afterusthedeluge,'youknow.That'sthetalk!ThesemenareourmasterstheyareyourstheyareminetheyaremastersofeverybodyintheseUnitedStates.Theycancracktheirwhipsovertheheadofanystatesmanorclergyman,fromMainetoNewOrleans,thatdisputestheirwill.Theygovernthecountry.Army,navy,treasury,church,state,everythingistheirs,andwhoeverisgoingtogetupmustgoupontheirladder.Thereisn'tanyotherladder.Thereisn'taninterest,notabodyofmen,inthesewholeUnitedStates,thattheycan'tcontrolandItellyou,Clayton,youmightaswellthrowashesintotheteethofthenorthwind,asundertaketofighttheirinfluence.Now,iftherewasanyhopeofdoinganygoodbythis,iftherewastheleastprospectofsucceeding,why,I'djoininwithyoubutthereisn't.Thethingisafixedfact,andwhyshouldn'tIclimbuponit,aswellaseverybodyelse?" "Nothingisfixed,"saidClayton,"thatisn'tfixedinright.Godandnaturefightagainstevil." "Theydo,Isupposebutit'salongcampaign,"saidFrank,"andImustbeonthesidethatwillwinwhileI'malive.Now,Clayton,toyouIalwaysspeakthetruthIwon'thumbugyou.Iworshipsuccess.IamofFredericktheGreat'screed,'thatProvidencegoeswiththestrongestbattalions.' "Iwasn'tmadefordefeat.Imusthavepower.Thepreservationofthissystem,wholeandentire,istobethepolicyoftheleadersofthisgeneration.Thefactis,theystandwhereitmustbetheirpolicy.Theymustspreaditoverthewholeterritory.Theymustgetthebalanceofpowerinthecountry,tobuildthemselvesupagainstthepublicopinionofmankind. "Why,Clayton,moralsentiment,asyoucallit,isa