For this reason there was never put forward any systematic
effort to elevate the slaves. Every master believed that he had a
divine right to deal with the situation as he chose. Moreover, even
before the policy of mental and moral improvement of the slaves could
be given a trial, some colonists, anticipating the "evils of the
scheme," sought to obviate them by legislation. Such we have observed
was the case in Virginia,[1] South Carolina,[2] and Georgia.[3] To
control the assemblies of slaves, North Carolina,[4] Delaware,[5] and
Maryland[6] early passed strict regulations for their inspection.
[Footnote 1: _Special Report of the U.S. Com. of Ed._, 1871, p. 391.]
[Footnote 2: Brevard, _Digest of the Public Statute Law of S.C._, vol.
ii., p.243.]
[Footnote 3: Marbury and Crawford, _Digest of Laws of the State of
Georgia_, p. 438.]
[Footnote 4: _Laws of North Carolina_, vol. i., pp. 126, 563, and
741.]
[Footnote 5: _Special Report of the U.S. Com. of Ed._, 1871, p. 335.]
[Footnote 6: _Ibid._, p. 352.]
The actual opposition of the masters to the mental improvement of
Negroes, however, did not assume sufficiently large proportions to
prevent the intellectual progress of that race, until two forces then
at work had had time to become effective in arousing southern planters
to the realization of what a danger enlightened colored men would
be to the institution of slavery.
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