In the mind of the pro-slavery argument

 

The pro-slavery argument is a book written by William Harper in the early 19th century while slavery was a huge debate that was ripping the harmony away from America. To say that there were two sides to this issue is false because this was not a black-and-white issue. Some people were strictly abolitionists who believed that slavery should be abolished completely, some people believed that there should simply be more protection for slaves, while some people believed that slavery was acceptable and that the practice should continue. That is where William Harper stood. 

I always wondered what compelled people who supported slavery to first hold that opinion but to verbalize it as publically and proudly that they did. So, when I was reading and researching William Harper I really wanted to grasp and understand his mindset. I think the pro-slavery argument is based on three ideas which are as follows: Pride, selfishness, and deception. 

There is an anonymous quote that says, "pride is the bottom of all mistakes." I believe this is the root of the practice of slavery, and how it was justified in the minds of the pro-slavery people. In his book, William Harper wrote in a tone of superiority. If you have an elevated perception of yourself, you are more likely to lower others. The idea of status was used to push the pro-slavery agenda. For example, the themes of wealth and prosperity were ones William Harper touched on a lot in his book. He believed that the American man was entitled to both wealth and prosperity, and in this case at all coasts. It was clear that he believed that American men, specifically white men were superior to people of all other groups. He used status to justify his actions because he believed that he and people like him deserved success at all costs. 

 

I believe that putting the interests of yourself above the interests of others is the root of evil in the world. I also believe that this is how people justified slavery. Using others and not considering how your actions affect them is the root of conflict. William Harper talked about how he believed that no one had the right to determine whether slavery was moral or if it was not. He said that only God could judge his actions. In his book, he wrote with uncertainty. He said phrases like "if what we are doing is wrong" which makes it appear as if he believes that there is a chance that there is. Slave-owners put their own interests in front of the interests of others. 

The worst lie you can tell is one to yourself. Deception is pushing yourself to believe something you know is not true. It is convincing yourself that what you are doing is right, contrary to your gut feeling. I believe that slavery went against the conscious of the slave owner. I believe that they had to convince themselves that it was okay. They compromised their morality and standing to pursue something that I think they knew was wrong. William Harper talked about how in his opinion slavery was okay because it was a global issue. Throughout his book, he mentioned many times subtle textual clues where he justified slavery, and I believe that the justification was not only to the readers but also to himself. 

 

Sources: 

Harper, W., Hammond, J. H., Simms, W. G., & Dew, T. R. (2007). The pro-slavery argument: As maintained by the most distinguished writers of the Southern States. Kessinger Publishing.