Week 11: Slave Society

Paternalism is "The Master" "has a right to obedience and labor of the slave, but the slave has also his mutual rights in the master; the right of protection, the right of counsel and guidance, the right if subsistence, the right of care and attention in sickness and old age" (Liberty 399). This was just a way for the slave owners to feel better about themselves by allowing themselves to believe that even their slaves had rights, which contradicts the very word "slave" because a slave has no rights at all, and is the property of their owner. Fitzhugh uses this concept to argue for the necessity of slavery by saying that, ""Universal liberty" was the exception, an experiment carried on "for a little while" in "a corner of Europe" and the northern United States. Taking the world and its history as a whole, slavery, "without regard to race and color," was "the general,... normal, natural" basis of "civilized society" (Liberty 403). He's saying that to have a civilized society, slavery is a must. Without slavery, life could not possibly be civilized. He was a very in consistent man, sometimes he'd say that all free laborers are better off being slaves, and on other occasions he says that slavery was only suitable for "blacks-perpetual "children" for whom liberty would be "a curse" (Liberty 403).

Fitzhugh compares slaves to women by saying that women, along with slaves and children are weak, helpless and dependent. That man feels powerful having so many people depend on him, having the responsibility to be the leader and owner of his "property".

Fitzhugh hated "free market". he states that, "Wealth is more equally distributed than at the North, where a few millionaires own most of the property of the country. Highly intellectual and moral attainments, refinement of head and heart, give standing to a man in the south, however poor he may be. Money is, with few exceptions, the only thing that ennobles at the North. WE have poor among us, but none who are over-worked and under-fed. We do not crowd cities because lands are abundant and their owners kind, merciful and hospitable. The poor are as hospitable as the rich, the negro as the white man. Nobody dreams of turning a friend, a relative or a stranger from his door. the very negro who dreams it no crave to steal, would corn to sell his hospitality" (Freedom 224). He's stating that just because the rich have all the land and money, just because the south is poor and have slaves they aren't just as hospitable to those in need. Nothing is crowded in the south, everyone is kind.