University of Virginia Library

I received your
letter, and I thank you for it. It is grati-
-fying to know that my efforts are
appreciated by a gentleman for whom
I entertain such sincere respect.

In these days of novel-reading,
I thought a Romance would take
more hold of the public mind, than
the most elaborate arguments; and
having fought against Slavery, till the
monster is legally dead, I was desirous
to do what I could to undermine Prejudice. You say,

I grant that it often exhibits more ferocity
than ever, but I think that is merely
angry resistance to a change that is
seen to be inevitable. The colored people,
being better protected by the laws,
venture to take their rights more
boldly, than they formerly did; and
that also tends to the increase of wrath.
But notwithstanding these rude
manifestations on the surface, a
salutary change is really going on.
When I compare the state of things
with what it was when I was young,
the change seems to me wonderful.
Another half century will see changes
still more wonderful.
It is strange that anything so irrational
as prejudice should be so difficult to
eradicate. Consider what contempt
and cruel outrages the Jews suffered
for nearly two thousand years.
No amount of virtue, or learning,
or wealth, could protect them from
treatment as contemptous as was
ever bestowed on the most abject slave
They had no security for life or property,
and were subject to cruel outrages and
tortures whenever the rabble took the
whim. And how utterly absurd, as
well as wicked, was this prejudice!
for not one Jew in a million had
ever heard of Jesus at the time he
was crucified by a faction at Jerusa-
-lem.

As well might all Christen-
-dom be considered responsible for
the murder of Joe Smith, when only
a small fraction of them ever even heard
of it. Yet, to this day, Jews are
described and persecuted in many
European countries; nor have we
Americans quite outgrown this unjust
and narrow prejudice.

But the world does grow; and the
time will come when all classes will
find their natural level, as freely as the
waters do. I have tried to help on this
good work, according to the measure
of my ability; and sad as I sometimes am
over the present state of public affairs,
still, on the whole, I feel encouraged.
Whether my faith and hope
would survive the restoration of the
Democratic Party to power, is more
than I can say. They would doubtless
reverse all the laws in favor of the freed-
-men; but if worst comes to worst,
it will last only for a time. Meanwhile
all we can do is to work for the right with
might and main.

Mr. Child unites with me in sincere
respect and cordial good wishes.