But this question, of the moral relations which the consumers of slave
labor products sustain to slavery, is one of too important a nature to
be passed over without a closer examination; and, beside, it is involved
in less obscurity than the morality of the relation existing between the
master and the slave. Its consideration, too, affords an opportunity of
discriminating between the different opinions entertained on the broad
question of the morality of the institution, and enables us to judge of
the consistency and conscientiousness of every man, by the standard
which he himself adopts.

The prevalent opinions, as to the morality of the institution of
slavery, in the United States, may be classified under three heads: 1.
That it is justified by Scripture example and precept. 2. That it is a
great civil and social evil, resulting from ignorance and degradation,
like despotic systems of government, and may be tolerated until its
subjects are sufficiently enlightened to render it safe to grant them
equal rights. 3. That it is _malum in se_, like robbery and murder, and
can not be sustained, for a moment, without sin; and, like sin, should
be immediately abandoned.

Those who consider slavery sanctioned by the Bible, conceive that they
can, consistently with their creed, not only hold slaves, and use the
products of slave labor, without doing violence to their consciences,
but may adopt measures to perpetuate the system. Those who consider
slavery merely a great civil and social evil, a despotism that may
engender oppression, or may not, are of opinion that they may purchase
and use its products, or interchange their own for those of the
slaveholder, as free governments hold commercial and diplomatic
intercourse with despotic ones, without being responsible for the moral
evils connected with the system, But the position of those who believe
slavery _malum in se_, like the slave trade, robbery and murder, is a
very different one from either of the other classes, as it regards the
purchase and use of slave labor products. Let us illustrate this by a
case in point.

A company of men hold a number of their fellow men in bondage under the
laws of the commonwealth in which they live, so that they can compel
them to work their plantations, and raise horses, cattle, hogs, and
cotton. These products of the labor of the oppressed, are appropriated
by the oppressors to their own use, and taken into the markets for sale.
Another c