Двенадцать лет рабства

           Dailywitnessesofhumansuffering—listeningtotheagonizingscreechesoftheslave—beholdinghimwrithingbeneaththemercilesslash—bittenandtornbydogs—dyingwithoutattention,andburiedwithoutshroudorcoffin—itcannototherwisebeexpected,thanthattheyshouldbecomebrutifiedandrecklessofhumanlife. Itistruetherearemanykind-heartedandgoodmenintheparishofAvoyelles—suchmenasWilliamFord—whocanlookwithpityuponthesufferingsofaslave,justasthereare,overalltheworld,sensitiveandsympatheticspirits,whocannotlookwithindifferenceuponthesufferingsofanycreaturewhichtheAlmightyhasendowedwithlife. Itisnotthefaultoftheslaveholderthatheiscruel,somuchasitisthefaultofthesystemunderwhichhelives. Hecannotwithstandtheinfluenceofhabitandassociationsthatsurroundhim. Taughtfromearliestchildhood,byallthatheseesandhears,thattherodisfortheslave’sback,hewillnotbeapttochangehisopinionsinmatureryears. 

           Theremaybehumanemasters,astherecertainlyareinhumanones —theremaybeslaveswell-clothed,well-fed,andhappy,astheresurelyarethosehalf-clad,half-starvedandmiserable; nevertheless,theinstitutionthattoleratessuchwrongandinhumanityasIhavewitnessed,isacruel,unjust,andbarbarousone.