Remarks of the slavery question, in a letter to Jonathan Phillips, Esq
Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1839. First edition, 12mo, pp. 91, [1]; removed from binding, wrappers wanting, foxed, else very good and sound. A point by point rebuttal of Henry Clay's speech that February, in which Clay attacked abolitionists and defended the right of the Southern states to decide the question of slavery for themselves, without any interference. Clay was making a bid for the 1840 presidency at the time, and was determined to maintain his reputation as a great compromiser, but his speech ended up offending both sides of the issue instead. Channing did not consider himself an active abolitionist and has been called a benevolent racist for his belief that enslaved blacks would need supervision and control even if freed, but he also was firm in his belief that slavery as an institution was wrong and that those against slavery had a right to speak out about it. He predicts the immediate effects of Southern secession: "Does the South know, that, in abandoning us on the ground of slavery, it would take the surest step towards converting the free States to intense and overwhelming Abolitionism? Would not slavery from that moment become the grand distinctive idea of the Southern Republic?" Sabin 11917; American Imprints 54879. Item #56931
Price: $200.00
