"You have among you the class of native tyrants known as the
slave-dealer. He watches your necessities, and crawls up to buy your
slave at a speculating price. If you cannot help it, you sell to him;
but, if you can help it, you drive him from your door. You despise him
utterly; you do not recognize him for a friend, or even as an honest
man. Your children must not play with his; they may rolick freely with
the little negroes, but not with the slave-dealer's children. If you
are obliged to deal with him, you try to go through the job without so
much as touching him. It is common with you to join hands with the men
you meet; but with the slave-dealer you avoid the
ceremony--instinctively shrinking from the snaky contact. If he grows
rich and retires from business, you still remember him, and still keep
up the ban of non-intercourse with him and his family."
"Those who deny the poor negro's natural right to himself and make mere
merchandise of him deserve kickings, contempt, and death."--(Speech;
Reply to Douglas, Peoria, Illinois, October 16, 1854.)
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