18

First Impressions 1862
daring as to secure respect? It will
never be done by an apologetic,
insinuating way of going to work.
It is the old [illegible] to the
Southern "hush" a little remnant
of the gag-law.

I wish they would all say out aloud
quietly, respectfully, firmly, "We
have come to do anti slavery work,
and we think it noble work & we
mean to do it earnestly."

Instead of this they do not even tell
the slaves that they are free, and they
lead them to suppose that if they
do not do so & so, they may be
returned to their master. They keep in
the background with the army the
benevolence of their plans, or the
justice of them & merely insist upon
the immediate expediency which
I must say is not very apparent.
If they do not take higher ground their
cause & reputations are lost. But the
work will go on - May I help it!