It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears that the rod is for the slave's back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in maturer years.
Solomon NorthupI could not comprehend the justice of that law, or that religion, which upholds or recognizes the principle of slavery.
Solomon NorthupIt has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public.
Solomon Northup