Garrison responds to William Ellery Channing

Responding to a Channing public letter, in 1836, Garrison writes:  “A million letters like this, would not emancipate a single slave.  But rather rivet his fetters more strongly.  It is utterly defective in principle, so far it relates to slavery, and delusive in its views of northern opposition to the  immediate emancipationists  …It expresses a belief that, ‘the MAJORITY OF SLAVEHOLDERS’ are  amiable, upright, patriotic men, full of the milk of human kindness, toward their slaves, whose situation they feel will be rendered miserable by emancipation!  Misdirected charity!  Astonishing infatuation! On the whole, therefore, we cannot approbate this letter.  We think it ought to be sharply reviewed, both for the sake of its author, and the cause of downtrodden humanity.”