A portion of our fellow citizens in another part of this Union, had, by no fault or agency of their own, become involved in the evils and calamities of slavery. We turned our eyes in that direction, and looked on the dark pictures. We felt that we were great sinners. Guilt pressed heavily upon us. "The sorrows of death compassed us: and the pains of hell got hold upon us;" and we "found trouble and sorrow." The anguish of our guilt was insupportable. We were in deep distress, and we longed for some thing to soothe and ease our troubled minds: but we did not, with the Psalmist, call upon the Lord to "deliver us." No! By no means, for we thought if we could find worse sinners than ourselves, it would afford us some relief.
Twas thus we sought, but sought in vain
A panacea for all our pain!
Are there not those more vile than we—
If baser mortal man can be!
We looked around—and looked again,
And searched the world—but searched in vain;
For more depraved—more vile than we
Sure there were none—none could there be!
Alas our souls are steeped in sin!