At this point, the southern apologist’s only remaining pretense was the classic appeal to the paternalism of the masters: But the seeming severity of this restriction was almost wholly removed, among us, by the fact that he always had, in his master, an interested and zealous patron and guardian, in all collisions with other white men. From oppression by his own master he found his sufficient protection, usually, in affection and self-interest.15 Except in the thousands of daily cases where they did not.
