mattie griffith, madge vertner, and kentucky abolitionism - The Filson ...

THE FILSON HISTORY QUARTERLYstrike down at once, we must go cautiously and gradually to work,"Griffith depicts him as a compromiser who cannot confront the sinof slavery.• After Norton marries Helen and obtains control over herproperty, however, he quickly distances himself from the politicalfaith he has preached and uses gradualism as an excuse. Norton fullydeserves the cynical appraisal of townspeople who dismiss his abolitionismas show-talk and him as a fortune-hunter. Helen is a flailwoman who suffers from consumption, the same disease with whichGriffith killed off the sympathetic young John Peterkin, the plantationowner's young son and bearer of antislavery sentiments in Autobiography.By late in the novel, with Helen on her deathbed, Nortoncontinues to find excuses to delay emancipation, and, months afterher funeral, he drops all pretenses towards fulfillment ofhis promisesto liberate the family slaves. Instead, this once-abolitionist has beentransformed into a harsh and driving master whose slaves complainof ill treatment.Emancipation left promised and unperformed is emancipationdenied, and a male heart that does not understand the cruelty of slaverycontinually finds economic reasons to leave emancipation in therealm of promises alone. Through the example of Norton, Griffithargues that the coercions of profit and loss are irrelevant within thecontext of divine recognition of individual souls and self-possession.Economic antislavery arguments, advanced by men with financialself-interests that generate deceit, ignore the central issue of freedom.Although luxury-loving society women like Mrs. Vertner, dependenton their husbands for their indulgences and dependent upon blackdomestic labor for service, may endorse slavery, Griffith's "truewomen" have no need for these and can dispense with the system ofslavery. Madge is a stubborn child ofnature, convinced of the naturaljustice of her antislavery beliefs; Helen is eager to relinquish her50 1bid., 19.268