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334 FRANCES PACKARD YOUNG with the scheme of the few designing men to the North who think they see their interest in exciting a struggle between the two portions of our country. If we, from such a belief, systematically oppose the North, they must from necessity, resort to a similar opposition to us. Our true system is to look to the country and to support such measures and such men, without a regard to sections, as are best calculated to advance the general interest. I firmly believe that, those in- dividuals and sections of country, who have the most enlight- ened and devoted zeal to the common interest, have also the greatest influence. "I have sometimes feared that the Missouri question will create suspicions to the South very unfavorable to a correct policy. Should emancipation be attempted, it must and will be resisted at all costs, but let us first be certain that it is the real object, not by a few but by a large portion of the non- slave-holding states." Social justification was Calhoun's argument in defense of slavery. In conversation with J. Q. Adams, during March of 1820, he said : "Domestic labor was confined to the blacks, and such was the prejudice, that if he (Calhoun) who was the most popu- lar man in his district, were to keep a white servant in his house, his character and reputation would be irretrievably ruined. I (Adams) said that this confounding of the ideas of servitude and labor was one of the bad effects of slavery ; but he thought it attended with many excellent conse- quences. It did not apply to all kinds of labor not, for example, to farming. He himself has followed the plow ; so had his father. Manufacturing and mechanical labor was not degrading. It was only manual labor the proper work for slaves; no white person could descend to that. And it was the best kind of guarantee to equality among the whites. It produced an unvarying level among them. It not only did not excite, but did not even admit of inequalities, by which one man could domineer over another." 142 142 Adams, J. Q., V, 10.