"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!
Though clean without--impure within--
As sepulchers adorned with paint
A devil within--without a saint!

Our condition was pitiable indeed. We said among ourselves, "What now
shall we do?" "Where! O! Where shall we find worse sinners than
ourselves?" Our woe-begone looks betrayed the secret workings and
intentions of our hearts; We again went forth in search of those more
wicked than ourselves; but we were destined to disappointment, for we
sought in vain,--they were hard to find. They were neither here--nor
there--nor any where to be found in all the land of the living! Worse
sinners than ourselves could not be found upon this terrestial
globe--among all the degenerate sons and daughters of Adam. When we
had well nigh given up in despair, we again directed our eyes to the
dark picture of African slavery. "Oh!" said we, to ourselves, "how it
would soothe and tranquilize our troubled consciences, if we could but
find worse sinners than ourselves." "We know that we are vile and
depraved, but are not those slaveholders, a little worse than we are?"