Thus, young gentlemen, that the abstract principle of the institution of slavery, and the principles of natural rights, coincide, and that both have the unqualified approbation of Holy Scripture, cannot be successfully controverted. Natural rights and the principle of slavery do not conflict. No man has a natural right to do wrong. That wherein the principle of slavery is in itself _right_, is that, when carried out in the form of civil government, it furnishes an instance in which the subjects of government who are liable to injure society by doing wrong, are placed under such disabilities, or in such circumstances, in which they cannot or are not likely to do this wrong, but to do that which they have a natural right to do, that is, do good. In all cases in which this principle enters into the government in such ratio or modification as to secure these ends, it coincides with natural rights, and insures to the subject the highest amount of freedom of which his moral condition will admit; it is to him essentially a free government, although, in adapting itself to his moral condition, it may assume an extreme form of despotism. Whether the Southern States of this Union have wisely adapted this principle to the moral condition of the African population residing within their borders, and thereby secured to them an essentially free government, remains to be considered. LECTURE VII. THE INSTITUTION OF DOMESTIC SLAVERY. The question stated--The conduct of masters a separate question--The institution defined--The position of the abolitionists and that of the Southern people--The presumption is in favor of the latter--Those who claim freedom for the blacks of this country failed to secure it to those on whom they professed to confer it--The doctrine by which they seek to vindicate the claim set up for them, together with the fact of history assumed to be true, is false. Having proved that the abstract principle of the institution of domestic slavery is a legitimate principle, both in itself, and in this, that it coincides with the great fundamental principle of _right_, and does not necessarily conflict with the _right_, and is therefore in itself _good_, and _not evil_; the next inquiry that arises is this: “_Is the institution of domestic slavery, existing among us, and involving this principle, justified by the circumstances of the case, and therefore right?_”--according to the doctrine evolved in the second lecture, namely, that the principle of an action, being itself _right_, the action is right, _provided_ other and coincident principles justify the action, or, as we usually say, provided the circumstances require it.