Fascinating "Civil War" issued volumes of fictional conversation by Arthur Helps surrounding important social themes of the day, but especially focused in on slavery, its practice, history, and the need of its abolition.

Including:

. . . on disregard for social relations with respect to slaves, on disproportionate punishment of slaves; the fatal effect of slave-trading; the kind treatment of slaves in Africa; slaves among the Africans unlike the slavery imposed by "civilized" men; the journal of an African cruiser, showing the refinements of the Africans; the discovery of America a new career for slavery; obstacles to emancipation of the slaves in America; advantages to the emancipation of the slaves; the American plantation owner and the repression of slaves; the Anglo-Saxon race does not shine among slave owners; the antiquity of slavery no justification for modern slavery; Scripture not authority for modern slavery; black saints; Christianity and its influence on slavery; state of slaves in Cuba; neglect of education among slaves; slavery in the eastern world; European influence among negroes in the 15th century contrasted with the present; character of European slaves in Moorish Africa; Benjamin Franklin on the supposed needfulness of slavery; etc.etc. etc. 

Helps, Arthur. Friends in Council: A Series of Readings, and Discourse Thereon. Two Volumes in One. New York. James Miller. 1861. First American Edition. 391 + 279pp.

Good to good -. Attractive pebbled cloth, period ex library label at mid spine, ex library labels with losses to ffep and rfep. Textually solid and clean with some light toning. A bit shaken at prelims and rears.