De Tocqueville and Slavery

From the history of 'liberalism' or things my American professors at university never told me

The famous French political theorist and historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) who is known for his major work Democracy in America.

"In May 1847, noting that the 'Bey of Tunisia' had already abolished the 'odious institution' [of slavery]—which in Muslim countries, by the French liberal's admission, took a 'milder' form—de Tocqueville expressed the opinion that 'we should doubtless only proceed to the abolition of slavery with care and moderation'.

De Tocqueville seemed to be ready to accept a compromise even more favourable to the slaveholding South [of the U.S.]. 'As for the policy permitting slavery to develop in a whole portion of the territory where it was hitherto unknown, I will concede ... that one can do nothing but tolerate this existence in the special, current interests of the Union.' [A letter of 13 April 1857]

De Tocqueville was ready to sacrifice the cause of abolishing slavery to the objective of preserving the unity and stability of the United States."

Liberalism - A Counter History by Domenico Losurdo, Verso 2014, a book praised by the Financial Times as "a brilliant exercise in unmasking liberal pretentions."

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