Christopher DickeyCritiques

Well researched and a different side of the civil war that we usually read about.

1/25/23

I received this book as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers and it has taken me this long to finally finish reading the book.

This book is not novelized in the slightest bit. It quotes or summarizes what the various characters wrote in letters, diaries, official documents, and any other scraps of paper that the author could find in chronological order with as many supporting details as could possibly be found.

The reason why it took so long for me to read is that it is a slog going through many details that I found tedious. It reads like an omniscient diary for the main character and all of his interactions with other people in regard to slavery and The War of Southern Rebellion. The overall subject matter is interesting but the details were more than I needed.

The middle of the book was the least attention-grabbing, but once I got over that hurdle of the middle, either my ADD got better or the book was more interesting than other things.

This is very good scholarship and excellently researched, but not destined to be a pop history bestseller.

Here's a direct quote from William Howard Russell as found in the book:
"Assaulted by reason, by logic, argument, philanthropy, progress directed against his peculiar institutions, the Southerner at last is driven to a fanaticism--a sacred faith which is above all reason or logical attack in the propriety, righteousness, and divinity of slavery." The more things change, the more they stay the same, and my former father-in-law is still promoting slavery as a very good institution that was beneficial for the enslaved and there is no Bible verse nor historical evidence that can possibly change his fanatical mind, and he is a pastor.

In 1853, Robert Bunch became Britain's consul in Charleston, South Carolina. Bunch himself was fervently anti-slavery, and Britain opposed the resumption of the African slave trade. The consul, though, had to walk a fine line. He needed to work for Britain's interests in protecting their black seamen, and, as secession and war loomed, keep his country abreast of the situation. To do that, he presented an image that led Charlestonians to believe that he was sympathetic to their cause.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The confederate states very much wanted Britain on their side, and believed that Britain's interest in importing southern cotton for their textile mills would achieve that. But that was not Britain's only concern. Bunch made sure that his government knew that the Confederacy, despite a clause in its constitution, was most likely to resume the importation of slaves from Africa. As a result, Britain would not become an ally.

This is a very interesting account of the run-up to the American Civil War, but also a good look at what diplomacy was like at this particular time. Dickey's extensive research included access to Bunch's official and private correspondence. Very much recommended.

This excellent book presents a look at the challenges faced by Great Britain as she attempted to police the slave trade in the immediate period before and during the American Civil War. The story is presented through the diary of the central figure, Robert Bunch, Her Britannic Majesty's consul in Charleston, South Carolina.

I really enjoyed this book. It provided a good look at the politics at the beginning of the Civil War.½

This was a wonderful Librarything giveaway. I didn't realize that South Carolina had attempted to secede in the 1830s and Andrew Jackson called Senator Calhoun's bluff and put a stop to it. Enter Robert Bunch in 1853, the British Consul in Charleston, South Carolina, who has been instructed by the Crown to do something about the Negro Seamen's Act, whereby a free black seaman arriving on a foreign vessel is taken from said vessel and thrown into jail for fear that his freedom might infect the "docile" slaves. Bunch witnessed the rising fever of secession from 1853 onwards and said, They will awake from their delusion to find the Party broken up and the whole power of the Country thrown into the hands of the 'Republicans.' When this shall happen, the days of Slavery are numbered. It may still exist in that comparatively narrow strip of territory in which a pestilential climate renders black labor necessary, but the prestige and power of Slaveholders will be gone, never to return." In 1861 he noted, "that Lincoln did not propose abolition, and the South nonetheless did want secession." At the same time that the South was agitating for secession it was also attempting to pick a fight with Britain over slavery while expecting them to continue to purchase cotton when the South seceded. A very interesting book about a little-known very perceptive individual who reported the evolving situation in the South from his base in Charleston.

Title: Our Man in Charleston (Britain’s Secret Agent in the Civil War South)
Author: Charles Dickey
Pages: 400
Year: 2015
Publisher: Crown
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
The Civil War is just one historical event that continues to fascinate me as a reader. The author does a magnificent job of detailing the ins and outs of what occurred in our nation at a time when chaos reigned. I am continuously learning so much about what was going on at a time when many people even knew where their next meal was coming from.
The author packs so much information into his book that it really causes the reader to become engrossed with the intrigue that happened off the battlefield. As I read I was humbled as I learned of events that never entered my thinking before. Of course, today many people are even on a higher alert for those who are observing them or interested in what their activities may be.
What the author shares never before entered my mind as a possibility at a time we look back on as perhaps being centered on the battlefield. Some of the nefarious transactions weren’t easy to read such as the way some viewed lives as of little to no value, no caring what happened to them even when separating loved ones.
There are some real historical figures readers will learn about who were brave and worked diligently behind the scenes to improve life for all. The nonfictional book is one that lovers of history will want on their shelves to share with others for generations. Here is a great book that will make a great gift for the lover of history, the Civil War or secret agents!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I’m not sure that this book will rate as highly with fiction readers as it does with me and other lovers of anything related to the American Civil War. For one thing, it’s title is disingenuous as the subject of the book, Robert Bunch, lived and worked quite openly as Her Majesty’s royal consul in Charleston, South Carolina for the decade leading up to that state’s secession from the union. He didn’t wear a tuxedo or play baccarat while drinking vodka martinis (shaken, not stirred), and he did not, or at least the book doesn’t tell of, frequently bed beautiful enemy agents. If he did anything in secret it was to assiduously hide from his hosts how passionately he detested slavery and anyone who actively defended that ‘peculiar institution’ that lay at the heart of the South’s agrarian economy. If he was to accomplish anything in his position he had to keep a smile on his face and convince everyone with any influence that he was, if not in agreement with their views, at least not opposed to them.

What he did do was perform his job diligently, keeping his government apprised of all that was happening in Charleston, the hotbed of the secessionist movement, and defending the rights of British subjects, including black ones, who had fallen afoul of South Carolina laws. One such law, the first Negro Seaman Act (1822), ordered county sheriffs to arrest and detain all black seamen, regardless of nationality, until their ships were ready to leave harbor. The ships’ captains would then be charged the cost of incarceration. In the event that a ship’s captain could not or would not pay the required amount, he could be fined and imprisoned while the black sailors aboard his vessel would be “deemed and taken as absolute slaves, and sold.”

Once the war broke out his job became vastly more complicated. How does one interact with a state that believes it is independent of the country that you have diplomatic relations with when that government denies that the schism has taken place yet at the same time is blockading the port of what it claims to be one of its own cities? Bunch’s greatest coup was a plan of hers that essentially tricked both sides of the conflict into agreeing to the provisions of a multinational treaty that neither side had signed.

I particularly enjoyed this book because it provided a solid understanding of Great Britain’s role in the American Civil War and its negotiations with both sides. It also provided a semi-neutral ringside view of life in Charleston during the days leading up to the war.

Dickey’s book also included a special treat in a story that I had not previously heard. My family is currently watching the PBS series ‘Victoria’ and have become fascinated with the character of Prince Albert. It turns out that one of the royal consort’s final official acts was to save the Union. When the American ship San Jacinto stopped the British steamer Trent at sea and seized two Confederate diplomates. This so enraged the English government that they prepared an ultimatum so harsh and inflexible that, had it been sent, the result would almost certainly have been war between the United States and England, thereby all but guaranteeing a successful conclusion to the South’s secession. Fortunately, the crown had the authority to review any such diplomatic correspondence and Albert, with his strong appreciation of human rights, realized that the result of such a letter would almost certainly be ‘the continuation of slavery for generations to come’ and ordered that the language be softened, allowing President Lincoln to claim that the San Vincente’s captain acted independently. This Lincoln did and war was averted. When Albert reviewed the letter, he was suffering from the first symptoms of the cholera that would claim his life a few days later.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book. It provided a lot of valuable background information that increased my understanding of the times and the people who lived them. Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

I've read quite a bit on the Civil War but had never heard of the forgotten man, Robert Bunch, Great Britain's Consul in Charleston, SC during the pre-war and war years. Despite his abhorrence of slavery, Bunch cultivated contacts among the pro-slavery crowd and offered honest, perceptive dispatches to his superiors both in Washington and in London of events, people, and his perceptions, even in the face of rising danger as passions grew as the war approached.

One of the cover blurbs said something about this being a "beach read." When I first saw that, I was doubtful, though, in the end, I would agree. It's not quite a page turner but it's close. A fascinating look at pre-war and wartime Charleston. Quite possibly the best ER book I've ever won.

Highly recommended!!

This story, based on primary source documents, provides a valuable picture of the local politics involved with the start of the Civil War. Bunch was a consul for the British government, assigned to Charleston, South Carolina. He was able to successfully hide his personal feelings about the slave trade and report from up close and personal to London and Washington DC. He knew the personalities and he was privy to the less public stances of secessionists. He also was a witness to the first battle at Fort Sumter.
The writing, pacing and organization of the material are well done.

I am a little torn on how to rate this book. I read several reviews of it beforehand and was excited to read a fast-paced spy thriller, but that is really not what I got at all. However, I thought it was a fasincating look at secessionists, slaveholders, slave trade advocates, and Britain's role in the U.S. Civil War. I also thought its parallels to modern politics were uncanny, if not altogether terrifying, so it is absolutely a worthwhile read.

Re: my first point, this book is not about a true British intelligence officer. Robert Bunch was the British consul in Charleston, and held that post more or less officially (his privileges were withdrawn by the union about a year before he left the country) for many years. It is true that he was working tirelessly to inform his superiors of the secessionists' views on slavery and their increasing interest in officially reopening the Middle Passage while simultaneously trying not to reveal his opinions on the matter. In the beginning, withholding his opinions was primarily for diplomatic reasons; that is, it was easier for him to do his job if he was perceived as friendly to the cause. As secession loomed, however, withholding his opinion did become a matter of personal safety, and he started to write his letters to Britain in code. It was definitely fascinating to read, but I did not necessarily find that storyline to be the gripping spy drama I was expecting from the reviews. Bunch did his job so well, in fact, that when he finally left for Britain, the Charlestonians firmly believed he was on their side, and the real threats to his job (but not necessarily his safety) ended up being from northerners convinced of his secessionist sympathies.

What I found to be most interesting about this book were the details of the secessionists' obsession with slavery and the reopening of the Middle Passage. I knew some of this going into the book, but Bunch's perspective is unique, and he was one of the few British consuls in the Confederate states who was regularly sounding the alarm on this topic. Furthermore, I found that some of the rhetoric used by pro-slavery secessionists has some striking parallels to that of some modern politicians. The justifications for slavery and the fears of a slave uprising are not totally unlike modern justifications for mass incarceration or fears of foreigners or racial minorities. For this reason alone, the book is a five-star read.

Again, if you are looking for a real spy thriller, this is probably not your book. There are better nonfiction books that will really have you on the edge of your seat, if that is what you want. If you are looking for a thought-provoking book that offers a new perspective on the south from an outsider pretending to be an insider, then this is exactly what you need.

This starts out in the middle of the turmoil just before the Civil War.

Robert Bunch, British Counsel in Charleston, is on the front lines, watching the U.S. slide into war. As a diplomat, he had to hold back his own feelings about slavery (hated it) in the midst of an entire system that lived by it.

The "secret agent" part of this book may be overdone. As a diplomat, he watched, listened and reported back. It's what diplomats do. Very little subterfuge, other than pretending he wasn't against slavery, just so he could get closer to those who were.

We see event after event in the buildup from his point of view. And you know what? I kept waiting for something big to happen.

No stealthy escapes from authorities, no sneaking slaves over to the North, no sabotage of Confederate plans or materiel. Maybe I wouldn't have been waiting for them if the title was a little more reserved.

It's a good book but not the best I've read either about the war or spies.

I received this book for review.

Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks.

Our Man in Charleston is a useful and pertinent addition to recent books dealing with the Civil War and its underlying causes. I recently had read The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism, and prior to that, A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War. This book basically focuses on the intersection of the two stories, and “focuses” is the key word, as it zeroes in on that time period when the tensions between North and South were rising to the boiling point which erupted at Fort Sumter. The British consul, Robert Bunch, who is the main protagonist of the story, is representing his country’s interests in the South, and his actions as revealed in his correspondence and official documents make up the bulk of the story, as it unfolds chronologically. However, this is not a dry history of events. It is enriched and brought alive by the author’s adept descriptions of all the key players, their personalities, histories, inclinations, and biases. It is almost like watching an absorbing historical dramatic movie, but is all the more impactful since you know it all actually happened. And the fact that Britain was a key player in the balance of power between the North and the South makes the action exceedingly important. Bunch was trying to advance the British interests while remaining diplomatic and even avoiding the very real danger of being found out as anti-slavery during a very volatile period in the city, which was the flashpoint of the war. We may know the outcome of what eventually happened, but it does not take away from the suspense found in this story. A final note on format – the author includes two very beneficial items: One, he includes photos of all the principal characters in the story, enabling you to see the people he is talking about. Two, he provides a clear map of the Charleston area, so that when he describes the key actions in the city, you can understand what is going on, such as the key positions of the Northern and Southern forces competing for the control of the area.

How interesting to read about spies from other countries infiltrating the Southern United States during the Civil War. Great character study of those involved from the North, South and England.

Interesting account of the American Civil War, sectional differences, and the slavery issue from a British point of view from the years 1853-1863. Robert Bunch, the British consul in Charleston, South Carolina, was involved in documenting his interpretation of the secession movement in the south leading up to the war for the British government in England. The first part, and larger part, deals with the events and subjects leading up to the secession of South Carolina. During this period, Robert Bunch had to deal with issues such as protecting black British seamen, either military or civilian, who were sometimes arrested in Charleston and imprisoned or eventually sold into slavery. Also, during this period leading up to the war, occasional slave trading from Africa, although outlawed, continued, The British were often stymied in their patrols off the coast of Africa by not being allowed to stop and board American ships for inspection, and if found to be slavers, impoundment and confiscation. This same issue led to the conflict with Britain during the War of 1812, and the situation was reversed later when an American warship stopped and boarded a British ship and removed two Confederate diplomats on their way to France and England during "The Trent Affair".
Surprisingly, Christopher Dickey does not spend more time discussing this event, which came to a point where the US and Britain were coming close to war over several issues. Also, the fact that Britain embargoed transshipment of nitrates to the US which would have cut off their supply of gunpowder was not mentioned, although this was probably more than anything else responsible for the US to back down. However, this is not the sort of thing discussed in diplomatic correspondence or American consular archives, so the impact to American military logistics is not obvious.
The account is also interspersed with the writings of the Times reporter, William H. Russell, who was unwillingly sent to the US to cover the war and report on his southern travels. Some other shady characters appear momentarily, then disappear again, without much discussion.
The strongest parts of the book deal with the discussion of slavery in the decade before the war commenced, and the politics leading up to the division of the Democratic Party and their Charleston nominating convention in 1860. The revival of American participation in the African slave trade was well expressed, and the impact on recognition of the Confederacy by Britain and France well explored.
The weakest parts of the book deal with the events and issues after the war was declared and Fort Sumter was fired upon.
A good overview of American-British diplomatic relations in the 1850s-1860s, and the relations between the Confederacy and American-British relations are well explored, often from unpublished letters and accounts.
Recommended for larger Civil War collections or international affairs subject areas.

5407. Our Man in Charleston Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South, by Christopher Dickey (read 18 Sep 2016) This is a superbly researched account of the British consul in Charleston, SC, in the time just before the Civil War and extending into the time of the Civil War by the author of the memorable Summer of Deliverance which I read 25 Apr 1999, Said consul, Robert Bunch, was appalled by the attitude of the people of Charleston toward slavery and the Union, but kept his feelings to himself and he sought to advance Britain's opposition to the slave trade and slavery. With considerable risk to himself and his family, he reported to his superiors accurately so as to be sure that Britain did not side with the Confederacy in the war. This may not sound like the most exciting thing about the war but it is handled very well and I found mysslf consistently interested in the well-told account. The source notes are informative and convince one that a superlative job of research has been done. (I obtained my copy of the book through Early Reviewers.

A pretty good non-fiction book about a British diplomat and his attempts to stop his country from siding with the South during the American Civil War. Interesting, accessible, but felt somewhat non-comprehensive at times and I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe because the diplomat himself disappears for long periods of the narrative?

Winning this book giveaway came at a fantastic time. My interest in how the American Civil War was viewed by or impacted the international community started to really grow just a few months before winning this puppy on LibraryThing. And what a find! Despite a hiccup in the beginning portion, this book proved to be both informative and engaging.

An English diplomat caught between two sides of a brewing civil war is a new story, for sure. Seeing the deteriorating stability of a nation through his unique eyes gives the Civil War a new angle. The author explores in devastating detail a society in freefall as the drums of war rumble louder and louder. Bunch had to do a balancing act unlike many others to serve his country and cause, all the while protecting his very life and family.

The sheer amount of information in here was fascinating. I had no idea that the Union and Britain came SO close to blows and war. Such a knife edge… Thanks to calm heads, that potential conflict was averted, despite the efforts of hotheads and war hawks.

I gotta give props for how the author chose to present his material. It’s not just a conglomeration of facts and figures thrown into paragraphs and then released. Primary source quotes are interwoven with the author’s writing instead of being inserted in block quotes. Also, the time and care given to description and scene-setting also gives this book a fictional feel to it, in that it’s easier to read for your casual history fan. For this person who fits that descriptor, everything worked perfectly in this regard.

At times, the balance of the narrative seemed a bit off. A ton of time was spent on the years leading up to the war; once the war hit, the book was actually starting to wind down already. I can see why this balance was struck as a lot of what happened in Bunch’s tale was during that time frame. Yet, there were times in the first half that I got a bit bored.

Despite this, this is a rock solid work on the subject, especially as there isn’t much on the international take on the Civil War out there. Bunch’s tale alone makes the book read worthy. I loved getting to know him and his situation. Yet, there’s so much more here. If you’re curious about this subject at all, definitely give this book a look!

Note: Book received for free from publisher via giveaway on LibraryThing in exchange for an hones review.

Our Man in Charleston: Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South has been in print for a while and numerous reviews have been written. I will add only a few observations.

1. The story of Robert Bunch's undercover efforts on behalf of the British crown in the Confederate South is largely unknown so this is a book that needed to be written.

2. Author Christopher Dickey has done a decent, but not outstanding, job in writing Bunch's story. There are sections of the book where the back-cover blurb "A spicy beach read, chock-full of memorable characters and intrigue" might even be justified. But, frankly, intermingled with the good parts are long examples of writing so pedantic that it is a struggle to stay interested and plod through to the next chapter.

3. To his credit Robert Bunch was a man who despised the institution of slavery. He was also a highly ambitious foreign service officer who wanted to achieve greater things in his career. The long-time consul in Charleston possessed the craftiness and deceptiveness needed to keep his South Carolina contacts and supposed friends in the dark about his convictions and activities. Since this account of Bunch's career comes largely from several large correspondence collections archived in England, Dickey has to trust that the way Bunch reported his activities to his superiors at the British Embassy in Washington and in London are accurate. Readers need to keep in mind that these letters were written by an ambitious bureaucrat who was known to be skilled at misrepresenting the truth. The author acknowledges that, on numerous occasions, the foreign office did not put much stock in Bunch's recommendations. All that combines to create a significant credibility problem. How much confidence can readers have that the significant role claimed for Bunch in this book is justified? Ultimately, we are left to trust the author's judgment.

This book is recommended for anyone interested in Civil War history and especially for those interested in gaining better insight into Confederate efforts to gain diplomatic recognition from Great Britain.

Christopher Dickey's recounting of the impact of the slave trade on the foreign relations between the US and Great Britain reads like a spy novel. He methodically portrays the twists and turns of foreign policy devised by the British consul in Charleston, Robert Bunch, a singular figure in US-British history. The way that Bunch continuously played the role of a cool and collected supporter of the Southern cause while undermining the chances of receiving recognition by the British government of the Confederacy is a masterclass in diplomacy. A fantastic account of British perspective of the American Civil War.

This is a story of utter hatred for the South and anything Southern. Written on the accounts of a man who so despised the south his entire purpose was to disrupt southern society. Complete trash and not worth the paper it's printed on! Deo Vindice!

I was surprised by what a quick, thoroughly engaging read this was. A book about a British diplomat’s intelligence dispatches to his superiors in London during the years leading up to and including the beginning of the Civil War might not be expected to draw one in and keep the pages turning. However, I read it in just two days.

The story of British consul Robert Bunch and his maneuverings in South Carolina’s society as he initially sought to overturn an egregious law impacting black British sailors, and then later to influence British policy towards the Confederacy is an important piece of history. He was fiercely opposed to slavery, but was careful to remain friendly with his Southern contacts and use his position to best achieve Britain’s aims of preventing a resumption of the African slave trade, and also to deny a Southern victory that would have perpetuated the “slaveocracy.” He carefully reported on the rising price and value of slaves and the conditions, including western expansion, that pointed toward a resumption of the importation of African slaves. Though Britain’s factories received most of their cotton from America’s fields, Bunch urged his government to look elsewhere for a supply and influenced officials’ decisions about whether to cede to Southern pressure to recognize the Confederacy in exchange for shipments of the South’s cotton to Britain’s textile mills. An alliance with Britain was greatly needed for the South to win and Bunch’s letters to Clarendon, Palmerston, and others in London helped shape the course of history. This book makes clear the role of Britain in America’s Civil War. Something that is often overlooked or only briefly addressed. Worth reading!

Mr. Dickey is a journalist based in Europe who has written an illuminating account of the American career of Robert Bunch, the British consul in Charleston in the years leading up to the Civil War and the first two years of the war. Using archival materials such as the official correspondence with the Foreign Office and Bunch’s private letters to the British ambassador to Washington, Dickey shows how Bunch ingratiated himself with the social elite of Charleston as he gathered information about matters important to the Crown—especially the nature of slavery and attempts to revive the African slave trade.

Bunch’s letters clearly show that he anticipated the breakup of the Union and the temporary triumph of the “fire eaters”, the radical secessionists that drove the dissolution of the Democratic Party and of the Union. One of Bunch’s most important contributions was his analysis of the anti-African slave trade clause in the Confederate constitution. He argued that the clause was an unenforceable sham. His argument was important for keeping Britain from siding with the South in 1862.

Well written and well researched, this book is an entertaining and enlightening view of the American Civil War from the viewpoint of a crucial British diplomat in Charleston.

By 1833 Great Britain had eliminated slavery in its entire empire. Yet, despite it’s hostility towards the institution it remained largely neutral during the American Civil War but at times inching towards recognition of the Southern Confederacy. One man, maybe more than others, appears to be responsible for its decision not to recognize the South – Robert Bunch, the British consul in Charleston leading up to the first shots at Fort Sumter. “Our Man in Charleston” recounts Bunch’s story and his record of advising the Foreign Office of the South’s continued efforts to maintain the African slave trade long after it had been abolished in the U.S. While Britain needed the cotton to keep its mills operating the failure of the South to ensure it would eliminate the slave trade kept the English out of the war (although it apparently did supply weapons to both sides). Bunch also led a secret mission to Jefferson Davis which had repercussions to his career during the Civil War. Although he managed to secure the friendship and support of the Charleston elite prior to the outbreak, his distaste for slavery led him a path of subterfuge in his day-to-day dealings. The book is subtitled “Britain’s Secret Agent in the Civil War South.” This may be an overreach. He was reporting, sometimes in ciphered code, of the attitudes of the slavers, but hardly what we were term cloak and dagger spying. Still, this is an interesting book – not just about one man – but about the South’s efforts to keep the slave trade alive and the reluctance of some, including the future king, to reward the South for this abomination.