“I would rather not sell him,” said Mr. Shelby, thoughtfully; “the fact is, sir, I’m a humane man, and I hate to take the boy from his mother, sir.”
This line shows Mr. Shelby being apprehensive about selling a child, especially as it'd mean being taken away from his mother. Children being separated from their mothers during slavery was common.
“I don’t want to make my fortune on her,” said Mr. Shelby, dryly; and, seeking to turn the conversation, he uncorked a bottle of fresh wine, and asked his companion’s opinion of it.
This line reflects a conversation between Mr. Shelby and the trader on which slave to buy– as Mr. Shelby declined an offer due to not deeming the woman as "worth it".
‘I trust you, because I think you’re a Christian—I know you wouldn’t cheat.’
This line reflects how most people associated someone's reliability with how "Christian" they were. This lends value.
The writer of this Narrative was hired by his master to a “soul-driver,” and has witnessed all the horrors of the traffic, from the buying up of human cattle in the slave-breeding States
To expand, a "soul-driver" refers to those that traffic or trade those who are enslaved for sale. This reflects the master being further disconnected.
Few persons have had greater facilities for becoming acquainted with slavery
This explains that in this time period, it was looked down upon to help those that were enslaved. It equates help on the matter to essentially being a "huge sin".
I trust and believe that your Narrative will have a wide circulation. I am sure it deserves it.
Edmund Quincy is clear to be working closely with the anti-slavery movement, where he is wanting their stories to be heard.