He was simply a man of his time, Dave.
We tend to look at these guys with the different morality of today's eyes.
The fact that he was in a position to give the northerners an abolishionist gift, yet better his lot, really just means he was a damn motivated businessman with a sensible head.
Were he from further south, there's no way he'd consider such a thing as giving up slave trade.
He could make that concession because of his proximity to the northern economy he served.
In short, he was certainly not a bad guy, and should be admired.
