By necessary consequence, the latter, whether emigrating from our Free States or fleeing from oppression and wretchedness in his European home, avoids a region disabled by such a social law.

Hence a twofold injustice: practically he is excluded from the land, while the land itself becomes a prey to that paralysis which is caused by a violation of the laws of God.

But Slavery plays the part of a Harpy, and defiles the choicest banquet.

These results are general; but if we take any particular Slave State, and compare it with a Free State, we shall find the same marked evidence for Freedom.

But Freedom is better than climate, river, or seaport.

As in population, so also in the value of property, real and personal, do the Free States excel the Slave States.

The monopoly of cotton, rice, and cane-sugar, with a climate granting two and sometimes three crops in the year, is thus impotent in competition with Freedom.

In manufactures, mining, and the mechanic arts the failure of the Slave States is greater still.

The foreign commerce of New York alone was more than twice as large as that of all the Slave States; her imports were larger, and her exports were larger also.

There are not half a dozen vessels engaged in our own trade that are owned in Virginia; and I have been unable to find a vessel at Liverpool loading for Virginia within three years, during the height of our busy season.

Railroads and canals are the avenues of commerce; and here again the Free States excel.

The Post-Office, which is the agent not only of commerce, but of civilization, joins in the uniform testimony.

Massachusetts, besides paying for hers, had a surplus larger by one half than the whole amount collected in South Carolina.

The amount contributed for Missions by Massachusetts was greater than that contributed by all the Slave States, and more than eight times that contributed by South Carolina.

In all this array we see the fatal influence of Slavery.

But its Barbarism is yet more conspicuous, when we consider its Educational Establishments, and the unhappy results naturally ensuing from their imperfect character.

In the law schools of the Slave States the number of students is only 240, this being the sum-total of public students in the land of Slavery devoted to that profession which is the favorite stepping-stone to political life, where…

In the absence of public schools, to a large extent, where Slavery exists, the dependence must be upon private schools; and yet even here the Slave States fall below the Free States, whether we consider the number of schools, the number of…

In public schools, open to all, poor and rich alike, the preëminence of the Free States is complete.

Here the figures show a difference as wide as that between Freedom and Slavery.

Even these figures do not disclose the whole difference; for there exist in the Free States teachers’ institutes, normal schools, lyceums, and public courses of lectures, unknown in the region of Slavery.

These advantages are enjoyed by the children of colored persons; and here is a comparison which shows the degradation of the Slave States.

Turn these figures over, look at them in any light, and the conclusion is irresistible for Freedom.

The college libraries alone of the Free States are greater than all the libraries of Slavery; so, also, are the libraries of Massachusetts alone greater than all the libraries of Slavery; and the common-school libraries alone of New York…

Let us at all hazards prevent the extension of Slavery and the increase of the Slave Power.