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Show 10 on account of freedom; and that latter investment would pay much larger dividends when it got fairly to its work. Then, too, the attempt has been n1ade to show that it was bad Policy: bondage would not breed a stalwart, noble set of men; for the slave contaminated the master, and the master's neighbor not the less. It has been shown, likewise, that slavery injured Educa-tion · and while in Massachusetts, out of four hundred nativ' e white men, there is but one who cannot read the Bible in Virainia, out of nine white native adults born of ' b "the first families" (they having none others except "black people"), there is always one who cannot read his own name. All kinds of schemes, too, have been proposed to end this wickedness of slavery. There has been a most multifarious discussion of the idea; for, after we have the right sentiment, it is difficult to get the intellectual work done, done well, in the best way. It takes a large-minded man, with great experience, to cipher out all this intellectual work, and show how we can get rid of slavery, and what is to take its place, and how the thing is to be done. Accordingly, very various schemes are proposed. Now, the idea which has been attained to, the antislavery idea reached by the ablest men, is embodied in these two propositions: first, No SLAVERY ANYWHERE IN AMERICA; second, No SLAVERY ANYWHERE oN EARTH. That is the topmost idea. There has been an opposite work going on. First, an attempt "to crush out" the Sentiment of Humanity from all mankind. That was the idea of a very distinguished son of Massachusetts. He said ''it must be crushed out." Second, to put down the Idea of Freedom. That has been attempted, not only by political officers, but also by a great many other men. It is not to be denied, that throughout the South, in the controlling classes of society, the senti- 11 ment and idea of freedom are much less widely spread than twenty years ago. 'rhe South has grown despotic, while the North becomes n1ore humane. III. The third thing is to do the Deed. After the sentiment is right, and the idea right, organization must be attended to. But the greatest and most difficult work is to get the heart right and the head right; for, when these are in a proper condition, the hand obeys the two, and accomplishes its work. Still it is a difficult rnatter to organize freedom. It will require great talent and experience; for, as it takes a master mind to organize thought into matter, and to make a Sharp's rifle or a sewing-machine, so it requires a great deal more mind to organize an idea into political institutions, and establish a State where the antislavery Sentiment shall blossom into an Idea, and the idea grow into a national Fact, a State where Law and Order secure to each man his natural and unalienable Rights. In the individual Northern States, a good deal j has been done in five and twenty years to organize the idea of freedom for white men, a little also for colored men; for the feeling and thought must lead to action. But in the Federal Government the movement has been continually the other way. Two things are plain in the conduct of Congress: (1.) Acts to spread and strengthen African slavery; (2.) Subsidiary acts to oppress the several Northern States which love freedom, and to "crush out" individual men who love freedom. Slavery centralizes power, and destroys local self-government. Something has been done in the Northern States in respect to awakening the sentiment and communicating the idea ; but there has nothing been done as yet in the Federal Congress towards accomplishing the work. I mean to say for the last seventy years Congress has not taken one single step towards abolishing slavery, or rnaking,the anti- .. |