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 increase among them. While they are a very great pest and heavy tax upon the community, it is at the same time most obvious that they themselves are infinitely the worse for the exchange from slavery to liberty, — if, indeed, their condition deserve that name.'" From this distressing statement, we may learn the important truth — which many in their zeal are apt to forget — that freedom alone, without the intelligence and the disposition, as well as the opportunity to use it properly, — may become rather a curse than a blessing And from the picture here presented,which is probably not a singular one, we may gather a very distinct view of the reason why, under Divine Providence, the state of slavery is permitted to exist, until such time as it can be removed, .without producing a still greater depth of moral evil than already exists in connection with the system. The reason why tyranny and despotism are permitted in the political world — the reason why the chains of the nations are not at once broken by the Divine power — is, without doubt,