Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker Slavery volume 5 .djvu/289

Rh New Mexico and Utah, extending slavery over 407,667 square miles,—a territory larger than fifty-three States of the size of Massachusetts; it paid Texas ten millions of money as a gift to slavery. That was the greatest step of all since slavery was inaugurated in the Constitution. It was the most insulting to the North; it was most revolting to our political ideas and the principles of our professed religion. You remember the stir, and tumult, and storm. You have not forgotten the promise that "agitation was to cease." In 1852, the Whigs decided to "discountenance" agitation; and the Democrats, being stronger and more audacious, declared that they would resist all attempts to renew the agitation on the question of slavery, in Congress or out, in whatsoever shape. That was the ninth great step.

In 1776, African slavery existed in all the thirteen States. In a few years it shrunk southward. In 1790, the end of Delaware in 40° was its northern Atlantic limit ; on the Mississippi, it fell away to less than 37°. Below the snaky line which separates Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky on the south, from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, on the north, east of the "Father of Waters," on the Atlantic slopes of the continent — the monster had scope and verge enough. North and west of these limits he dared not show his head. But in that year, America bought of Maryland and Virginia a field "ten miles square," as capital of the United States; in 1800, the seat of government was transferred from Philadelphia to the district of Columbia; in 1802, Congress re-enacted the slave codes of Virginia and Maryland, extending them over the capital of the nation. Behold, the Federal government of the sole Christian Republic of the world has its head-quarters on slave soil! Congress had gone South—ominous change! Since that day, no State has abolished slavery. It still exists in the six old States, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It has spread into Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, four new States in twenty years made out of the territory of the old States. It has been put anew into Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, Texas,—five new States made out of territory acquired for extending the area of slavery. It has been carried to Utah and New Mexico,—land plun-