Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 6.djvu/166

Rh I.—The acquisition of Dominion—and then all Hayti—as new slave territory.

II.—The acquisition of Cuba, by purchase, or else by private fillibustering and public war,—as new slave territory.

III.—The re-establishment of Slavery in all the free States, by judicial "decision" or legislative enactment. Then the master of the North may "sit down with his slaves at the foot of Bunker Hill monument!" IV. The restoration of the African Slave-Trade, which is already seriously proposed and defended in the Southern journals. Nay, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations recommend the first step towards it—the withdrawal of our fleet from the coast of Africa. You cannot escape the consequence of your first principle: if Slavery is right, then the Slave-Trade is right; the traffic between Guinea and New Orleans is no worse than between Virginia and New Orleans; it is no worse to kidnap in Timbuctoo than in Boston.

V. A yet further quarrel must be sought with Mexico, and more slave territory be stolen from her.

Who shall oppose this five-fold wickedness? The Fugitive Slave Bill party;—the Nebraska Enslavement party? Northern servility has hitherto been ready to grant more than Southern arrogance dared to demand! All this looks as if the third hypothesis would be fulfilled, and Slavery triumph over Freedom; as if the nation would expunge the Dechiration of Independence from the scroll of Time, and, instead of honouring Hancock and the Adamses and "Washington, do homage to Kane and Grier and Curtis and Hallett and Loring. Then the preamble to our Constitution might read—to establish injustice, insure domestic strife, hinder the common defence, disturb the general welfare, and inflict the curse of bondage on ourselves and our posterity." Then we shall honour the Puritans no more, but their prelatical tormentors; nor reverence the great Reformers, only the inquisitors of Rome. Yea, we may tear the name of Jesus out of the American Bible; yes, God's name; worship the devil at our Lord's table, Iscariot for Redeemer!

See the steady triumph of despotism! Ten years more,