Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 6.djvu/190

Rh free white persons, there were one hundred and five that could not spell Pierce. In New York there are 30,670—no more; so that, out of five hundred persons, there are six that cannot read and write. Virginia is advancing rapidly upon you in this respect. In 1840 she had only 68,787 adults that could not read and write ; now 28,596 more. So, you see, she is advancing.

Virginia has 87 newspapers; New York 428. The Virginia newspaper circulation is 89,000; New York newspaper circulation is 1,622,000. The Tribune—and I think it is the best paper there is in the world—has an aggregate circulation of 110,000; 20,000 more than all the newspapers of Virginia! Virginia prints every year 9,000,000 of copies of newspapers, all told. New York prints 116,000,000, The New York Tribune prints 16,000,000—more than the whole state of Virginia put together. Such is the state of things counted in the gross, but I think the New York quality is as much better as the quantity is more.

Virginia has 88,000 books in libraries not private. New York 1,760,000; a little more than twenty times as much. Virginia exports $3,600,000; New York $53,000,000. Virginia imports $426,000; New York $111,000,000. But in one article of export she is in advance of you—she sends to the man-markets of the South about $10,000,000 or $12,000,000 worth of her children every year; exports slaves! The value of all the property reel and personal in the State of Virginia, including slaves, is $430,701,882; of New York $1,080,000,000, without estimating the value of the men who own it. Virginia has got 472,528 slaves. I will estimate them at less than the market value—at $400 each; they come to $189,000,000. I subtract the value of the working people of Virginia, and she is worth not quite $242,000,000. Now, the State of New York might buy up all the property of Virginia, including the slaves, ana still have $649,000,000 left; might buy up all the real and personal property of Virginia, except the working-men, and have $838,000,000 left. The North appropriates the rivers, the mines, the harbours, the forests, fire and water—the South kidnaps men. Behold the commercial result.

Virginia is a great State—very great! You don't know