Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 6.djvu/238

Rh them. These men are not likely to prove false to their trust. They urge the people forward.

So much for the business. Now look at the business men.

I. Look first at the political part of the anti-Slavery forces.

1. There is the Republican party. That is a direct force for anti-Slavery; but, as the anti-Slavery idea and sentiment are not very wide-spread, the ablest members of the Republican party are forced to leave their special business as politicians, and go into the elementary work of the non-political reformers. Accordingly, Mr. Wilson stumped all Massachusetts last year,—yes, all the North ; not working for purpose purely political, but for a purpose purely anti-Slavery—to excite the anti-Slavery sentiment, to produce an anti-Slavery idea. And Mr. Sumner has had to do that work, even in our city of Boston. Yet New England is further advanced in anti-Slavery than any other part of America. The superiority of the Puritan stock shows itself everywhere; I mean its moral superiority. Look at this platform: how many persons here are of New England origin? If an anti-Slavery meeting was held at San Francisco or New Orleans, it would be still the same ; the platform would be Yankee. It is the foot of New England which stands on that platform. It is to tread Slavery down. But, notwithstanding New England is the most anti-Slavery portion of the whole land, these political men, whose business ought to be only to organize the anti-Slavery ideas, and give expression to anti-Slavery sentiments in the Senate, or House of Representatives, are forced to abandon that work from time to time, to go about amongst the people, and produce the anti-Slavery sentiment and idea itself. Let us not be very harsh in criticising these men, remembering that they are not so well supported behind as we could all wish they were.

This Republican party has some exceedingly able men. As a Massachusetts man, in. another State, I am not expected to say anything in praise of Mr. Sumner, or Mr. Wilson, or Mr. Banks. It would be hardly decorous for a Massachusetts man, out of his own State, to speak in praise of those men. And they need no praise from my