Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 6.djvu/279

266 money, the meanest intelligence, the wickedest cause, yet beat the larger, richer, more intelligent party, which had also justice on its side. There is now no time to explain this political paradox. Between 1787 and 1851, the regressive power, Slavery, took nine great steps towards absolute rule over the United States. These I have spoken of before. It now lifts its foot to take a tenth step,—to stamp bondage on all the territories of this Union, and then organize them into Slave States. Look at the facts.

We have now one million four hundred thousand square miles of territory not organized into States (1,400,934). Of this, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah make nine hundred and twenty-six thousand (926,857). Now,, to deliver it over to this regressive force, and establish therein such institutions that a few men shall at first own all the land; next, own the bulk of the working people; and, thirdly, shall control the rest of the whites; then themselves monopolize education, and yet get very little of it; repress freedom of speech, and enact laws for the advantage of the vulgarest of all oligarchies,—a band of men-stealers.

Let me suppose that there is no immediate danger that Slavery will go to Oregon or Washington territory,—rather a gratuitous admission: there are still land to plant it on; that is, about one-third of all the country which the United States own! the South is endeavouring to establish it there. Within three years the great battle is to be fought; for, before the 4th of March, 1859, all that territory of fourteen hundred thousand square miles will be either free territory or else slave territory.

The battle is first for Kansas. Shall it be free, as the majority of its own inhabitants have voted; or slave, as the Federal Government and the slave power—the general regressive force of America—have determined by violence to make it? This is the question. Shall the nine hundred and twenty-six thoiisand miles of territory belong to three hundred and fifty thousand slave-holders, or to the whole