and modern; if God himself and the hosts of learned ministers whom he has commissioned to proclaim his word-if all these are wrong, then we are wrong; on the other hand, however, if they are right, we are right; for, in effect, we only repeat and endeavor to enforce their precepts. If we are in error, we desire to be corrected; and, if it is not asking too much, we respectfully request the advocates of slavery to favor us with an exposé of what they, in their one-sided view of things, conceive to be the advantages of their favorite and peculiar institution. Such an exposé, if skillfully executed, would doubtless be regarded as the funniest novel of the times-a fit production, if not too immoral in its tendencies, to be incorporated into the next edition of D'Israeli's curiosities of literature. CHAPTER VIII. FREE FIGURES AND SLAVE. UNDER this heading we propose to introduce the remainder of the more important statistics of the Free and of the Slave States ;-especially those that relate to Commerce, Manufactures, Internal Improvements, Education and Religion. Originally it was our intention to devote a separate chapter to each of the industrial and moral interests above-named: but other considerations have so greatly encroached on our space, that we are compelled to modify our design. To the thoughtful and discriminating reader, however, the chief statistics which follow will be none the less interesting for not being the subjects of annotations. At present, all we ask of pro-slavery men, no matter in what part of the world they may reside, is to look these figures fairly in the face. We wish them to do it, in the first instance, not on the platforms of public debate, where the exercise of eloquence is too often characterized by violent passion and subterfuge, but in their own private apartments, where no eye save that of the All-seeing One will rest upon them, and where, in considering the rela tions which they sustain to the past, the present, and the future, an opportunity will be afforded them of securing that most valuable of all possessions attainable on earth, a conscience void of offence toward God and man. Each separate table or particular compilation of statisics will afford food for at least an hour's profitable reflection; indeed, the more these figures are studied, and the better they are understood, the sooner will the author's object be accomplished,-the sooner will the genius of Universal Liberty di pel the dark clouds of slavery |