Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 6.djvu/45

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THOUGHTS ON AMERICA.


published in the newspapers. Slavery "should lie at the feet of the Southern press with deathlike silence!"

While writing this address I receive intelligence of a slave woman recently whipped to death in Missouri. An incautious German, who had not been long enough in the country to become converted to " American Christianity," and so callous to such things, published an account of the transaction in a German newspaper. The murderers were not punished.

The following advertisement is taken from a newspaper published in Wilmington (North Carolina), in March, 1863. Nothing in Mrs. Stowe's work is so atrocious; for American fiction halts this side of the American fact:—

225 Dollars Reward.—State of North Carolina, New Hanover Connly.—Whereas, complaint upon oath has this day been made to ns, two of the Justices of the Peace for the State and connty aforesaid, by Benjamin Hallett, of the said county, that two certain male slaves belonging to him, named Lott, aged about twenty- two years, five feet four or five inches high, and black, formerly belonging to Lott Williams, of Onslow Co.; and Bob, aged about sixteen years, five feet high, and black, have absented themselves firom their said master's service, and supposed to be lurking about this county, committing acts of felony and other misdeeds. These are, therefore, in the name of the State aforesaid, to command the said slaves forthwith to return home to their masters ; and we do hereby, by virtue of the Act of the Greneral Assembly in such cases made and provided, intimate and declare, that if the said Lott and Bob do not return home and surrender themselves, any person may kill and destroy the said slaves, by such means as he or they may think of, without accusation or impeachment of any crime or offence for so doing, and with out incurring any penalty or forfeiture thereby.

Given under our hands and seals, this 28th day of February, 1853.

W. N. Peden, J. P. [seal.]
W. O. Bettencourt, J. P. [seal.]

225 Dollars Reward.—Two hundred dollars will be given for negro Lott, either dead or alive ; and twenty-five dollars for Bob's head, delivered to the subscriber in the town of Wilmington.

Benjamin Hillett,

March 2, 1853.

I will next proceed to show some of the effects of democracy at the North, and despotism at the South.

First notice the effect on the increase of population. In 1790, the entire population of the territory now occupied by the slave States was 1,961,372 exclusive of Indians; that of the free States was 1,968,455.

In 1850, with an addition of immense territories—Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico— the population of