Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 06 (of 20)Sumner, Charles
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Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 06 (of 20)
Sumner, Charles
Slavery -- United States; Speeches, addresses, etc., American
Among educational establishments are _public libraries_; and here,
again, the Free States have their customary eminence, whether we
consider libraries strictly called public, or libraries of the common
school, Sunday school, college, and church. The disclosures are
startling. The number of libraries in the Free States is 14,893, and
the sum-total of volumes is 3,883,617; the number of libraries in the
Slave States is 713, and the sum-total of volumes is 654,194: showing
an excess for Freedom of more than fourteen thousand libraries,
and more than three millions of volumes. In the Free States the
common-school libraries are 11,881, and contain 1,589,683 volumes;
in the Slave States they are 186, and contain 57,721 volumes. In the
Free States the Sunday-school libraries are 1,713, and contain 474,241
volumes; in the Slave States they are 275, and contain 68,080 volumes.
In the Free States the college libraries are 132, and contain 660,573
volumes; in the Slave States they are 79, and contain 249,248 volumes.
In the Free States the church libraries are 109, and contain 52,723
volumes; in the Slave States they are 21, and contain 5,627 volumes. In
the Free States the libraries strictly called public, and not included
under heads already enumerated, are 1,058, and contain 1,106,397
volumes; those of the Slave States are 152, and contain 273,518 volumes.
Turn these figures over, look at them in any light, and the conclusion
is irresistible for Freedom. The college libraries alone of the Free
States are greater than all the libraries of Slavery; so, also, are
the libraries of Massachusetts alone greater than all the libraries of
Slavery; and the common-school libraries alone of New York are more
than twice as large as all the libraries of Slavery. Michigan has
107,943 volumes in her libraries; Arkansas has 420; and yet the Acts
for the admission of these two States into the Union were passed on
the same day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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