"Our object is the abolition of slavery _throughout the land_; and whether in the prosecution of our object this party goes up or the other party goes down, it is nothing to us. We cannot alter our course one hair's breadth, nor accept a compromise of our principles for the hearty adoption of our principles. I am for _meddling with slavery everywhere_--_attacking it by night and by day, in season and out of season_ (no, it can never be out of season)--in order to _effect its overthrow_. (Loud applause.) Higher yet will be my cry. Upward and onward! No union with slave-holders! Down with this slave-holding government! Let this 'covenant with death and agreement with hell' be annulled! _Let there be a free, independent, Northern republic_, and _the speedy abolition of slavery_ will inevitably follow! (Loud applause.) So I am laboring to dissolve this blood-stained Union as a work of paramount importance. Our mission is to regenerate public opinion." The Calhounites sought the dissolution of the Union in order that another Union might be formed _with_ slavery as its chief corner-stone. Inspired by this hope and misguided by the apparent sympathy of the North, Southern statesmen began _preparations to dissolve the Union of the United States_. During these years of agitation and discussion, although the foreign slave-trade had been suppressed, the slave population increased at a wonderful ratio. CENSUS OF 1830.--SLAVE POPULATION. District of Columbia 6,119 Delaware 3,292 Florida 15,501 Georgia 217,531 Illinois 747 Kentucky 165,213 Louisiana 109,588 Maryland 102,994 Alabama 117,549 Mississippi 65,659 Missouri 25,091 New Jersey 2,254 North Carolina 245,601 South Carolina 315,401 Tennessee 141,603 Virginia 469,757 Arkansas 4,576 --------- Aggregate 2,008,476 Now, this was the year the agitation movement began. Instead of the slave population decreasing during the first decade of anti-slavery discussion and work, it really increased 478,412![36] CENSUS OF 1840.--SLAVE POPULATION.