, four times the extent of 1850. In 1850 only one line
of railroad connected the Atlantic with the Mississippi. Now, of the
eight great railroad and canal routes connecting the sea coast with this
valley, six run through the Free States; transportation on these avenues
costs but one tenth the old methods. Governor Letcher declares the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has 'abolitionized' Northern and Western
Virginia, and the Southern rebellion has been especially savage on
railroads. Whoever would understand one secret of the consolidation of
the people should study the railroad map of the Northern States, and
contrast it with the South. It was a fine tribute to the value of the
railroad that the first use the people made of their new political
supremacy in 1860 was to pass the bill for connecting the Atlantic and
Pacific by the iron rail and the telegraphic wire.

This vast advancement in free labor, from 1820 to 1850, was fitly closed
in 1850 by the annexation of California to the roll of the Free States,
securing to liberty the gold mines and the Pacific coast. It is
impossible to comprehend all the consequences of this step. It was the
decisive industrial triumph of the people over the slave aristocracy.
The Slave Power went mad over the defeat, _and for the last ten years
has virtually abandoned the rivalry of industries, and turned to
violence_, breaking of compromises, forcible seizure of the ballot box,
repudiation of debts, stealing of arms, and finally cruel war, as if
lying and robbing, in the long run, could upset free and honest
industry. After the loss of California and the Pacific coast, the
struggle for the Territories was but a, preliminary skirmish of the war
for the conquest and desolation of the Union. The people had _waged the
battle of liberty with the gigantic agencies of material prosperity for
forty years, and the aristocracy was completely in their power_.

For this material superiority of the free-labor States inevitably inured
to the advantage of liberty. In vain did every new Free State, year
after year, vote with the Slave Power; in vain did every great railroad
and manufacturing corporation of the North obey the political behests of
the lords of the plantations; in vain was the mercantile aristocracy of
all the great cities the fast friend of the slave aristocracy; and
vainly did almost the entire immigrant population fall politically into
its control. All this was as nothing _against the irres