My dear friend, if you seek a prophet, here is one; and if you want leadership in your dogma of no slavery north of thirty-six degrees, thirty minutes, here is prophet and leader in one!And, believe me, one with arguments which make her dangerous to one man, two men, or any collection of men.

In 1787, a law was passed by Congress declaring that there should be no slavery in the territory northwest of the river Ohio.

It had led Clarkson and Wilberforce to overthrow the slave trade, and ultimately slavery itself.