"the liberator" gradually gained a large following in the northern states. it printed or reprinted many reports, letters, and news stories, serving as a type of community bulletin board for the abolition movement. by 1861 it had subscribers across the north, as well as in england, scotland, and canada. it was received in state legislatures, governor's mansions, congress, and the white house. after the end of the civil war and the abolition of slavery by the thirteenth amendment, garrison published the last issue (number 1,820) on december 29, 1865, writing a "valedictory" column. after reviewing his long career in journalism and the cause of abolitionism, he wrote: