in their
expressed purpose to "put down" the said Southrons because they had
rebelled, and rebelled only because they were slaveholders, and for the
purpose of placing slavery beyond the reach of wordy assault in the
country of which it should be the governing power. There has been much
complaint that foreigners have not understood the nature of our quarrel,
and that the general European hostility to the American national cause
is owing to their ignorance of American affairs. How that may be we
shall not stop to inquire; but it is beyond dispute that no European
community has ever displayed a more glaring ignorance of the character
of the contest here waged than was exhibited by most Americans in the
early months of that contest, and down to a recent period. The war
was treated by nearly the whole people as if slavery had no possible
connection with it, and as if all mention of slavery in matters
pertaining to the war were necessarily an impertinence, a foreign
subject lugged into a domestic discussion. Three-fourths of the people
were disposed querulously to ask why Abolitionists couldn't let slavery
alone in war-time. It was a bad thing, was Abolitionism, in time of
peace; but its badness was vastly increased when we had war upon our
hands. Half the other fourth of the citizens were disposed to agree with
the majority, but very shame kept them silent. It was only the few who
had a proper conception of the state of things, and they had little
influence with the people, and, consequently, none with Government. Had
they said much, or attempted to do anything, probably they would have
found Federal arms directed against themselves with much more of force
and effectiveness in their use than were manifested when they were
directed against the Rebels. When a Union general could announce that
he would make use of the Northern soldiers under his command to destroy
slaves who should be so audacious as to rebel against Rebels, and the
announcement was received with rapturous approval at the North, it was
enough to convince every intelligent and reflecting man that no just
idea of the struggle we were engaged in was common, and that a blind
people were following blind leaders into the ditch,--even into that
"last ditch" to which the Secessionists have so often been doomed, but
in which they so obstinately continue to refuse to find their own and
their cause's grave.

That Government was not much ahead of the people in 1861, and t