recise question in debate
is clearly and distinctly understood by either party. Slavery was only
incidentally involved in the late war. The war was occasioned by the
collision of two extreme parties; but it was itself a war between
civilization and barbarism, primarily between the territorial democracy
and the personal democracy, and in reality, on the part of the nation,
as much a war against the socialism of the abolitionist as against the
individualism of the slaveholder. Yet the victory, though complete
over the former, is only half won over the latter, for it has left the
humanitarian democracy standing, and perhaps for the moment stronger
than ever. The socialistic democracy was enlisted by the territorial,
not to strengthen the government at home, as it imagines, for that it
did not do, and could not do, since the national instinct was even more
opposed to it than to the personal democracy; but under its antislavery
aspect, to soften the hostility of foreign powers, and ward off foreign
intervention, which was seriously threatened. The populations of
Europe, especially of France and England, were decidedly anti-slavery,
and if the war here appeared to them a war, not solely for the unity of
the nation and the integrity of its domain, as it really was, in which
they took and could take no interest, but a war for the abolition of
slavery, their governments would not venture to intervene. This was
the only consideration that weighed with Mr. Lincoln, as he himself
assured the author, and induced him to issue his Emancipation
Proclamation; and Europe rejoices in our victory over the rebellion
only so far as it has liberated the slaves, and honors the late
President only as their supposed liberator, not as the preserver of the
unity and integrity of the nation. This is natural enough abroad, and
proves the wisdom of the anti-slavery policy of the government, which
had become absolutely necessary to save the Republic long before it was
adopted; yet it is not as the emancipator of some two or three millions
of slaves that the American patriot cherishes the memory of Abraham
Lincoln, but, aided by the loyal people, generals of rare merit, and
troops of unsurpassed bravery and endurance, as the saviour of the
American state, and the protector of modern civilization. His
anti-slavery policy served this end, and therefore was wise, but he
adopted it with the greatest possible reluctance.

There were greater issues in