St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-07-25
The Key Note Of the War.

This is nothing less than the abolition
of slavery by which alone the future
peace Of the county can be assured, and
secession become an impossibility. We
do not mean that the war was commenced,
or rather accepted, by the government for
that purl ., nor that the grand rally Of
the North .or the Union was made with
that end in view. Only the few, who
have made the relations Of slavery to our
national destiny study of years, under
stood the tendency aud necessary effect Of
the wsr, and gave their voice for it as a"
anti--sl.very measure. We know that
the direct governmental object of this
stupendous conflict ie, the preservation Of
our nationality, the salvation Of that uni
ted country for which our revolutionary
ancestors went to battle and to DEATH
Nevertheless, it may be true, and it Is
true, that the overthrow of slavery is the
only means of insuring the overthrow Of
treason now and tor all coming time. No
one now doubts that the existence Of sla-
very has induced the collision of interests,
the antagonistic politics, and the cmbit-
tered state of mind, which have culmina-
ted in this terrible war. Shall. we, then,
omit to nse the providential opportunity
to eradicate the cause of our national
evils? Can Intelligent citizens, can Sc
pavious statesmen, forbear to accomplish
for their country complete and perma-
nent deliverance?
But morality a. we'll cs policy has its
word to offer on this grave point. 1t may
be that rs Christians We shonld be guilty
Of something worse than gross political
blunder, were We to fail at this critical
time, to strike bold and decisive blow
for universal freedom. The sin Of oppres-
sion Is that for which the nation is suffer
ing divine judgments, and how shall We
answer to God, OF. meet the slave at the
great day. if We refuse now to ''break ev-
Try yoke and let the oppressed 80 free?
Think Of it. fellow Christians shall
the result of this war be, that tie South
be conquered, only that she may hold her
slaves more securely in the Union than
ont of Are wo sending our sons and
brothers to battle that We may have the
privilege, for generations to come, of put
ting down slave instructions and sending
back fugitive bondmen? Yet this will
be the iguoble result, if, in the progress
Of the war. slavery is not abolished. We
must Gee to it, that VIXEN the Union 10
reestablished, At the p1oe Of treasure and
blood, it is placed on the basis Of equal
and exact justice to all; that there shall
be but one system and interest from the
St. Laurence to the Gulf-ths system
aud interest Of freedom. ..-.. :, .....
By the act Of the STAKEHOLDER himself,
the system by virtue Of martial law, has
come under the direct power Of the Fed
eral goveru neut. We have already
spread before our readers the unanswer-
ed and unanswerable argument Of John
Quincy Adams to that effect. Gen But
ler's sound ss we'll as witty decision, prop.
erly sustained by the Cabinet, that the
slaves Of rebels are contraband of war,
and therefore to be con6scated, shows how
vulnerable the system is, " such = con p q
test But this must be followed up by an