Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-01
A ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW of
=is THE WAR.
Mr.. Brownson ON slavery and the
Rebellion.
A PATRIOTIC AND ABLE ARGUMB


The October number of Brot0nson's
Quarterly Repie,0, the official quarterly of
the Roman Catholics in the United States,
contains most able and patriotic essay on
the different questions raised by the pro-
slavery rebellion, and in particular on the
relations of slavery to the rebellion and to
the Union. E. sss
We copy the following passage from the
article in question; but we recommend
every man who desires to inform himself
by reading most thorough and sagacious
article, to read the whole article in the
Re0ie,C, which is jsst Published.
Mr.. Brownson takes the position that, if
we value peace, honor, liberty, prosperity,
all we,have or hope for, we must main
tain the Union; and he believes that to put
down the rebellion, and bring back peace
which shall be lasting and honorable, as
we'll as righteous, we must not only put
down the rebellion. butalso that which is
sole cause Of ebellion-slavery.
"' MR. nRowSsoN's POSITION.
we need not say, for the fact is well
known to our readers, that no man, accor-
ding to his ability aud opportunity, has,
since April, 1893, more strcnuously opposed
the abolition movement in the free Suites
than we have; no: because we loved slave
ry, or had any sympathy with that hateful
institution. but because we loved the Con-
stitutiou of the Union, and because we
loved that liberty ut home and throughout
the world was far more Interested in pre-
serving the Uhion of these States under
the Federal Constitution, than ia abolish
ing slavery as it existed in the Southern
section of our common country. But we
beliere, and always have believed, that
liberty, the cause of free institutions, the
hopes of philanthropists and christians,
both at home and abroad, are more inter-
ested in preserving the Union and the in
tegrity OF the nation, than they arc or can
be in maintaining negro slavery. ii we
have opposed abolition heretofore, because
we would preserve the Union, we must, a
.fortiori, oppose slavery whenever, in our
judgement, its continuance becomes in
compatible with the maintenauce of the
Union, or of our nation as free republic
can State.
Certainly we said in the article on "The
Great Rebellion" in our last Remietr, the
North has not taken up arms for the des-
trnctiou of negro slavery, but for the
maintenance of the Federal Government,
the enforcement of the laws and the pre-.
servation of the Union. This is true.-
The liberation of the slave is not the pur-
pose and end of the war in which We are
now engaged. The war is war against
rebellion, an unprovoked and wicked re-
bellion, engaged in by the rebels for the
purpose of making this great slavehold-
| ing republic, in which the labor of the
country shall be performed by slaves, eith-
er black or white; and if, to defeat the re-
bellion, the destruction of slavery he rem
dered necessary and be actually effected,
it will change nothing in the character or
purpose of the war. l. will have been ne
cessitated by the rebellion and the rebels
will have only themselves to thank for the
destruction or abolition they force us to
adopt in defence Of liberty, the Union, and
the authority of the Government.