The Portland daily press., 1862-11-17
Monday Morning, Nov. IL, 1862.

Monday Morning, Nov. II, 1862.
Elcmcnts Of the Conflict between Freedom
and Slavery.
The Monthly Religious Magazine for Octo-
Der, has an able article from its senior Editor,
the Rev. Edmund II. Sears, under the above
title, from which We make the following ex-
tracts:
After speaking of the protracted struggle in
which we have been engaged for eighteen
months, and of the doubts and discourage
snents of many lest we be utterly broks6fup,
he proceeds to say:
We anticipate no such termination of the
conflict; but it is the duty of every citizen to
ask, Why is the conflict drawn out through
al this outpouring of blood and treasure, de-
manding of the loyal States an annual sacri-
fee Of one hundred thousand men, the pride
and flower of their population?
Look at the elements of strength. 1t is fol-
ly TO nnderrate the power of an enemy. 1t is
cowardice 70 exaggerate it, and then tremble
before the imaginations which we have evok-
ed.
The census Of 1880 gives to the Free States
population Of nineteen millions. Add to this,
the loyal population of the Border States, and
we have about three millions more, making 22
millions which represent the Union strength
OF the country. Against this we have In the
Slave States, including the rebel element in
the Border States, about six millions of white
population, which fairly represent the strength
OF treason. This, we believe, comes nearest
the truth; but make a larger allowance, give
to the rebellion another million, and we have
for loyalty twenty-one millions, for rebellion
seven millions, or three against one.
The available military force of a country in
cludes about one-tenth of its population. This
gives to loyalty 100000 fighting men. 1t gives
to treason 100000 fighting mep. But there is
another consideration. Who Are these 100000
men who are available for the rebel cause p
They are not the chivalry." They are an aris-
tocracy making very small minority of the
white people. The whites" make up three
fourths Of the white population Of the South.
They are sand-hillers" clay-eaters," igno-
rant and lazy, and many Of them below the ne
gro In the range of mental and physical re-
source. They make up, nevertheless, the mass
of the rebel armies. They are kept degraded
and brutalized by the slave power without
knowing 1t, and are welded for its ends-
Hence the chivalry can mass these men in front
of the Federal cannon, and see them slaughter
ed as remorselessly as we would send sheep to
the shambles. The Shareholders all told only
uumOtf ABOUT Luftc Qu0uTeQ t0OuSd0Q men.
The officers and leaders come from these, but
they do not form the majority of the rebel ar
my.
Moreover, the naval power is entirely in the
hands of the government. 1t controls, with
slight exceptions, all the great water-courses,
girdles rebeldom and blockades it. Added to
this, the wealth OF the nation is on the side of
the government In which lies the sipews of
war.
But there Is another element of strength
which we have not considered. There are four
millions of slaves who are watching thelissue
of this conflict, on whose account it began and
is carried on, who are biding their time, and
for whom there is to be new evolution of his
tory. They are the "mud-sils" on which the
bloated and insolent aristocracy is standing
for support while stabbing at the vitals of the
nation. Hence come the rations that feed their
armies, and the rags that cover them. Knock
out the mud-sills from under their feet and
they would tumble into ruin swiiter than Sa-
tan did, for he was nine days in falling from
heaven into hell.
Among these four millions of slaves there
are four hundred thousand stalwart men,
They would not all make soldiers, but great
many Of them would, for the blood of their
masters runs through their veins, and goads
and stings as it runs. Many of the field slaves
are ignorant and brutalized, and have all man
hoodscrushed out of them. Many of the house
slaves rank higher in the scale of being than
the "poor whites of the rebel conscription.-
They include the Scipios, and Fred Douglass
o, who surpass, not the poor whites only, but
James NJ. Mason himself, In moral and intel
lcctual manhood, which, to be sure, Is not pay
Ing them much of compliment. Gen. Hun
ter Gays he could recruit fifty thousand good
soldiers from this class, in his department
alone.
: Such are the elements of strength. On one
side twenty-one millions of loyalists, aud four
millions of bondmen, who would gladly be
their ailies; on the other side seven millions
insfebellion On one side wealth, and all the
naval power; on the other side no naval pow
er, and all the wealth in the hands OF an aris-
tocracy. Why, then, is the conflict dragging
'its slow length along?
Because on the side of treason there is
earnestness, concentration, unity OF purpose.
Because on the other side there is no such
concentration, but vascillation, half measures,
and half-blows. The rebels mean one thing,
and that thing is very well defined. 1t is to
destroy this government and build slave des-
potism on Its ruins, under whose black shad-
ow the Northerner shall be reduced to a level
with their poor whites and negroes. 1t is not
merely to destroy the Union, but SO destroy it
that Yankee abolitionists win never trouble
them more. 1t Is to inaugurate a slave aris-
tocrocy which shall be the ruling power of the
coutiheht, auu noiu tue Free Ctates forever un-
der Its heels, and make them the lackeys Of its
power. This one idea possesses the conspira-
tors with the earnestness and the madness oi
demonism.
What Is the idea which the government op-
poses to this? Merely, thus far, to restore the
Union as Il scas. 1t Is not an idea which can
hold the popular mind, and sway it as the In
spiration OF God. Nobody wants the Union
as 1t was, but the Rip Van Wrinkles who have
hardly walked up from sleep of twenty years
The rebels not only do not want it, but spurn
IL with mockery, and laugh US to scorn for