The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-12-12
Slavery the Cause of the War.

The popular fallacy, by which slavery Is re-
garded as the sole cause and ground of this
accused civil war, is refuted in yesterdays
Argus after the style of refutation which be-
longs especially to that journal. The substance
OF its argument (if it be allowable to call that
substance, which is viewless and intangble)
is that lchereds all went merrily until "the
ghoul of abolitonism came,' therefore "fanat-
ical abotionism has caused the rebellion"
This is not quite true historically; but no mat
ter-what sort of logic is based on the per-
verted history? Why, something like this:
Whereas, the dog was perfectly well until al-
ter the cat ate her dinner; therefore Resolued,
that the cats dinner made the dog sick.
That social system, which necessarily in
stigates opposition regular or irregular to all
genuine democracy, is responsible for this
war, and must be crushed, is belief spread
ing more and more widely among all classes of
reasoning Americans. Here, for example, is
letter on the Presidents Proclamation, writ
ten by the Rev. Mr.. Quint, Chaplain of the
I'd Mass. regiment, for the Congregationalist.
Mr.. Quint went into the army conservative
of the most antique pattern, not even Re-
publican, far less an abotionist. See what
his military experience has done for him, as
for Butler and Halleck but the catalogue
would be endless. We are able to give only
few Illustrative passages:
We have become accustomed to seizure of
the blacks on the other side. When jackson
came to Winchester last May he seized all
lie fraa nd claxa cat,fp halA frit,sr
to rebels there. When he went southwark he
swept the country clear, carrying many free
men into slavery. When the rebel army cap
tured Harper's Ferry it seized all blacks, and
they are still in the hands of the man-stealers
southwark. Nor do we forget that the blacks
who drove the ambulances when the wounded
were gathered in under flag of truce after
the late Manassas battles, were seized and
carried away. Southerners steal negroes
whenever they have an opportunity; steal
them to make them slaves. Are we to regard
their slave property as sacred?
Nor can we distinguish between Selling
slave property as property, and Selling wheat.
Whatever the rebels have that government
wants we take. We are not worshippers of
slavery, and we can see no more harm in TAX
ing slave property than the products of slave
labor. 1t is all one.
/ have been told by rebel officer, a prison.
err, that slavery doubles the number of men
they can keep in the field. l believe him. |
saw. one day, as noble regiment as ever was
raised, go into action full of genuine men.
The best blood of Massachusetts was there
Two days after l buried its dead Shorn of
one third of its numbers was the regiment.
Lying on the field were the pride of their
homes. Men of education, character, ability,
industry. Fathers and mothers, of every two
guns leveled at your sons, slavery kept one and
slavery fired both. l lifted your sons; some
to bury, some to send home. 1t was slavery
that killed them all.
/ saw on another day, that same regiment
undaunted in the fiercest battle of this conti-
nent. One fourth of its number came out.
Its good men, how they fell. One of the no.
blest, who cared not for his life if victory was
ours, hated slavery as / do. OF every two
guns at Antietam, slavery kept one, and slavery
fired both. / saw countless MANNED men there
Slavery pierced them. saw countless dead
there. Slavery killed them.
The product of slave labor doubles every
gun the South could without it put into the
field To sustain slavery the South keeps
both guns there-without slavery they could
keep none there. And shall any man tell me
that the system which killed these gallant COM
rades is one whose continuance, it is his com
fort, to believe is sure, whether we succeed be-
fore January LIST. or whether we fail finally
and not loathe him as / would a snake? Is
Massachusetts, sunk SO low as to breed such
reptiles?