Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-01-10
LETTER FROM WILLIAM PENN
NUMBER NINE,
MAsnINaroN. Januarv 9. ls6.

WASHINGTON, January 9, 1862.
Long ago intoxicated with the idea of
slave confederacy which in its fundamental
laws and character should contain the pure
essence of American aristocracy, the leaders
of the rebellion have rushed the people of
the South into this most insane and destruc.
tive war against liberty and the Constitution,
utterly regardless of the misery it must in
evitably entail upon the entire South, to say
nothing of the vast crime and folly which
attach TO the movement. Their zeal has
been so far in advance of their prospect of
success, that they never paused TO count the
cost, but with vast degree of confidence
since terribly shaken by government troops,
they yainly imagined that comparative
unanimity, or the appearance of it, would
make up for all absence of absolute power
and real strength. But after the manner Of
fools generally, they are heing rapidly unde
ceiyed They are weak where they most
hoped to he strong, and they are strong only
in the bitterness with which they pursue
their unsubstantial phantom of separate
government based nj on human bondage
Hawthorne, in his House of the seven
gables" says,
"There are chaotic, blind or drunken
moments in the lives of persons who lack
real force of character,-moments of test, in
which courage would most assert tselr-but
where these individuals, if left to themselves
stagger aimlessly along, or follow implicitly
whatever guidance may befal them, even i
it be chld's. No matter how preposteroui
or insane, purpose is a god-send 10 them.
And so it seems to be with the rebels
} Intensely seli-persuaded from habit and in
terest that slavery is right, they, in the mad
ness of political bigotry, insanely set up "a
purpose" the establishment of natiol
npon the foundation Of tyranny more obi
= GUS than any that now disgraces the oil,
world, and which cannot be permitted t,
exist on this continent in this age of gene
/, raj enlightenment and progression Lack
u ing real force Of character, they indeed rus
= blindly on, and strive to Justify their oui
rage upon humanity with the preposterou
proposition to stigmatize the nineteent
. century, by wringng from it a legal recogn
= tion of the right to chain the souls and col
. sciences of men to the car of despotsn
- power and selfaggrandizement But such
= purpose" is alike aimless, abortive and v
4. sionay. Heavens sun can never shine wit
favor upon land thus perverted, and give
over to iAiquity. Human nature reyolts
n the idea of so stupendous Il retrograC
- movement in natural rights aud morals. I'll
# polity of all civilized nations is theoretical
(. il not practically against any usurpatiol
Q which tend to augment the power of the il
r dolent few by curtailing the inherent priv
= leges Of the toiling millions.
It In the face Of the reproaches and denia
Il Of mankind how can rebellion be'successf
- in this country Even if the South ha
reasonable ground for complaint, how, und,
a republican form of government, which
= helped to make, and which it can at any tim
= eonstitutionally assist in modifying peac,
. ably, can it Justify its present course III
: prosperity of thirty millions of people wei
n never intended to be made the football
9 any number of malcontents either North
4 South, else it would not have entered ini
the minds of the trainers of the Constitute
to provide means of escape from all o.
$ pressive enactments, by amendments to til
I fundamental law of the land All powt
l. being vested in the people, and the demt