East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-02-04
{ CAUSES OF THE WAR.
-om The New York Journal Of Commerce.

| Aioh dic NJ" iVfh JOufnhl vi tOmmcrce. lNI .
The World takes exception to our posi-
tion that slavery is not the cause Of tn
rebellion, and in stating its arguments
invites the Journal of Commerce "eithe
to admit its force or attempt its refuta
ton" We propose to do both. w
admit the force, but shall show that it
entire force is derived from misappre
hension of history and misspprehensiol
of facts, and the refutation will proceed
on the same grounds. .,.,.. tl-,rg, ai
| The WorH slightly changes the issu
in its statement of the question. Itpro
poses to show that "the popular jadg
ment, which holds slavery responsible fo
this atrocious rebellion, is just" Ther'
is a difference between being the cause o
an effect and being responsible for the
effect, which the World should have
avoided. But we are content with thai
form of accusation, and denying, in pass
ing, that there is any such popular judg
ment as is here intimated, we say that
slavery is not responsible for the present
atrocious rebellion, and an accusation
that it is so is not only unjust, but di.
verts the public judgment from the really
guilty parties. a.rarafaI
We state the Worlds argument briefly
but we believe fairly. 1t is this. The
rebellion is tho elimination of contro-
versy which commenced with the annex
alton of Texas. Texas was annexed to
subserve the interests of Southern
slavery. The Mexican war annexed
territory, and the "defant attempts" of
slavery to plant itself on that territory
threatened the Union till the compromise
of 1850; il was in the interest Of slavery
that the controversy was reOpened in
1854 by the repeal Of the Missouri Com
promise, perpetuated by attempts to
force slavery into Kansas; and finally
slavery divided the Democratic party at
Charleston and seized the forts and pub
lie property. These successive acts, saith
The World, are the causes of the war, and
If they are not, "will the Journal of Com
merce enumerate the acts which toers its
canses?"
We can perhaps devise no better way
to refute the arguments of The Word,
than by proceeding at once to reply to
the last question, and state what we be-
lieve to be the causes of the war. Having
for years warned the nation of the immi-
nency of this war, we are strongly con
vinced that it proceeded from the causes
which we, in common with thousands of
wiser men than we, prophesied would
produce it. While others laughed at our
we were firm in the prophecy,
and nov the men that denied our skill as
seers, doubt wholly whether we were
right in our views of the causes which
were operatingl 1t is strongly probable
that the impartial views of the past few
years are more correct than crude specu-
lations now suddenly made, by lnen for
the first time reused to sudden knowl-
edge of the truth.
We shall not waste time at present in
a specific reply to the Worlds argument,
since our answer to its last question will
render that unnecessary. We simply re-
marking that its force is demolished en-.
tirely by the fact that slavery had no
more to do with the annexation Of Texas
than had democracy all over America
New York and Pennsylvania have more
responsibility for that event than North
Carolina or Tennessee. The same is
true of the entire list of events which
The World cites, and the whole pyramid
Of events eliminating" in the rebellion,
80 co,uI ,,,:tto,t ro,nJat,o, crd ,y;tho,t
apex. They were the work. of the
Democratic party, strong in the North as
in the South, and they did not culninate
in the war, for 10 did not proceed from, nor
was II caused by them.
But we reserve this discussion for the
present while we proceed to state our
views Of the causes Of the war, and who
is responsible for it. Our government is
the first, instance of SaVgreat nation
founded on written instrument which
defines its national powers, and prescribes
the rights of its citizens. The object
of the instrument was not, as some
imagine, to secure the blessings of liberty
to its founders and their posterity. This
was but one Of many objects, among
which were enumerated the establish
ment Of justice, the ensuring Of domestic
tranquility, and the promotion of the
general welfare. Liberty was to be linn
tied by justice and the common interests
of all, such liberty as men find under the
restraints Of wholesome government, with
due regard to the rights of their neigh
bors, and Of all men. - i..,,,.,
Among other methods of carrying out
these objects, the founders of the nation
made provisions with reference to per.
sonal and property rights, and as they
lived in an age when slaves were bought
and sold and held in perpetual bondage,
and for inheritance, throughout the land,
they treated that fact as they treated all
others relating to the rights of property.
They established around it certain guar
antees, they pledged to its protection the
whole force of the government, they
solemnly bound the States of the Union
to the perpetuation of the institution as
long as the Constitution remained invioI
late, and one State desired the preserva.
ton of slavery. Slavery was to all in
tents aud purposes proteye Of the Com
atitution an adonted child 40 lonor as the