The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-12-22
Tho War as Regcneratiye Of the
south.
$1,000 E.,,, Az ~ " T:.-o.

From the N. Y. Times.
The war ~ prosecuted against the rebels Il
usually talked Of % simply preservstive Of ou
Government and free institutions. Ofcouse
that is its direct object, without which Il woult
never have been waged. But there never VA
great war yet, the effect Of which vas lin
tied by It's design. A great war is the great
est shock human society ever sustaiEs; and il
is sure to unlock agencies and causes, which
before we're entirely, unthought Of, or, at all
events uncared for, Perhaps there may oocas.
ionally have been, in history, barren and
sterile war-a war which literally left pso
pie in stdtu quo ante 6sllum;, but if they have
existed at ali, they have been very rare. Al
all events, it is certain that throughout ell
modern history, war has ushered in every great
step Of national progress. Modern England
was made what it is by the civil war which
carried Charles l. to the scaffold modern Ger
many by the thirty year war ofthe seven
teenth century; modern France by the civil
and foreign ware of the French Revolution
and modern Italy by the Internal wars which
have taken place within the last fifteen years.
II is impossible 10 name nation in Europe
great or small, that has experienced a real re.
generation but by the baptism of blood. And
in Asia, too, so far as there have been any
important national changes. the sword has 10
variably opened the way for them. 1t was
the bloody force of England that broke up
the dreadful religious and civil despotisms thai
had held India down for centuries and ages
1t was the same violence that has opened the
gates of China to every redeaming influence
And it is that also which alone promises to
make japan fairly accessible to civilization
and Christianity. 1t is not the war itself thai
regenerates--for that may spring from the
most unjustifiable motives and be conducted
10 the most unwanantabl, manner-but the
regeneration comes from the agencies which
the war necessarily takes with it, or draws in
its train.
1t is the special business Of our Northern
soldiers TO comrel the Southern people to sub
NIT to the Federal Constitution. They are
accomplishing that business successfully ant
gloriously. But the very process necessarily
carries with it other effects quite extraneous tc
any mere subjeotion to the Constitution. Ou
soldiers in spite of themselves, are crusaders
and p'opagandists. Every step they take in
advance is an Anti Slavery step, for the simple
reason that military law accompanies then
But more than that, their every word is Anti
Slavery. II is not possible that half milior
free, intelligent men of the North, acoustom
ed to all the effects and all the associations o
fee schools and FREQ labor, should be trans
ferred to the berighted and poverty-stricker
regions where Slavery has reigned, and pre-
serve silence upon the contrast There j
hardly man Of them, whose every word to
Southorner, whether ho means it or not, j
not an argument against Slavery. Nay, w
might say that the very sight Of tho UnioI
armies is testimony against the institution
1t is notorious fact that few things are NOR
surprising to the lower classes of the South
who constitute the great bulk Of the popula
accustomed 10 receive Il is az reSssison
them what wheat bread and fresh meat, ant
coffee, and sugar, and pepper and salt, anc
other such articles Of food are commonly uset
at the North by men of all classes-that wha
they consider to be rare Injuries are there re
garded as nothing moro than the nero nee
essa.ies Of life. This vast difference in the
habits and eojoyments Of daily life between
the common people Of tho North and tn
South is forced upon the attention Of the lat
ter, wherever our armies go; and 1t canno
help starting earnest inquiry and new ideas
Nobody doubts that il New England or
Western State were transferred bodily TO tn
South, SO that every Southern man could b
personal witness Of its material and menta
advau ucement, it would form practical argu
,nent against Slavery Of infinitely more poten
cy than all other arguments combined. Bu
this same thing is in no small degree realized
when our hundreds Of thousands of men ar
sert there from every Northern State, with al
their high intelligence and all their notions Q
comfortable life. The non shareholders of tn
South, ignorant though they are, are not 8
deficient in natural sense as not TO preeeiv
this contrast, and not to know that tber
must be some strong reason for it, MOI
though they are dull enough 10 oil their sen
sibilities, are they 90 apathetic as not to car
for an improved condition, or not to contrac
a hatred Of Slavery when they SEQ that Slav
cry stands in the way Of such improvement
All these influences naturally attend th
prosecution Of the war, and operate with con
stanily increasing force while the war is pc
lopged. They have combined to greatl
weaken already, il not entirely destroy. tn
partiaity ofthe common people Of tho Sout
toward the institution throughout all thos
parts Of the South which have been occupies
by our armies; so that even il the war shou
cease tomorrow, and every Northern soldie
be Withdrawn, it is doubtf, | whether aay 81
fort Of the shareholders to re.establish their &C
cial system would succeed. But It is certai
that the war will not cease to morrow. Tb
slave power, with that judicial blindues
which always descend, upon those whor
Heaven intends TO destroy, is resolved to figl
the old flag to its last foot Of soil. Our arm
les will have TO sweep over the entire Sou,
before the great object oftbo war-tbe =.
establishment Of constitutional liberty--ca
be compassed. Thus all the attendant Ant
Slavery consequences Of an occupation by OF
armies must be everywhere left. Morsove
It is also certain that even after the war
closed great numbers Of our Northern sodie
will remain at the South q permanent res
dents; and that they, 10 conjunction wit
tens Of thousands Of Northern civilians OF cr
terprisc, who will emigrate to the South, wi
exert controlling power 10 tie reconstruc
ion OF Southern society. Free labor will th,
bo efficiently organized to take the place
the system which the war has destroyed.
There cannot be rational doubt that th
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