Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-12-01
The Object of the War.

Henry Ward Beecher, in bis speech at the
Academy of Music, in New York, since bis re-
turn from England, thus states what he told En-
gishmen respecting the object Of the war
1t was also constantly alleged that the North
did not 60 to war for emancipation, but simply
for Union. To that | responded, True, true.
The peculiar structure OF our nation forbids one
State to medde, and the national Government
to meddle with the strictly internal municipal af-
fairs Of any other State And l. who have been
ranked if not among abolitonlss, yet among
antl-savsry men all my life, held myself to be
competent witness to those men who have
fought the anti-slavery battle for twenty-five
years and bore witness that it never was our
intention to interfere by violence in the Internal
affairs Of slave States Our hope Of emaucipa-
ton was based upon the perpetual use OF moral
influences, the action Of great commercial laws,
the nature Of political economy, and, above all,
che non-extension Of slavery. We held that If
the slave States might cease to be made, if they
that we're already created were compelled to
stand and bear the evil as well as the good of
their own system, Il would be a question only oil
lime when they would emancipate, but we never
proposed to put the hand OF Government INTO
those States and violate those Institutions, and we
did not when the war broke out and therefore,
when il was alleged that we did not 90 to war for
the purpose of emancipation, | said amen we
did not. We went to war for tie maintenance
of nationality (Appause) But then il was 2
nationality which had been regenerated and
brought back to its original ideas of liberty. 1t
was a Union that carried with it from this time
forth the idea Of freedom and we had no doubt
that Union was 10 be the indirect instrument oil
emancipation. [Applause. And when we went
for the Union and for the nation, 1t was no' as a
mere idol, but an intelligent perception that the
spirit Of liberty was so strong that If we had only
time for its influence Union would bring liberty
in its train. But when the immense moral sup
mort which they derived from England swelled
ihis war into monstrous proportions, this nation
was lifted out OF it's peace powers INTO hignef
sphere--the war powers the North came TO THIS
conclusion that whereas we begun war for the
Union, the way to carry It On and ind II was to
destroy slavery to its very roots. Oreat ap.
plause. We we're conscientioualy constitutional
in the beginning, believing that IN time OF peace
we had no power TO NEEDLE with this institution
and we are lost as constitutional now when The
war gives US the power to destroy rebellion where
rebellion lives in its slave institutions. Ap
plause.l And said that there had change
passed over the spirit Of this people more won
derful than had assed over any people on lht
globe. and that the heart Of the North was se
and fixed upon this This war, though begun
merely for the Union, has been carried 10 that ex
tent when we are obliged, for the safety OF th'
Union, to destroy slavery, and slavery shall be de
stroyed. Loud and enthusiastic applause