Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-01-30
From the Cincinnati Commercial. r5RJ
Hhe cause OF the Rapid Growth OF.
AnGlsSlRVerY ODlRfon1l. =

E From the Cincinnati Commercial. ~
The Cause OF the Rapid Growth a.
Ahti-SlaYery Opinions. - h ! :
The Philadelphia Ags is greatly troubled
70 account for the rapid development of
anti slavery sentiment in the Northern
States. At the commencement of ,bs 80
1t says but few were bent upon tbetaboIi.
tion of slavery. "The title Abolition was
stigma, and its ixation to any one an
insult. n 49, To-day, the man who, two
years ago, woula have knocked you down
for calling him an Abolilionist glories in
the appeIlhtion 4 How has tbis
change been brought abouE7"G
1t is something GAINED to the side of
historic truth to have the acknowIedpe.
ment made by conservative papers. that
at the commencement of the war. there
were very few persons in the North. bent
on the abolition of slavery, and that these
few were popularity held to be .'soatter-
Drained inhdels and madmen, who were
permitted to harangue and froth ut the
mouth because e was thought to hurt no.
body. This is gratifying acknowledge
ment, because II has been somethiup Of a
task to disprove the repeated assertion O
the Democrats press that the great BODY
Of citizens who voted for Abraham Lincoln
were Abolitionists, aud had iu view the
destructton of slavery through the agency
of his Administration la sm :!
1t IS a gratifying concession to the truth.
oecanse II takes away the plea of justifca-
tion entered at the tribunal of the worid,s
opinion by the States, in their acts of sc.
cession, and gives the lie to the pretense
that the Republican party designed To
trample on the rights of the States in order
to reach and destroy an institution created
and protected. by them. The fact is. thai
whtle the great body of the people held
views antagonistic 10 slavery, aud protes.
ted against its expansion and nationaliza-
tiou, there was, as the Age acknowledges.
6ut an exceedingly small class intent upon
its destruction Ia the States, Had the
states remained true TO the Union, the in,
sntution of slavery would have enjoyed all
'ue rignts and immuuities to which it is
entitled, as perfectly nm.
der the Administration of Abraham lin.
coin as under that OF any President since
the year 1888. r- J.-..
But they did not remain in peace in the
Union. They chose to secede, to orpanizs
and equip armies, aud to institute hostil.
tiles, 10 Anticipation of condition of
things assumed by tEem, and not warrant
led by any existing fact. And herein we
think the Age, by dlligent study of the
tactsi VIII ind satisfactory answer to the
question it proposes. The average con.
science of the masses is not easily aroused
6yia discussion of the abstract question
of the right or wrong, the good or evil of
any system or institution. Those whom
the. Age describes as scatter Drained in
hdels and madmen," might have harangued
on the subject of slavery for a century
without any visible accession TO their,
numbers, had no other canse arisen to
quicken popular conviction. II was not
the evil OF the system of slavery, nor con-
siderations of its political and social econ
omy, altogether that awoke the slumberLi
ing conscience of the nation. Il was the
too apparent fact that a gigantic political
and commercial power had been fostered
aud developed to the point where II held
itself able to dictate the entire policy of
the GoVsrDment, and failing in that 10.
attempt its overthrow by violence, frs
whether slavery is An element ofsweak-
ness or strength does not SO much enter
into the reasoning Off the masses on the
subject, as the fact that Il, has arraVed it.
self against the GoVernmsUJ set at defiance
tie GOnslitution,1 trample upon the flab.7
nnIfifed the laws, aud plunged the nation,
into bloody war, solely to establish for
itself7a Government on the ruins ofons
that it was not permitted to entirely con.
troll As theWar progresses, this fact bsL
comes more apparent and necessarily
brings all those who stand by the GoyerG.
ment and fnsist'upoh full aud complete
Vindication ofits honor and, authority into.
autdgonistie RELATIONSHIP an Institution 1.-The
existence of which they would otherwise
regard with apathy, il not Indifference
The longer the struggle is continued on the
part Of slavery, the sharper will ,beoome
the hostility OF the people toit If the
popular verdietis made up to-day or next