Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-24
A FAvoRITE ARG UMENT of the advocates oi

A FAvORITE ARG UMENT of the advocates Of
Disu1ion for many years previous to the wsr
was. that the South would desivs immense pecuni-
a,y tecs6 from the dissolution of the bonds uni
ii e her with the North. They taught that the
\, nth was influenced chiefly by mercenary motive
In desiring to maintain the Union that che de-
rivei enormous profits from her connection with
U.s. and that II the connection YVES severed the South
would keep all these profits to herself.
May of our psople will remember the glowing
pictures Of wealth In the South, end Of her ever
increasing prosperity under separate Government,
drawn b. the philosophers Of the Secession school
10 the years Immediately preceding the var The
la:s Wllloughby N.wton was ole Of the most en-
thusiastic of the orators who dedicated these
Views, and painted with elaborate at the riches,
the IL f1en,s and power to which "S9uthern Con-
feieracy" must speedily attain.
Evea since the opening of the war 1t has been
common to insist that in prosecuting 1t, the North
has tean actuatel chiefly by sordd desire for pc
cuniary ad vantage. The cloud of prejudice and
passion Yelling the eyes of Southern statesmen has
shut out from their vision the higher and nobeI
motives )wlng from love of constitutional lib
erty, law and ordsr and from conviction that the
highest interests of the chole country were involved
in the preservation Of the Union
That some powerful principles and feelings dis.
tlnct FROM and In fact inconsiet,nt with tie mere
desire to "make money" must have lmpeled the
loyal people Of tbs nation to continue the war,
seems too plain for doubt. There was a manifest
Inconsistency IN the theories of disunicn on thfs
So sct They admitted that the chef source of
profit which the North derived from cur section
was the production of cotton, tobacco, sugar and
rice al raised by slave labor. Yet they insisted
that In waging o war which, by inevitable mill
tary laws lsorglnizel and Destroyed This labor the
North was seeking chiefly her o6n pecuniary ad.
vautags Moreover, they ignored the fact that, in
the celebrate purpose to carry on the war, and in
the execution OF that purpose, the North not merely
contributed hurdreds of millions of dollarg, but
contracted debt Of colossal proportions. Had the
No tn baen governed merely by pecuniary corsIGe
rations, the shrewd and intelligent people of tta
section w5u'd not only have acqulesced In dlsunion
bat have plG over 20 the cratic States millions OF
treasure rather tbaa encounter thu losses and sacr
fees which the war has entsllei upon them.
This bliudne:s to the true motives OF the North
EN- peopls has bsea tbs unhappy cause of proorg-
Ing the struggle. Oar people have had constantly
presented to tn m the dsuslve idea that the moment
the North found the war could not 'p0y" it would
be abandoned Thus have thsy been led on through
wears Of blood and suffering. Had the impulfes CT
the aionists beel as sordd as the unrefecipg wers
induced to believe the former would doubtless have
stopped the war when they discovered 1t did not
"pay." But, In the light of the great contest AID
of tie sentiments which Its results are developing
intelligent observers will admit that ideas deeper,
pursr, str niger than the love Of gaia must have
been at work to uphold the people Who have carried
this war to a successful end
In his late address at Fort Sumter, Henry Ward
Beecber thus expressed his dels of the results Of
the war: zoe natop, under one Government
without slavery, has besn ordained and shall stand
There can be psace on no other basis. On this basis
reconstruction Is easy and needs neither architect
Tor engineer"
ave do not want your cities nor your fields We
do not envy you your prolific soil nor heavens full
Of perpetual summer Lat agriculture reEel here
let manufactures make every stream twice musical
buid dests in every port; inspire the arts Of pelc'
with genius second only to that Of Athens and we
shall be glad IN your gladness and rich N your
wealth."
1.-THE people of the South viii accept In prop ell
spirit the lessons laugh. by four years Of ecTow ard
privadOn, they may yet realise tn the Union the
richest visions OF material wealth and intellectual
influence which were promised by those who coun
selled the rupture of It's bonds.
I
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