Year: 1863

N n Il IL n N l. " Ii -, II R.,
The Eminent President of the Dartmouth COLLEGE,


Ne,o HampShire-A Document that all should


Read :!


To the Editor of Boston Courier


When an Abolitionist justifes the new
proclamation policy Of the Administra.
tion, be takes the ground that slavery is
the cause of the war, and that either the
Government or slavery must be destroy
ed. But the Government must not be
destroyed. Therefore slavery must be
abolished. His first fallacy consists in a
begging of the question, and his second
in deceptive substitution of terms-the
Government for the Administration.


His adversary denies the assumption
that slavery is the cause of the war, any
more than law is the cause of transgress
ion, or the money of the waylaid travel
er the cause of his robbery or MURDER
An antecedent is not necessarily or NOR
ally cause. He affirms on the contra
ry, that Abolitionism is the causative an
tecedent of the war, and will be fatal to
the Government if its destructive policy
be carried on. But Government must be
sustained, and therefore all good citizens
must think, and speak and vote, in the
exercise of their Constitutional freed ON
SO as to secure, if that be possible, bet
ter administration of it.


This is very considerable issue. AS
things now are, it is of great consequence
that the people to whom the Government
belongs should look well into the dispute.
Other wise they may lose their inheritance
without knowing it, and reparation may
be impossible. A government like a
house, is more easily demolished than
rebuilt.


Some of us. Mr.. Editor, who hold no
office, and publish no paper, and have no
intention of doing either, have, SO far, a
fair claim to be heard in respect to the
controversy now going on. Besides, we
have somewhat carefully studied the Alb
olitionists, whose doctrines the present
recognized agents of the people are about
to carry out in their administration of
affairs. We can speak from the book


Our method is historical, which is best
adapted to the occasion. Men may spec
ulate about slavery and its relations till
they are gray, and be no wiser The doc
tors of that fashion everywhere disagree
as to its origin, its nature, its designs,
its genius and spirit, its politics, ethics
and theology, its science, and its litera-
ture and manners. Since the war began
we have read many ingenious discussions
of the subject from learned jurists, states
men, divines, but only to perceive how
they have multiplied confusions. The
writers have looked out from their res
pective stand points, and have reas soned
in evident subserviency to their different
idols, more numerous than Bacon has de-
scribed, till they have bewildered them
selves and-which is worse-the limo
cent but unconscious public. An epi-
demic mental disease is consequently set.
tied upon us. We wait for some highly
raised and concentrated solvent to digest
all their respective varieties of wisdom
before a pancea can be found. Then,
however, the poor afflicted patient may
be hey recovery.


Doubtless the only sufficient solvent oil
all our intellectual crudities is revelation.
But we fear the patient is too far gone
already, to bear a spirit raised SO much
above the natural. We must content
ourselves with what is next best-histo-
ry. That gives us the wisdom of God in
his moral providence. and to know that
we may be of great consequence in default
Of more spiritual enlightenment.


We find that, before the era of Aboli.
ton this whole country enjoyed remark
able union, peace and prosperity for hall
a century. Its general officers were cho.
sen with reference to no peculiarities but
as representatives of parties indiscrimi.
nately scattered over all the States. Nc
considerable sectional disputes arose in
the Congress, but such as grew out o.
natural diversities of physical condition
Tariffs. internal improvements, bounties
and the like, suggested and exhausted
controversy. The heat produced wa,
hardly more than enough to produce .
healthy intellectual activity, and checl
the bad tendencies of appropriating ma
jorities. So far there was but little diff
ference between Northern and Souther,
politicians in the spirit with which the,
contended, or the expedients which the,
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