The
CONTINENTAL MONTHLY:
DEVOTED TO
Literature and National Policy
VOL. VI.—November, 1864—No. V.
CONTENTS
THE PROGRESS OF LIBERTY IN THE UNITED STATES.
There are three classes of persons in the loyal States of this Union whoproclaim the present civil war unnecessary, and clamor for peace at anyprice: first, a multitude of people, so ignorant of the history of thecountry that they do not know what the conflict is about; secondly, asmaller class of better-informed citizens, who have no moralcomprehension of the inevitable opposition of democracy and aristocracy,free society and slave society, and who believe sincerely that apermanent compromise or trade can be negotiated between these opposingforces in human affairs; thirdly, a clique of demagogues, who are tryingto use these two classes of people to paralyze the Government, and forceit into a surrender to the rebels on such terms as they choose todictate: their separation from the United States or recall to their oldpower in a restored and reconstructed Union.
It will be my purpose, in this article, to show the complete fallacy ofthis notion, by presenting the facts concerning the progress of thedifferent portions of our country in the American idea of liberty duringthe years preceding this war. The census of 1860, if honestly studied,must convince any unprejudiced man, at home or abroad, that the SlavePower deliberately brought this war upon the United States, to saveitself from destruction by the irresistible and powerful growth of freesociety in the Union. This war had the same origin and necessity ofevery great conflict between the people and the aristocracy since theworld began.
Every war of this kind in history has been the result of the advancementof the people in liberty. Now the people have inaugurated the conf