The Continental Monthly , Vol. 2 No. 5, November 1862 | Page 3

superiority of slavery over every other form of
labor; and the imminent danger of the overthrow of this benign
institution by Northern fanaticism, and by the unfriendly influence of
the commercial and financial policy of that section. Thus, the
mischievous error of secession was roused to life and action by the
exhibition of those unreal phantoms, so often conjured up to frighten
the South--abolition, agrarianism, and protective oppression.
All these deceptive ideas were required to be infused into the minds of
the people, in order to prepare the way for rebellious action. The right
of secession was an indispensable condition, without which there could
be no justification for the violent measures to be adopted. No
considerable number of American citizens could be found ready to lay
treasonable hands upon their government; but a great step would be
taken if they could be convinced that the constitution provided for its
own abrogation, and that the act of destruction could at any time be
legally and regularly accomplished. The absolute humanity, justice, and
morality of slavery, its excellence as a social institution, and its
efficiency in maintaining order and insuring progress, must be fully
established and universally admitted, in order to enlist the powerful
motives of self-interest on the side of the projected revolution. And
finally, it was necessary to show that the divine institution was in
danger, that the free labor of the North was actively hostile to it and
planning its ruin, and that this hostility was to be aided by all the selfish
desires of the protectionists and the dangerous violence of the agrarian
'mudsills' of the other section. It was not of the least importance that
these statements or any of them should be true. Let them be thoroughly
believed by the people, and that conviction would answer all the
purposes of the conspirators. Accordingly, for more than a quarter of a
century, these heresies and falsehoods were most industriously instilled
into the minds of the Southern people, of whom the great mass are
unfortunately, and, from their peculiar condition, necessarily, kept in

that state of ignorance which would favor the reception of such
incredible and monstrous fallacies.
The argument as to the right of secession has been exhausted; and if it
had not been, it does not come within the scope and design of this
paper to discuss the question. Enemies of the United States, foreign and
domestic, will continue to believe, or at least to profess to believe and
try to convince themselves, that the Constitution of 1787, which
superseded the Confederation, contained all the defects of the latter
which it was specially designed to remedy,--that the league of the
preceding period was prolonged in the succeeding organization, only to
be the fatal object of future discontent and ambition. Certainly this
doctrine is the basis of the rebellion, and without it no successful
movement could have been made to secure cooperation from any of the
States. Nevertheless, it cannot be considered one of the impelling
causes which moved the rebellious States to action, for it is not of itself
an active principle. It rather served to smooth the way, by removing
obstacles which opposed the operation of real motives. Veneration for
the work of the fathers of the republic, respect for the Constitution and
love of the Union, as things of infinite value, worthy to be cherished
and defended, stood in the way of the conspiracy which compassed the
destruction of the government. It was necessary to remove this obstacle,
and to eradicate these patriotic sentiments, which had taken strong hold
of the minds and hearts of the people of both sections. For more than
two generations the Union had been held sacred, beyond all other
earthly blessings. It was an object of the first magnitude to unsettle this
long-cherished sentiment.
The conspirators were altogether too shrewd and full of tact to
approach their object directly. They adopted the artifice of arousing and
studiously cultivating another sentiment of equal strength, which
should spring up side by side with their love of the Union, flourish for a
time in friendly cooperation with it, but ultimately supplant and entirely
supersede it. This was the plausible and attractive sentiment of State
pride, concealing in itself the idea of perfect sovereignty, with the right
of nullification and secession. With consummate ability, with untiring
industry and perseverance, and without a moment's cessation for more

than a quarter of a century, this fruitful but pernicious seed of
disorganization was sown broadcast among the Southern people. So
long as there was no occasion to put the theory into practice, there
seemed to be no ground for alarm. The question was one rather of
curious subtlety than of practical importance. Meanwhile, the minds of
men became familiar with the thought; they entertained it without
aversion; the