Excerpt from The Purpose of the Nation in the Present War: An Essay

The leaders Of the Colonial Rebellion, which resulted in the separation of the British colonies in America from their mother country, declared that the armed resistance they were about to begin had no other purpose than the redress Of grievances. But the grievances of which they com plained could find perfect redress only in the autonomy Of national life. The abuses were offensive to the aspirations of a liberty-loving people. The protest itself was an evi dence that vassalage to the mother country was Offensive to the inherent aspiration toward independence and autonomy. However much disclaimed, the real purpose of the Colonial revolt was the achievement of independence because that end alone could adequately redress the grievances of which our forefathers complained.

The Saxon genius for government which arises out of the Saxon love of independence and liberty is the true standard by which the original purpose must be judged. The redress of grievances which appeared to be the full round Of initial purpose became merely an incident of the real intention on a natural line of development. The professed purpose; which in the incipient stages Of the Revolution was made to' appear paramount, became a subordinate incident when the inherent forces in national life had acquired their full and natural momentum.

The secession of the slave States left the Federal Govern ment in the control of the free sections of the country. The resistance of the Federal Government to the doctrine of secession had for its first purpose the preservation of the Union and the maintenance of its territorial and political integrity, evolving naturally and inevitably the purpose to extinguish slavery, the one paramount cause of the Rebel lion. In this, as in the former instance, the initial and professed purpose, which was paramount, became a subor dimate incident to the extinguishment of slavery and the establishment of free institutions throughout the borders of the country.

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