“The originators of this rebellion saw that _by inevitable laws of population_ slavery must go down under a republican form of government. Their fears and their jealousies of freedom grew intolerable. The very word _free_ became hateful. They saw that their property in slaves depended for its duration on the action of political forces slumbering in the mass of their white population, which population, though now densely ignorant, would gradually learn that slavery is adverse to the interests of nine tenths of the whites. And so this war was originated _even less to separate from the North than to crush into hopeless subjection, through that separation, the white masses at the South_. The slave barons dreaded lest this drugged and stupefied giant should rouse from his ignoble slumber, and, learning his strength, and opening his eyes to the truth, should, Samson-like, seize the pillars of their system. To prevent this, a grand oligarchy of slaveholders must be created, and the liberties of the whites destroyed! “You will see all this now, my son. Yes, I have this comfort in my extremity: my son will be converted from wrong; the stubborn head will be reached through the stricken heart; we shall not have died in vain. And his conversion will be instantaneous. But be prudent, my son. Let not passion betray you. These Rebel leaders are as remorseless as they are crafty. All the bad energies of the very prince of devils are ranged on their side, and will help them to temporary success. “Let them see that higher and more persistent energies can spring from the right. What I most fear for the North is the paralyzing effect of its prosperity. It will go on thriving on the war, while the South is learning the wholesome training of adversity. Young men at the North will be tempted by money-making to stay at home. The voice of Mammon will be louder than the voice of God in their hearts. This will be their tremendous peril. But God will not be thwarted. If prosperity will not make the North do God’s work, then adversity must be called in. “Set your heart on no private vengeance, my son. Take this as my dying entreaty. Let your revenge be the restoration of the old flag. All the rest must follow as the night the day.... And now, farewell! May God bless and guide you. I go to join your mother, brother, and sister. Their spirits are round me while I speak. Their love goes forth to you with mine, and my prayer for you is their prayer also. Adieu!” There was silence for a full minute after the reading. “I’ll wait,” said Kenrick, “till he gets through dinner before I tell him the news. He’ll need all his strength, poor fellow!”