Lincoln，whichitwasclearlyintheirpowertopreventhadtheywished，wastheoccasionmerely，andnotthecauseoftheirrevolt。
Abolitionism，tillwithinayearortwo，wasthedespisedheresyofafewearnestpersons，withoutpoliticalweightenoughtocarrytheelectionofaparishconstable;andtheircardinalprinciplewasdisunion，becausetheywereconvincedthatwithintheUnionthepositionofslaverywasimpregnable。Inspiteoftheproverb，greateffectsdonotfollowfromsmallcauses，——thatis，disproportionatelysmall，——butfromadequatecausesactingundercertainrequiredconditions。Tocontrastthesizeoftheoakwiththatoftheparentacorn，asifthepoorseedhadpaidallcostsfromitsslenderstrong—
box，mayserveforachild\'swonder;buttherealmiracleliesinthatdivineleaguewhichboundalltheforcesofnaturetotheserviceofthetinygerminfulfillingitsdestiny。Everythinghasbeenatworkforthepasttenyearsinthecauseofanti—slavery，butGarrisonandPhillipshavebeenfarlesssuccessfulpropagandiststhantheslaveholdersthemselves，withtheconstantlygrowingarroganceoftheirpretensionsandencroachments。TheyhaveforcedthequestionupontheattentionofeveryvoterintheFreeStates，bydefiantlyputtingfreedomanddemocracyonthedefensive。But，evenaftertheKansasoutrages，therewasnowide—spreaddesireonthepartoftheNorthtocommitaggressions，thoughtherewasagrowingdeterminationtoresistthem。Thepopularunanimityinfavorofthewarthreeyearsagowasbutinsmallmeasuretheresultofanti—slaverysentiment，farlessofanyzealforabolition。Buteverymonthofthewar，everymovementofthealliesofslaveryintheFreeStates，hasbeenmakingAbolitionistsbythethousand。
Themassesofanypeople，howeverintelligent，areverylittlemovedbyabstractprinciplesofhumanityandjustice，untilthoseprinciplesareinterpretedforthembythestingingcommentaryofsomeinfringementupontheirownrights，andthentheirinstinctsandpassions，oncearoused，doindeedderiveanincalculablereinforcementofimpulseandintensityfromthosehigherideas，thosesublimetraditions，whichhavenomotivepoliticalforcetilltheyarealliedwithasenseofimmediatepersonalwrongorimminentperil。ThenatlastthestarsintheircoursesbegintofightagainstSisera。Hadanyonedoubtedbeforethattherightsofhumannatureareunitary，thatoppressionisofonehuetheworldover，nomatterwhatthecoloroftheoppressed，——hadanyonefailedtoseewhattherealessenceofthecontestwas，——theeffortsoftheadvocatesofslaveryamongourselvestothrowdiscredituponthefundamentalaxiomsoftheDeclarationofIndependenceandtheradicaldoctrinesofChristianity，couldnotfailtosharpenhiseyes。
（1）ADanishantiquaryandtheologian。