"
One more reason why we will not let this people go is because we do not
want to become a military people. A great many say America is becoming
too strong, she is dangerous to the peace of the world. But if you
permit or favor this division, the South becomes a military nation and
the North is compelled to become a military nation. Along a line of 1500
miles she must have forts and men to garrison them. Now any nation that
has a large standing army is in great danger of losing its liberties.
Before this war the legal size of the national army was 25,000. If the
country were divided then we should have two great military nations
taking its place. And if America by this ill-advised disruption is
forced to have a standing army, like a boy with a knife she will always
want to whittle with it. It is the interest then of the world, that the
nation should be united, and that it should be under the control of that
part of America that has always been for peace.
The religious minded among our people feel that in the territory
committed to us there is a high and solemn trust, a national trust.
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