The causes of the war will be found at the base of our politics, in the fundamental law, the Constitution itself, the conflicting constructions which it invited, and in the institution of slavery which it recognized and was intended to protect. If asked what was the real issue involved in our conflict, the average American citizen will reply, "The Negro"; and it is fair to say that had there been no slavery there wouldn?t of been a war. But there wouldn?t of been slavery if the South's protests could have helped when it was first introduced; and now that it is gone, although its sudden and violent end of slavery had consequences upon the South directly and incidentally a series of unfortunate happenings which no pen can describe happened. The South maintains the responsibility for the presence of this political battle. …
