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Letter to Editor
July 15, 1864
Vermont Phœnix
Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Ludlow, Windham County, Windsor County, Vermont
What is this article about?
John Stuart Mill's letter extract supports the U.S. Civil War as a principled fight against slavery, anticipates European sympathy for the North, and praises the Philadelphia Sanitary Commission's voluntary humanitarian efforts independent of government.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
LETTER FROM JOHN STUART MILL.—We take the following extract from a letter from John Stuart Mill, which appears in the paper of the Philadelphia Sanitary Fair:
"The war, justifiable and laudable even if it had continued to be, as it was at first, one of mere resistance to the extension of slavery, is becoming, as it was easy to foresee it would, more and more a war of principle for the complete extirpation of that curse. And in proportion as this has become apparent, the sympathies of nearly all in Europe whose approbation is worth having, are resuming their natural course, and the cause of the North will soon have no enemies on this side of the Atlantic but those who prefer any tyranny, however odious, to a triumph of popular government.
It would be unpardonable, did I omit, on an occasion like this, to express my warmest feelings of admiration for the Sanitary Commission.—History has afforded no other example—though it is to be hoped that it will hereafter afford many—of so great a work of usefulness extemporized by the spontaneous self-devotion and organizing genius of a people, altogether independently of the government."
"The war, justifiable and laudable even if it had continued to be, as it was at first, one of mere resistance to the extension of slavery, is becoming, as it was easy to foresee it would, more and more a war of principle for the complete extirpation of that curse. And in proportion as this has become apparent, the sympathies of nearly all in Europe whose approbation is worth having, are resuming their natural course, and the cause of the North will soon have no enemies on this side of the Atlantic but those who prefer any tyranny, however odious, to a triumph of popular government.
It would be unpardonable, did I omit, on an occasion like this, to express my warmest feelings of admiration for the Sanitary Commission.—History has afforded no other example—though it is to be hoped that it will hereafter afford many—of so great a work of usefulness extemporized by the spontaneous self-devotion and organizing genius of a people, altogether independently of the government."
What sub-type of article is it?
Persuasive
Political
Reflective
What themes does it cover?
Slavery Abolition
Military War
Politics
What keywords are associated?
Civil War
Slavery Extirpation
European Sympathy
Sanitary Commission
Popular Government
Voluntary Efforts
What entities or persons were involved?
John Stuart Mill
Philadelphia Sanitary Fair
Letter to Editor Details
Author
John Stuart Mill
Recipient
Philadelphia Sanitary Fair
Main Argument
the civil war has evolved into a principled fight for the complete abolition of slavery, gaining sympathy from worthy europeans who favor popular government over tyranny; the sanitary commission exemplifies unparalleled voluntary public service independent of government.
Notable Details
References European Sympathies
Praises Sanitary Commission As Historical Example Of Self Devotion And Organizing Genius