Where would
the world have been, or where would the world hope to be, without
rebellion?
But let rebellion look the truth in the face, and not
blanch from its own consequences. She has to judge her own
opportunities and to decide on her own fitness. Success is the
test of her judgment. But rebellion can never be successful except
by overcoming the power against which she raises herself. She has
no right to expect bloodless triumphs; and if she be not the
stronger in the encounter which she creates, she must bear the
penalty of her rashness. Rebellion is justified by being better
served than constituted authority, but cannot be justified
otherwise. Now and again it may happen that rebellion's cause is
so good that constituted authority will fall to the ground at the
first glance of her sword. This was so the other day in Naples,
when Garibaldi blew away the king's armies with a breath. But this
is not so often. Rebellion knows that it must fight, and the
legalized power against which rebels rise must of necessity fight
also.
I cannot see at what point the North first sinned; nor do I think
that had the North yielded, England would have honored her for her
meekness. Had she yielded without striking a blow, she would have
been told that she had suffered the Union to drop asunder by her
supineness. She would have been twitted with cowardice, and told
that she was no match for Southern energy.
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