Now, we have it only second-handed from President Davis's own lips that he would never have thought of a war with the North--never would have recommended such a war--never would have engaged in such a war--"_but for encouragement given him, and actual pledges made him, by leading Democrats of the Northern States_." He had once been Secretary of War; he had been a United States Senator for several years preceding the rebellion; he thoroughly understood the resources, not only of the general government, but of each individual State, and would, as he said, have thought it perfect madness for the South to have attempted a separate confederation, "_but for the pledges of assistance made him and others by leading Democrats of the Northern States_." Of this, as an historical fact, there is no more doubt than that there was a war. Outside of President Davis's own word, the facts heretofore related in this volume, and a thousand others which might be adduced, are confirmatory of these statements. .
Again, the men whom President Davis had about him as a Cabinet and as outside advisers were generally men of marked intelligence and large experience, one of whom (John Tyler) had been President of the United States; some had been United States Senators; others, Congressmen; others had all their lives been connected with the army or navy; and scarcely one of all but what thoroughly understood the strength and resources, not only of the general government, but of each State, North and South. Is it to be presumed that a single one of these men would have ever thought of rebellion, or said one word to encourage it, _but for the assurances they had from leading Northern Democrats that the party, as a party, would sustain them in such a movement?_
If these facts be admitted, and this inference be conceded, does it not follow as an inevitable conclusion that the _Democratic party, as a party_, is responsible before God, and should be held responsible before all men, for the _time wasted, the money squandered, and the lives sacrificed_ by the South in their attempt to establish a separate confederacy?
We cannot give the exact figures, for the archives of the Confederate government were mostly destroyed when the rebels fled and the Union army took possession of Richmond; but think, reader, think how many weary days, and weeks, and months, and years of untold suffering that was caused by that mad and murderous attempt; think of the houses burned, homes desolated, plantations ruined, by the frenzy and fury of reckless demagogues; think of the thousands of affluent families made homeless and penniless by this mad attempt, and of the thousands upon thousands who were once comfortable now turned out as beggars to die, through the efforts of a band of conspirators; think of the millions upon millions of hard-earned dollars squandered, worse than squandered, by this mad attempt; think of the thousands upon thousands of wives made widows, children made fatherless, parents made childless, by this foul treason; and then think--for if you are honest with your own conscience, and can rid yourself of political prejudice, you must think it--that all this waste of time, all this squandering of money, all this sacrifice of lives, all this suffering of wives, of children, of parents, _is unquestionably chargeable_ to the _Democratic party;_ and, with this last thought, ask yourself the question, What should be thought of--what should be the fate of--a party guilty of such unparalleled wickedness?