Testimony for the Church — No. 7

The North and South

January 4, 1862, I was shown some things in regard to our nation. My attention was called to the Southern rebellion. The South had prepared themselves for a fierce conflict, while the North were asleep as to the true feelings of the South. Before President Lincoln's administration commenced, great advantage was taken by the South. The former administration planned and managed for the South, to rob the North of their implements of war. They had two objects for this. 1. They were contemplating a determined rebellion, and must prepare for it. 2. That when they should rebel, the North would be wholly unprepared. They would thus gain time, and they thought they could intimidate the North by their violent threats and ruthless course, until the North would be obliged to yield to them, and let them have everything their own way. T07 3.1

The North were unprepared for, and did not understand the deep-laid plots, and the bitter, dreadful hatred of the South toward them. The North has boasted of their strength, and ridiculed the idea of the South leaving the Union. They considered it like the threats of a willful, stubborn child, and that the South would soon come to their senses, and would become sick of leaving the Union, and would with humble apologies return to their allegiance. The North have had no just idea of the strength of the accursed system of slavery. It is this, and this alone which lies at the foundation of the war. The South have been more and more exacting. They consider it perfectly right to engage in human traffic, and deal in slaves and souls of men. They are annoyed and become perfectly exasperated if they cannot claim all the territory they desire. They would tear down the boundaries and bring their slaves to any spot they please, and curse the soil with compelled slave labor upon it. The language of the South has been imperious, and the North has not taken suitable measures to silence it. T07 3.2

The rebellion was handled so carefully, so slowly, that many who at first started with horror at the thought of rebellion, were influenced by rebels until it looked right and just to them, and thousands joined the Southern Confederacy who would not if prompt and thorough measures had been carried out by our government at an early period of this rebellion, even as ill prepared as they were then for war. The North has been preparing for war ever since, and the rebellion has been steadily increasing, and there is no better prospect of the rebellion being subdued, than months ago. Thousands have lost their lives and many returned to their homes with their earthly prospects forever blighted, their health gone, and maimed and crippled for life, and yet how little gained. Thousands have been induced to enlist with the understanding that this war was to exterminate slavery; but now they are fixed, they find that they have been deceived, that the object of this war is not to abolish slavery, but to preserve it as it is. T07 4.1

Those who have ventured to leave their homes and sacrifice their lives to exterminate slavery are dissatisfied. They see no good results from the war only to preserve the Union, and thousands of lives must be sacrificed for this, and homes made desolate. Thousands have wasted away and expired in hospitals; others have been taken prisoners by the rebels, a fate more to be dreaded than death. In view of all this, they enquire, if they succeed in quelling this rebellion, what have they gained? They can answer discouragingly, nothing. That which caused the rebellion is not removed. The system of slavery, which has ruined our nation, is left to live and stir up another rebellion. The feelings of thousands of our soldiers are bitter. They suffer the greatest privations, which they would willingly endure, but they find they have been deceived, and they are dispirited. Our leading men are perplexed; their hearts are failing them for fear. They are fearful to proclaim freedom to the slaves of the rebels, for by doing this they will exasperate that portion of the South who have not joined the Southern rebellion, yet are strong slavery men. And again they have feared the influence of those strong anti-slavery men who were in command, holding responsible stations. They have feared the effects of their bold, decided tone, for it fanned to a flame the strong desire of thousands to wipe out the cause of this terrible rebellion, by letting the oppressed go free and breaking every yoke. T07 5.1

Those who are placed high in command, fill responsible stations; and if they are not naturally conscientious (and many of them have but little conscience or nobleness of soul), they can exercise their power, even to the destruction of those under them, and it is winked at. These commanders could abuse the power given them, and cause those subject to them to occupy dangerous positions, exposing them to terrible encounters with the rebels where there is not the least hope that they can conquer them. In this way they can dispose of daring, thoroughgoing men, as David disposed of Uriah. 2 Samuel [11]:14, 15. T07 6.1

The lives of valuable men have thus been sacrificed, to get rid of their strong anti-slavery influence, and some of the very men whom the North most need in this critical time, whose services would be of the highest value, are not. Their lives have been wantonly sacrificed. The prospects before our nation are discouraging; for there are those who are rebels at heart, filling responsible stations. Officers in command are in sympathy with the rebels. While they are desirous of having the Union preserved, they despise those who are anti-slavery. Armies are composed of such material, opposed to each other, that no real union exists among many regiments. T07 6.2

As I was shown this war, it looked to me the most singular and uncertain that ever existed. A great share of the volunteers enlisted fully believing that the result of the war would be to abolish slavery. Others enlisted to be very careful to keep slavery just as it is, but to put down the rebellion, and preserve the Union. And then to make the matter still more perplexing and uncertain, officers in command are strong pro-slavery men, all their sympathies with the South, yet opposed to a separate government. It seemed impossible to have the war conducted successfully, for many in our own ranks are continually working to favor the South, and our armies have been repulsed, and unmercifully slaughtered on account of the management of these pro-slavery men; and some of our leading men in congress are constantly working to favor the South. In this state of things proclamations are issued for national fasts, for prayer that God would bring this war to a speedy and favorable termination. I was then directed to Isaiah 58:5-7: “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” T07 6.3

I saw that these national fasts were an insult to Jehovah. He accepts of no such fasts. The recording angel writes in regard to them: “Ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness.” I was shown how our leading men have treated the poor slaves who have come to them for protection. Angels have recorded it. Instead of breaking their “yoke and letting the oppressed go free,” they have made the yoke more galling for them than when in the servitude of their tyrannical masters. The love of liberty leads the poor slaves to leave their masters, to risk their lives and strike for liberty. They would never venture to leave their masters, and expose themselves to the difficulties and horrors attending their recapture, if they had not as strong a love for liberty as any of us. The escaped slaves endure untold hardships and dangers to obtain their freedom, and as their last hope, with the love of liberty burning in their breasts, they apply to our government for protection, but their confidence has been treated with the utmost contempt. Many of them have been cruelly treated because they committed so great a crime as to dare to make an effort to obtain their freedom. Professed great men, with human hearts, have seen the slaves almost naked and starving, and have abused them, and sent them back to their cruel masters and hopeless bondage again, to suffer inhuman cruelty for daring to seek their liberty. Some of this wretched class they thrust into unwholesome dungeons, to live or die they care not which. They have deprived them of liberty and free air which Heaven has never denied them, and then left them to suffer for food and clothing. In view of all this, proclaim a national fast! Oh what an insult to Jehovah! The Lord saith by the mouth of Isaiah, “Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God.” The escaped slaves have been told by their masters that the Northern men wanted to get possession of them, that they might cruelly treat them; that the abolitionists would treat them worse than they had been treated while in slavery. All manner of horrid stories have been repeated in their ears to make the slaves detest the North, and yet they had a confused idea that some hearts in the North felt for their grievances, and would yet make an effort to help them. This has been the only star which has shed its glimmering light upon their distressed and gloomy bondage. The manner the poor slaves have been treated has led them to believe that their masters have told them the truth in these things. And yet a national fast is proclaimed. Saith the Lord, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” When our nation observes the fast which God has chosen, then will he accept their prayers as far as the war is concerned; but now they enter not into his ear. He turns from them. They are disgusting to him. Those who would “undo the heavy burdens and break every yoke” are managed to be placed under censure, are removed from responsible stations, or their lives planned away by those who fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. T07 7.1

I was shown if the object of this war was to exterminate slavery, then England would have helped the North if desired. But England fully understands the existing feelings in the government, and that the war is not to do away slavery, but merely to preserve the Union. It is not for her interest to have it preserved. This nation has been very proud and independent. The people of this nation have exalted themselves to heaven and have looked down upon monarchical governments and triumphed in their boasted liberty while the institution of slavery was suffered to exist and cherished among this free nation, that was a thousand times worse than any tyranny exercised by a monarchical government. In this land of light a system is cherished, allowing one portion of the human family to enslave another portion, degrading millions of human beings to the level of the brute creation. Its equal is not to be found in heathen lands. T07 9.1

Said the angel, “Hear, O heavens, the cry of the oppressed, and reward the oppressors double according to their deeds.” This nation will yet be humbled into the dust. England is studying whether it is best to take advantage of the present weak condition of our nation, and venture to make war upon her. She is weighing the matter, and trying to sound other nations. She fears if she should commence war abroad, that she would be weak at home, and that other nations would take advantage of her weakness. Other nations are making quiet and yet active preparations for war. Other nations are hoping that England will make war with our nation, for then they would improve the opportunity to be revenged on England for past advantage she has taken, and injustice done them. A portion of the Queen's subjects are waiting a favorable opportunity to break their yoke; but if England thinks it will pay, she will not hesitate a moment to improve her opportunities to exercise her power, and humble our nation. When England does declare war, all nations will have an interest to serve of their own, and there will be general war, general confusion. England is acquainted with the diversity of feeling among those who are seeking to quell the rebellion. She knows well the perplexed condition of our government; she has looked with astonishment at the prosecution of this war; the slow, inefficient moves, the inactivity of our armies, and the ruinous expenses of our nation. The weakness of our nation is fully open before them, and they now conclude that it is because it was not a monarchical government, and they admire their own government, and look down, some with pity, others with contempt upon our nation, which they have regarded the most powerful upon the globe. Had our nation remained united, it would have had strength; but divided it must fall. T07 10.1

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