The Great Visions of Ellen G. White

Contemporary Public Opinion

The majority of American historians would probably agree that on the day of her vision the prevailing mood in the North—the “conventional wisdom”—was to the effect that there would most likely be no civil war and if there were, it would be an exceedingly short one, with Union forces winning a quick victory that would summarily end it all. GVEGW 80.15

Illustrative of this attitude (as well as helping to shape it) was Hinton Rowan Helper’s 1860 book The Impending Crisis of the South. In a calculated manner it sought to reinforce Northern prejudices that their Southern adversaries were a cloddish, doltish race, with little mechanical aptitude, and virtually incapable of illustrious deeds. GVEGW 80.16

He described a Southern funeral in which the hearse was from the North, the harness on the horses was from the North, the coffin was from the North, as was also the horsewhip in the hands of the driver of the hearse! ²³ GVEGW 81.1

Also influential were the published views of Horace Greeley, who editorialized in his New York Tribune in late 1860 that it was preposterous for South Carolina to think of separation from the Union. GVEGW 81.2

He told the story of a Scot lad who had made a hole in his neighbor’s backyard hedge, the better to slip through and steal fruit from the neighbor’s orchard. As the lad began to emerge on the other side, the owner—till now hidden from view—cried out, “Where are you going, sonte?” Whereupon the boy began a retreat as he called out, “Going back again.” GVEGW 81.3

The point was clear; but in case the reader missed it, Greeley made the application: All that was necessary was for someone “with the sternness of Jackson” to say, “South Carolina, where are you going?” And they allegedly would quickly reply, “Back again into the Union!” ²⁴ GVEGW 81.4

For good measure, the next week Greeley continued his harangue: “Talk of South Carolina going out of the Union! A few old women with broomsticks could go down there and beat out all of their rebellion!” ²⁵ GVEGW 81.5

Indeed, after war with the North seemed inevitable, Lincoln clearly envisaged a brief campaign. In his appeal mobilizing militia regiments from loyal states to snuff out this “insurrection,” he sought only 75,000 troops, and those were called up for only a mere 90 days. ²⁶ GVEGW 81.6

In the face of all this “no war” or “quick war” popular sentiment, Ellen White, three months to the day before war actually broke out, made three predictions: 1. There would be war. 2. It would be a long war (large armies on both sides, extremely heavy casualties, prisioners of war languishing in enemy camps, etc.). 3. Parents in her immediate audience that day would lose sons in that war. GVEGW 81.7