Ellen G. White and Her Critics

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Charge Number 2

Mrs. White’s Civil War “revelation” reflected “the sentiments of those opposed to the Government and the war.” “Her whole message was one of opposition, faultfinding, condemnation, and a prophecy of defeat and final failure,—exactly that of the opponents of Lincoln and his management of the war.” “It [her message of January 4, 1862] is all a bitter denunciation of Lincoln’s administration and his management of the war,” and his appeals for special days of fasting and prayer for victory. EGWC 113.6

The facts are that though the many critics of the government during the war focus upon Lincoln personally, often making him the object of vilification, Mrs. White does not even mention him by name. She very largely concerns herself, when discussing the trend of affairs, with the actions of an array of government leaders and generals who are not named. EGWC 114.1

The mistaken idea is held by many today, that the Civil War was fought by the North with a clear-cut and express purpose from the outset to abolish slavery, and that from the beginning of the war Lincoln was the outspoken advocate of this objective. Hence any criticism of Lincoln’s administration would be a despicable attempt to besmirch a great cause and a great man. Before examining Mrs. White’s statements on the objectives and execution of the war, let us look at the historical record on these points. Listen to these words from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: EGWC 114.2

“At the beginning of the war the people and leaders of the North had not desired to interfere with slavery, but circumstances had been too strong for them. Lincoln had declared that he meant to save the Union as best he could—by preserving slavery, by destroying it or by destroying part and preserving part. Just after the battle of Antietam (Sept. 17, 1862) he issued his proclamation calling on the revolted States to return to their allegiance before the next year, otherwise their slaves would be declared free men. No State returned and the threatened declaration was issued on Jan. 1, 1863.”—Article, “United States of America,” vol. 22, p. 809. (1945 ed., University of Chicago Press.) EGWC 114.3

Another historical authority declares: EGWC 114.4

“Although Abraham Lincoln was a lifelong opponent of the slave system, he reached his great decision to attack the ‘peculiar institution’ of the South only because he felt the success of the Union cause required it. As 1862 and the second year of war progressed, the failure of the North to achieve any decisive military success concentrated greater attention than ever on the issue of emancipation.... EGWC 114.5

“Urged by many to strike a blow at the heart of the Confederacy by emancipating the slaves, Lincoln did not abandon his paramount belief that the great purpose of the war was to preserve the Union. He was fearful of driving from the Union the loyal, slaveholding border states, and he knew that many in the Union armies were not anti-slavery men. In his famous letter EGWC 114.6

of August 22, 1862, he wrote to Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune:

“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.’.... EGWC 115.1

“It was on September 22, 1862, that President Lincoln issued his preliminary Proclamation of Emancipation. By virtue of his authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, he declared that on January 1, 1863, all slaves within any state or district then declared to he in rebellion against the United States ‘shall be then, thenceforth, and forever free.’”—FRANK MONAGHAN, Heritage of Freedom, * pp. 72, 73. EGWC 115.2