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His Excellency
Governor Holbrook
BrattleboroVermont

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West Chester Pa.October 3rd 1862His ExcellencyGovernor HolbrookBrattleboro Vt.Dear Sir,

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The mistake of the President to suppose is that the revolution can spend itself within the ordinary limits of political action - that moral ideas can be subjected to motives of policy and [    ] are convenience. If he should succeed in inducing the

slave - states to lay down their arms and send representatives to Congress, the result would be that rebels and patriots would find themselves side by side, on the same level, one no better than the other, and our government would lose all moral force. The leaders of opposite parties would agree to prey upon the country instead of upon each other where mere policy rules without regard to moral principle, all the interests of the state are at the mercy of triflers and importers.

The chief evidence

given to the Jews of the existence of the greatness, the goodness and the power of God. was that He had brought them out of slavery; and it is an act requiring such power that all our moral energies will be necessary to effect it. No power short of a moral power can meet the case. Nor need we fear to exercise this power by the force of arms; for never was there a case where men could be more sure of striking rightly than when the strike against slavery, where they can be more sure of beneficent action for the whole human race

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Southern men, our relatives and brethren, are not fighting against us from option, but from those despotic influences of their institutions over which they can have no control. The pride, arrogance, ignorance and savagery derived from SCavery impell them to fight us; for the rearface between airlining and barbons influences, as exhibited in the constant wars between Christian and barbarons people is inevitable, and cannot succeed until one or the other becomes predominant

Very truly yoursJ. W. Phelps