This collection of works by James Russell Lowell examines the profound political and moral crises of the United States during the era of the Civil War. Lowell analyzes the hypocrisy of institutions like the American Tract Society, which compromised its moral stance on slavery to preserve revenues and appease southern interests. He argues that moral wrongs cannot be localized or justified by legal quibbles, asserting that the conscience of man is more sacred than ancient precedents or political compromises.
The volume addresses the crucial presidential election of eighteen hundred and sixty, framing it as a turning point between two conflicting theories of society and human rights. Lowell lambesses the moral degradation of the North resulting from decades of political concessions to the slaveholding power. He exposes the fallacies of the constitutional arguments used to defend slavery and assert equal rights in the territories, demonstrating how the extension of slavery inevitably excludes free labor and degrades the commonwealth.
Throughout these essays and poems, Lowell insists that true conservatism consists in returning to the moral principles upon which the republic was founded, rather than drifting with the current of evil times. He views the inevitable conflict not as a sectional dispute, but as a moral crusade springing from the spirit of Christianity and human freedom. The later writings capture the paralysis of the Buchanan administration and celebrate the sudden awakening of national unity and purpose when the war finally began.
Lowell reflects on the military leadership of the period, offering a critical analysis of General McClellan's peninsula campaign and his political aspirations. He argues that McClellan's excessive caution and political distractions unfitted him for the decisive action demanded by the crisis. The collection concludes with an inspiring view of the national trial as a crucible that purified public sentiment and reaffirmed the supremacy of just authority over rebellion and chaos.
