Deplorable as was the end to which his teachings led, he could not have acquired the influence he wielded over millions of men unless he had been gifted with acute intellect, distinguished by moral excellence, and inspired by the sincerest belief in the righteousness of his cause.
Blaine critiques the consequences of a leader's teachings while recognizing his intellectual and moral qualities.
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As slavery had been the chief inciting cause of disunion, slavery should die.
Of course the Rebellion will never be suppressed in Louisiana if the professed Union men there will neither help to do it nor permit the Government to do it without their help. . . .
But in the treatment of the colored man, now proposed, there was absolute heartlessness and rank injustice.
The deep-seated prejudice against color is assiduously cultivated by the public journals and leads to acts of cruelty, oppression, and murder, which the local authorities are at no pains to prevent or punish.
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