The Great War between the Northern and Southern States of<br />America possesses a peculiar interest to us, not only because it was a<br />struggle between two sections of a people akin to us in race and<br />language, but because of the heroic courage with which the weaker<br />party, with ill-fed, ill-clad, ill-equipped regiments, for four years<br />sustained the contest with an adversary not only possessed of<br />immense numerical superiority, but having the command of the sea,<br />and being able to draw its arms and munitions of war from all the<br />manufactories of Europe. Authorities still differ as to the rights of the<br />case. The Confederates firmly believed that the States, having<br />voluntarily united, retained the right of withdrawing from the Union<br />when they considered it for their advantage to do so. The<br />Northerners took the opposite point of view, and an appeal to arms<br />became inevitable.