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So we see the northern states were divided on the slavery issues, with some taking the abolitionist stand while others merely wanted to stop it from spreading into the new territories, but did not want to upset the economic stability of the south. "Preserve the Union" was the battlecry"
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860. He vowed to keep the country united and the new western territories free from slavery. Despite Lincoln’s promise to not interfere with slavery in the South, many Southerners were afraid that he was not sympathetic to their way of life and would not treat them fairly. Lincoln’s personal and political views of slavery were evolving, but at this point he was primarily concerned with keeping the United States together as one nation.
The North did not start the war to free slaves. (Even though there were northerners who THOUGHT this was the aim, a study of the political situation show the FREEING OF SLAVES was NOT the reason the North went to war against the south.) The South however, were fearful of losing the right to own slaves if they remained in the Union.
In fact "escaped slaves" who risked everything to flee to the north, were captured by northern law enforcers and shipped back to their owners! During the 1800’s many slaves escaped from the South to freedom in the North. Even once the slaves reached the North they were not safe because of the Fugitive Slave Laws which gave the southern slave owners the right to track down their escaped slaves in the north. Further, anyone caught assisting an escaped slave faced harsh penalties and long prison sentences.
Not till Lincoln made the final declaration that slaves were to be free, could God's favor be on the north and they eventually won.
A Warning From a Prophet, or Just Bitter Denunciation
Historical Background
A Warning Message, or a Bitter Denunciation Message?
Divided It Will Fall
England Thinking About Attacking USA During Civil War
The Timing of EGW's messages on the Civil War
The Vision at Parksville, Michigan, and it's fulfilment
National Fast not Acceptable, What Fast did God Want?
Will Slavery be Revived in the South?
First we need to look at the general history in order to understand what Ellen White wrote. There are points which we must keep in mind as look at the accusations brought against her:
After the Constitution was adopted in 1789, creating one nation, differences between the states had been worked out through compromises. By 1861 the following differences between the Northern States (which include the Mid-western and Western States) and the Southern States had become so great that compromise would no longer work.
2. States Rights- In the years before the Civil War, the balance of political power in the Federal Government, centered in Washington, D.C., was changing. The Northern and Mid-Western States were becoming more and more powerful as their population increased. This meant that the Southern States were losing political power in the Federal government and southern politicians felt that their interests were not being served.
3. Economic Jealousy The depression following 1837 economic "panic" emphasized the disparity between northern and southern economies. Before and after the depression the economy of the South prospered. Southern cotton sold abroad totalled 57% of all American exports before the war. The Panic of 1857 devastated the North and left the South virtually untouched. The clash of a wealthy, agricultural South and a poorer, industrial North was intensified by abolitionists who used the class struggle to further their cause.
4. Slavery-Agriculture was the South’s primary industry and cotton the primary farm product. Not having machinery it took much labor to work the fields. The South thought it their constitutional right to own slaves, while many in the north a growing abolitionist movement was developing.
5. Expansion Plans Lincoln's platform was not to destroy slavery in the South, but to prevent its spread into new states. This was unacceptable to the South, who believed they had as much a right to expand their culture as the North. Lacking the economic and imperialist expansion pressures, it is possible that the issue would not have come to blows.
The South was upset because Lincoln came to the presidency mainly on "northern" votes, however they were wrong to assume Lincoln intended to free the slaves. He had never advocated action to abolish slavery nor did he speak out against the Illinois rules prohibiting blacks from testifying against whites. In his inaugural address Lincoln made it clear he would not interfere with slavery where it existed. Even though he made this speech after the South seceded he left the door open for their return.
There were northern generals who had no intentions of freeing any slaves and were right disturbed that others thought this should be done.
ACCUSED:
Cannot God see the end from the beginning? Could God not see the United States would not be divided and fall? Could God not see England would not declare war against the United States?
The following quote was written during the civil war. Sister White had no message from God for President Lincoln, instead she mocked his call to the Nation for prayer and fasting: "A national fast is proclaimed! Oh, what an insult to Jehovah!" ("Testimonies," Vol. I., p. 257).
What Sister White did say she received from God during the nation's crises of civil war, the statements "divided it must fall" and "when England does declare war", came to naught. It is all a bitter denunciation of Lincoln's administration and his management of the war. Every move had been wrong, and only defeat was prophesied. But the verdict of history is that Lincoln was one of the wisest and most successful men who ever led a nation through a crisis.
Why does the church still publish this stuff?
“Said the angel: "Hear, O heavens, the cry of the oppressed, and reward the oppressors double according to their deeds." This nation will yet be humbled into the dust.
To get the message Ellen White wrote in it's full context see Ellen White's Writings on the Civil War,
Let’s look at a few facts in relation to these accusations against EGW.
First we must establish the fact that a prophet is not a psychic. A prophet’s messages have to do with issues dealing with a person’s, or a nation’s, relationship to God, and with their Christian walk. Thus we see EGW's message more concerned with the attitudes the population had at the time of writing--addressing the "now condition" and where those attitudes would lead, IF they were not changed. While a psychic deals with speculating about what is going to happen to famous individuals etc. a prophet is given messages of warning and reproof in the hopes that a change will take place. There was no way that God could bless the war efforts under the conditions they were then being conducted and it would be totally out of character for God to send a message of "assurance that all would end well". It is exactly the message people think EGW should have given which would have been the message of a false prophet, for all would NOT BE WELL as long as the country continued the way they were going.
Now the accuser says EGW's comments were "a bitter denunciation of Lincoln's administration and his management", yet Mrs. White does not even mention him by name. She is concerned about the trend of affairs, and the actions of an array of government leaders and generals and the conditions then prevailing which was costing the lives of thousands. (More than 600,000 men gave their lives for their country in this war. This is more lives lost in one war than in all wars and conflicts combined following this period in time.}
Ellen White was not merely repeating "bitter denunciation against Lincoln". In fact many of the vicious attacks directed against Lincoln and his administration by his political opponents were not made because he failed to take a decided stand against slavery. Frank Monaghan in "Heritage of Freedom" writes: "Many in the Union Armies were not anti-slavery men." Many business men in the North were not anti-slavery either, they wanted the business with the South and had no desire to disturb the economy of the rich Southerners. In fact, Lloyd Garrison, founder of the abolitionist movement, was (in 1835) dragged through the streets with a halter around his neck--not in a Southern city but in Boston. The mob was so vicious, the mayor put Garrison in prison "for his protection" and even enroute to prison the mob beat on his carriage.
Accused:
Mrs. White wrote: "Had our nation remained united, it would have had strength; but divided it must fall." 1T 260 No such thing happened. It was not divided, nor did it fall.
As a warning to the United States, no statement was more true than the,"Divided it must fall" statement. The reason the South was victorious in so many of the early battles was not because they had larger or better armies. The North far outnumbered them in men and equipment. The repeated successes of the South was the result of their unity in fighting for their freedom from the North. The North lost many battles and men because of their divisions and disunity. Did Ellen White consign the Government to defeat and collapse? No, but if the North remained divided as to it's purposes in the war, they would not, could not win. As long as the country was divided it was destroying itself.
Accused:
In 1862 EGW predicted that "when England does declare war [against the North] all nations will have an interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war, general confusion." The result will be that "this nation (the United States) will be humbled into the dust." (1T. 259)
History shows that England did not "declare war" against the United States during the Civil War, and United States was not "humbled into the dust.
Again one must read the sentence in it's context.
The point again returns -- IF the North [United States government] had continued it's course of merely seeking to preserve the union without addressing the divisive issues, and not taken a united stand against slavery, all these warning predictions would have come true.
A similar use of the word "when" is found on the preceding page of this testimony which puts all this into perspective:
Remember, EGW wrote the above words on August 3, 1861, at this point the North was still confident of a quick and easy victory. Were they "humbled to the dust"?
The Dates of Ellen White's Civil War Visions
Now let’s look at some dates:At the time of EGW’s first vision on the civil war, three months before the first shots were fired, the general feeling in America was that there would most likely be no civil war and if there were, it would be short, with Union forces winning a quick victory that would end the problem.
Ellen White's First Vision about the Civil War and It's Fulfilment
General Conference Bulletin GCD.1893-01 (page 506 Vol. 2 EGW Periodical Resource Collection)
JAN. 12, 1861, JUST THREE MONTHS TO A DAY BEFORE THE FIRST GUN WAS FIRED ON FORT SUMPTER, THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MEETING-HOUSE IN PARKVILLE, MICH., WAS DEDICATED. AT THE CLOSE OF A DISCOURSE BY ELDER WHITE, SISTER WHITE GAVE A STIRRING EXHORTATION, AFTER WHICH SHE TOOK HER SEAT IN A CHAIR. IN THIS POSITION SHE WAS TAKEN OFF IN VISION. THE HOUSE WAS CROWDED WITH PEOPLE, AND IT WAS A MOST SOLEMN PLACE TO BE IN. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE VISION, SHE AROSE, AND LOOKING ABOUT THE HOUSE SHE SAID:--
Almost exactly one year after the Parkville church dedication, another meeting was taking place in Parkville. Present were two men who had heard Ellen White’s prediction of a certain, long war, with local SDA families suffering casualties. Their immediate reaction to her words had been total disbelief. Now a year later, they simply sat there sobbing, as they were reminded of the earlier prediction. Only six week previously one of these men had buried his only son, a victim of the war. The man sitting beside him had also lost a son in the war and had a second one facing an extremely doubtful future in a rebel prisoner of war camp.
What Type of Fast Will God Accept?
The north was at that point totally divided on whether they should free the slaves or no.
As we noted in the historical background section, the north was more interested in "saving the union", then freeing the slaves. While they didn't approve of establishing any new "slave" territories, they didn't really want to "undo" the southern economy either.
Here is a letter written by Lincoln himself August 22, 1862.
It is true that in the vision God revealed to Ellen White that He could not honour the fasting and prayers --
This is a Biblical principle--
God could not bless the north till they made their commitment to free the slaves.
We have fasted, say they, why don't you take notice? We have sacrificed ourselves, why don't aren't you impressed?
I will tell you why, for in the day of your fast you find pleasure in evil, and keep right on oppressing your workers.
Look, you fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: . This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
Is it such a fast that I have chosen? This doing penance and bowing down his head as a bulrush, and spreading sackcloth and ashes under him? do you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
No, the kind of fast that I have chosen is to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
In his book, "Great Second Advent Movement," Elder Loughborough in speaking of this matter, says:
Mrs. White goes on: "They [the soldiers] inquire, 'If we succeed in quelling the rebellion, what has been gained?' They can only answer discouragingly, 'Nothing'" (p. 255). Fine language to encourage Mr. Lincoln, the soldiers and the North in the dark hour of their need! She continues: "The system of slavery, which has ruined our nation, is left to live and stir up another rebellion" (same page). A plain, false prophecy. No such thing happened, as all now know.
Strange how things are presented out of context here to make it appear there is a "failed prophecy".
Until the North committed to freeing the slave it WAS only to save the union. The country was in a valley of decision-- EVERYTHING as to the outcome DEPENDED on that decision. Once the commitment was made-- how fast the war was won!
The North at this time has NOT made a commitment to free the slaves. Yet bloody battles, with great lose of life are being raged. 600,000 men lost their lives in that war. What for? Have the soldiers who are giving their lives no right to ask? If slavery is preserved any peace and bringing together of the union would be just a bandage solution over a smoldering sore.
The soldiers had every right to inquire, "If we succeed in quelling the rebellion, what has been gained?"
The accuser is worried about Lincoln being "discouraged", what about the men in the field being discouraged because Lincoln and the guys in the office as well as the generals leading the armies, would not commit to freeing the slaves, but were merely saying they wanted to save the union. What about all those wives and mothers and sisters in every town and village mourning the loss of a loved one. Why? All because the north was divided and would not commit to freeing the slaves. EGW is dealing with the reality of the situation.
The above quote was taken from a letter written to "missionaries" working for the freed colored peoples in the South. The issue was over the "Sunday Laws" which were being enforced in the south, and whether or not to teach the black people to defy the no work restriction on Sundays.
So we see a connection being made between "revived slavery" and a spirit that seeks to accuse the black person of defying the laws, by which the southern whites can justify themselves in placing him back into "slavery".
It is our desire that this prophecy does not come true, and that it was only a warning to be careful to avoid trouble.
Prison Gangs forced to labour, have been reinstituted. Alabama lead the way in 1995, then "outlawed" chaining the prisoners together, but the prison work gang still have their own legs chained together as they go out to do "free labour". Hear this cry from a black prisoner:
Now, Alabama has stepped back into the morbid, repressive past, to recoup the sagging political futures of some pitiful public representatives.
For 12 gruelling hours a day men in chains, chafing, biting leg irons, slash and chop at weeds, making Alabama beautiful for tourists. While the highways of 'Bama are beautified, their treatment of sentient humans are uglified. As an act of State power, corrections are a synonym for 'humiliation', a legislative echo of degradation.
SWK.07
Go to Main Page for articles on Ellen White.
When we read the quote in context we see it is in connection with Sunday laws. Ellen White cautions them NOT to encourage the blacks to openly work on Sunday for it would stir up prejudice and give occasion for unnecessary trouble.
However, it could happen for "the spirit of slavery" and "white supremacy" is indeed very much alive, as you can see from this posting.
Lake City, Florida
White Revolution takes to the streets!
White Revolution invites you to help support southern heritage and pro White Confederate sentiment.
Parade scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM. White Revolution members and supporters will be on hand to support the pro-Confederate Whites and pass out White Nationalist literature to those who are gathered to observe the parade.
Often when Sabbath-keepers in the Southern states are arrested for working on Sunday, they are sent to the chain-gang, where they are forced to work on the Sabbath.
Church members and priests and rulers will combine to organize secret societies to work in their land to whip, imprison, and destroy the lives of the colored race. History will be repeated.