The Last Full Measure (11 page)

Maines grimaced. “Maybe this time we’ll make sure the revolution don’t get stolen. Something sure went wrong last time.”

Chamberlain stared to the east, to where the distant, unseen waters of the Atlantic Ocean rolled, thinking about the British and French warships which patrolled outside of American waters, trying to intercept the slave ships which still sometimes tried to reach American ports. He thought of what Lincoln had said, that slavery had divided the Republic against itself, creating a weakness which those who politicized the US military had exploited, and what Armistead had said, how slave holders too easily accepted the idea of controlling other people as well. “Last time we did not fight to free everyone,” Chamberlain said, “and that laid the foundation for bondage for us all. This time it will be different. Someday this will be a free country for all who live here, and this time it will stay free.”

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The Last Full Measure