The lesson of Minnie’s sacrifice is this, that it is braver to suffer with one’s own branch of the human race,—­to feel, that the weaker and the more despised they are, the closer we will cling to them, for the sake of helping them, than to attempt to creep out of all identity with them in their feebleness, for the sake of mere personal advantages, and to do this at the expense of self-respect, and a true manhood, and a truly dignified womanhood, that with whatever gifts we possess, whether they be genius, culture, wealth or social position, we can best serve the interests of our race by a generous and loving diffusion, than by a narrow and selfish isolation which, after all, is only one type of the barbarous and anti-social state.

Notes

1.  The following two paragraphs are for the most part illegible.  I have reproduced below as much of the text as can be deciphered.

The whole South is in a state of excitement [ ... ] [ ] nurture [ ] and re-[ ] high [ ] be for [ ] they are [ ] and only remember they are rebels[? ].

They [urge the         agenda?] and their brothers in their
[mistaken?] folly.  Like the women of Carthage [     ] ancient
and magnificent city was [                                  ]
they were ready to sacrifice their [                 ] and if
need be would have cut [                 but it have been] so
dear to their hearts [                                      ]

2.  The original reads “Josiah.”

3.  The original reads “Joseph.”

4.  The original reads “Josiah.”

5.  The original reads “Josiah.”

6.  The original reads “Anna.”

7.  The original reads “Minnie.”