How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But he was fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself. If men were equal in America, all these former Poles and English and Czechs and blacks, then they were equal everywhere, and there was really no such thing as a foreigner; there were only free men and slaves. And so it was not even patriotism but a new faith. The Frenchman may fight for France, but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land. (1.2.119)
Chamberlain sees the Union cause as something more than just nationalism. In his view, the Union is defending America, sure—but they're also defending humanity as a whole. They're putting to death the idea that all men are not created equal, and they're trying to turn the Declaration of Independence's promise of equality and liberty into a reality.
Quote #2
"Most of us never saw a black man back home. We think on that, too. But freedom… is not just a word." (1.2.138)
Speaking to his troops—and trying to convince the soldiers who had refused to fight to take up arms again—Chamberlain acknowledges that they might never have seen the people they're fighting to free from slavery. But he insists that the cause is important nevertheless, because freedom is inherently important.
Quote #3
"Well, Jim Kemper kept needling our English friend about why they didn't come and join in with us, it being in their interest and all, and the Englishman said that it was a very touchy subject, since most Englishmen figured the war was all about, ah, slavery, and then old Kemper got a bit outraged and had to explain to him how wrong he was, and Sorrel had some others joined in, but no harm done." (1.4.173)
The British Government didn't know which side to support during the war. In fact, it was leaning towards supporting the South, because Britain wanted to keep trading for the cotton produced there. However, the British had already abolished slavery—making supporting a slave-holding state kind of a sensitive issue.