Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-06-05
Rahies' department.
Mrs. NJ. Z. G0RMAF, Editress.
This War Is a Necessity

MIS- w o. -
"a s,,d the holy man Of God, on Sabbath
b.t ON whose sacred ministry it is my high
uriyileVc to wait. The words thrilled my in
most soul. and rived my heart with conflicting,
deeply a%gitating reflections. What! this war
of brother against brother, the blood of whose
s;,os had mingled in one common stream, to
purchase FREKDoN's HoME-a common heri-
,ape alike to the heroes of Bunker Hill, of
yorktown, Kings Mountain, and Camden!-
This war Of fratricidal strife between the
children OF Washington and Wayne--of Put
ram and Greene-a war between the sons of
these illustrious sires, a NECESSITY! Can it
DE, Necessary to accomplish what Have
we not stood forth as the brightest example
10 the world, Is the freest the h~appiest
greatest Nation Of the eartb-haying blessings
and privileges, and powers the children of
men never dreamed Of beforeg And is it a
''SRcEssrrY,' that these blessings, privileges,
and powers, must be destroyed, ~abrogated,
lost to the world forever =
Thus ran on my wondering, agonizing
thoughts--and as the tumult Of emotion be-
gan 10 subside, the voice Of calm reason
echoed through thetaansions of my soul-"U
il a necessity F--this w~ar-unnatural, hor-
rible and revolving though 1t be-not that the
precious boons, purchased by a heroic ances.
Try, may be destroyed, but hat they may be
PRESERVED, PERPETUATED and handed down
to our succeeding generations. 10 is q ne
tcssity, so that the hand of tyranny, though
it be that of a brother, may be palsied that
the sacriligious march of the invader, though
he comes under the hypocritical guise. of phi
lanthrophy, may be driven back. It is a ne
eessitB in order to rescue our homes, our
fair heritage, 'the land which the Lord our
God hath given u.s." from the foul desecra-
tons which the vile usurper has threat,
,oned to visit upon US.
Yes, we thank God and take courage, that
the contest in which our fathers, husbands
sons and brothers are engaged is one Of Ne
e%EssIrT, imposed upon them by the holy, pa
triotic teachings Of the blessed Jusas him
self, who when on earth, declared His mis-
sion 10 be "deliverance to the captive" resis-
lance TO oppression and wtong-fleedom Q
CJuscisncc-frocdom from bigolry, supcrsti
ton and false Gods. And by His teaching
the spirit Of christian hcroism was invoked
that has not ceased to dare and do ahat eve
holy patriotism demanded in defending on
holy re~ligion-"our homes, our affairs, an
our fires" Not even the fires of SmithfielC
nor that bell revealed on earth, the Inquis
ton, nor the cold, blooded nun der, done b
a rcmorseless bigot, in the open square
Geneva, nor a thousand such fires, inquis
tons and murders, have been able to drag ii
noble principles He taught, from the holes
most sacred altar of the human soul.
Yes, it Is a nececessity. And it is one tn,
net. Roiyir
vpop the Arm that always defends the Righ
our gallant citizenspldiers viii drive back Il
Goths and Yandals that may pollute our so
and ere many moons shall wax and wane, tn
will return to the homes and hearts
their grateful .coHntrymen and women, a
to the cultivation ofthearts of peace and pr
perity.