The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-09-11
The Trial and the Triumph

We are rapidly, making history /;
more rapidly, perhaps, than it was
ever made before. The hours are
big with destiny. Every moment is
freighted with incidents which must
tell for veal or woe upon the worlds
future. We are passing through one
Of those convulsive throes which hap
pen only at intervals of centuries in
the lives of nations We are going
through q trial which is to decide
whether, in the Providence of God,
we are to continue on our onward and
upward way, or are to be broken and
scattered like the Israelites of old
We are brought face to face with
an issue which is to determine wheth-
er we are. fit to live as a free and indie
pendent power, or ought of right to
pass under the yoke ofasome stronger
and sterner rule.
Measured by the test of actual ,ex-
perience we have lived half century
since November last. The brain reels
in the endeavor to follow the rushing
current of events. Looking back to
the 5eginnig of our troubles, we are
confused by the strange array of fig
ures that crowd the canvas It seems
more like the fantastic visions, of de-
lirium, that the sober array of his
toric fact. We'seem to have lived
in q world of masqnerons Ito have
been hurried along by some unseen
power, and preeipitated upon exper-
fences so strange, and apparently SO
abnormal, as to have had our moral
perceptions stunned. w
Eight months ago, we were a peace
fnl Republic Of thirty odd States
We were never so wealthy, never so
prosperous, never so powerful, never
so able to command respect from our
neighbors. Our present had never
seemed more satisfactory; our future
had never seemed more bright, We
had just pas ed throng contest, ami
mated but bloodless and elected in
in the usual way ruler for the next
four years.
Suddenly we heard a low rumbling
in the Southern sky. A cloud no big
ger than a mans hand appeared over
Charleston. We had seen it often
before, that it hardly attracted a mo-
ment's regard But it blackened and
widened and deepened. until it had
soon spread like pail over South
Carolina, Gathering strength and
blackness, it marched onward, stretch
ing its dark wings to the North, the
East, the West, and the South, and
showering storm and darkness on its
way The whole land shook with, the
might of it's wrath. Terror seized
the boldest. The country was par
alysed The suddenness of its COM
ing.-the rapidity with which it
spread. the devastation which every
where marked its course, caused the
whole world 30 look on with wonder.
Three months from the time of the
first outbreak at Charleston, six stars
had dropped from our national con-
stellation Nearly one-half the States
Of the Union either shot madlyl from
their orbits, or threatened to break
the bands that bound to the central
power, in the course of a single winter.
A Government. which in tho middle
of November was confessedly one of
the first on earth, had on the first Of
March apparently ceased to exist.
But apparently only. The storm
that shook it still RACES, but its fury
is fast being spent. The thunders
still roar, and the lightnings still fash
and Tire clouds still hang dark and
threatening but the sunlight flashes
out from its riffs. and the rainbow
arch spans its wild abyss. We shall
come out of it Scared anG chastened
purer atmosphere will prevail after
it is passed away; and our beloved
country, purged of much that was
dross and impurity, will enter new
and sublime career. a