Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-05-16

provocations she has manifested spirit of for
bcaranco Unprecedented IN the history of civil
government, forbearance which She could not,
and would not have exercised towards any other
than her own disloyal sons and which demonstrates
/ 10 the world that she Is for peace.
/ And now that she arises IN the naiesty Of ber
strength 10 assert her claims and 70 yindicate her
authority what docs this mean Is II because
she now values peace less, and loves war more p
/ Nay. u is because she has learned new lesson
to the value Of peace and because she Is deierm
incd to have II, not merely H. ne section as oppOs.
/ ed to another, but throughout the whole country
North, South, East and West, even though Il
should cost millions Of her treasures and the blood
of her noble sons
! Again let me ask, what means the general and
! the widespread excitement that lns been started
up within the last few weeks, and why such gen.
eral rush to arms throughout the loyal States p
, What means II that old and long existing party.
lines have all been obterated and lost sight Of
in an almost unbounded patriotism, and that all
hearts beat in unison and all classes and ages and
sexes are ready to contribute their part to yigor.
Gus prosecution of war Is it merely a martial
spirit Is 1t because our citizens love war p
Nay, verify.
Aud we might ask, too. why is It that the pull
pit all over The loyal States is speaking out and
urging our citizens to be strong, aud quit them.
selves like men, and stand up for God and their
native land Is it because the ambassadors of
the Prince of peace love the din Of battle and the
cangor of arms Nay, they in common with all
our soberminded citizens dread war. They dep
recate 1t. War, though sometimes dire necea.
sity, is at all times, and under all circumstances,
calamity, and none so terrible az civil war
The nomp of battle, and the din Of arms
May round period well but to behold
! The mortal struggle, and the rivep shield
To mark how natures hoest, tenderest ties
Are sundered--to recount the childless homes,
| And sinrless babes, and widows early graves,
Made by one victor shout, bids the blood creep
Cold through its channels"
Our citizens, we say, dread war It Is not a
war spirit nota love of warfare that has startled
the tens of thousands Of our countrynien through.
out the loyal states 10 arms. Paradoxcal as il
may seem, it is a love Cf peace, the peace Of the
whole country, and determination to have it
cost what it may.
They love their country, the whole country
North, South, East and West.
They love the Government, the Union, the
whole Union, the Constitution, liberty and laws,
all the noble patrimony purchased by the blood Of
the heroes OF '76, and committed TO their trust ;
and they would hand down unimyaiped its inestma.
BILE bl essings. and peace among the rest to the re-
motest posterty They love her standards, and
they would not see one star snatcbed by ruthless
hand from her time houored flag. They love the
tree of liberty, and they would not see one branch
severed from it by the hand Of violence. They
would say to any and to all that would lay foul
hands upon one branch of it
"Woodman. spare that tired,
Touch not single bough
Il In youth it sheltered me,
And I'll protect it now.n
, I again repeat il ave are for peace, but then
are for Bdr
| And now dcprecating as we most sincerely do,
the dire necessity that il uton M sinca war nnw
seems to be inevitable, what is our duty as citi.
tizen and christian patriots in crisis like this
r And here The answer is already forestalled in
the general, and may say; ufive4 - kouthurst of
! patriotism throughout the loyal States and in an
unyieding determination to maintain the Govern
ment, the Union the Constitution, and the laws
Religion, humanity, our safety at home. and our
respect abroad fidelity to Cod to ourselves, and
to posterity, require us to stand up as one man
for the defense of the Government aud union of
these States and that we seek to transmit unim.
paired to the latest generations the nestimable
blessings which, under kind and fostering provi-
dence, have been bcqueathed to us by our fathers,
and to purchase which they laid down their lives
willing sacrifice upon the alter of their country
To be true to God, to ourselves and to posterity
is the least that We can do. We need ask no
questions now as to whether war might have been
averted by wise and patriotic counsels. The enc
mics of our peace have chosen to abandon the
council chamber and have rashly appealed to the
arbitramenti of the sword. The choice is theirs,
not ours. The responsibility will be theirs too
Under circumstances like these we have no
choice but to meet them And in the name of
the God of our fathers, in the name of religion
justice and humanity, and animated by a heart.
felt patriotism, and inspired by the consciousness
OF the righteousness Of our cause, to stand up like
men in the defense of our God given rights.
Civil government, we believe, is ordinance
appointedby God for the maintenance ofthe peace
and permenancy of society. "The powers that
be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of
/, God"
Civil rulers are'the ministers of God for good"
to them that do good, but "avengers to execute
wrathupon them that do evil. For they bear not the
sword in vain. Obedience therefore to govern
ment and its properly constituted authorities is
obedience to God, and rebellion against these is
rebellion against God
The maintainance of Government Is an impera-
tive duty. The citizen has no choice if he con-
tinues to live under it, and to enjoy its immuni
ties, he is obligated to .loyalty And when the
Government is in danger from foes without foes
Within and he is summoned by the Chief Mags.
trate to arms, to contribute in any way for its
defence it is solemn duty which the citizen owes
to God and to his country, as a christian aud pa
triot to obey that call. To admit the opposite
{ principle, viz That the citizen 1Aay at his OWL
4 option throw off his allegiance to the Govcrnmen,
f under which he continues to live, would be to ad
, init the verJ principle at issue in the present con
test that state, any number of states, has
right ut its own pleasure, to throw off its allegi'
G ancc TO the Government and set up for ITSELF
This believe to be the main point against which
/ the Government is contending. This, once con
ceded, then may county throw off its allegl
ance the state, and the individual citizen throw
off his allegiance to all and set up for himself
a And thus would have society resolved into Its
a primary and original elements.
e Hence, the question to be settled is not one OF
mere sectional or local interest. 1t is not ques
s tion whether slavery as great moral and socia
evil is TO be extended or not to be extended, per
petuatcd or blOtted out. 1t is not question eth
er, whether as nation we could better fulfil our
t allotted destiny by dividing into Northern and
g a Southern Confederacv, each with government
i of its own. But it is question pertaining 10
@ our national life our national existence, a ques
2 ton whether we have such an existence, whether
2 we have government at all.
= If the theory of those who are now in open re
= bellion against the Government be the I ne one
d then our past history has all been a mistake, a
blunder then we have no Coy ernment, aud nev
5 er had one then, too, the Constitution under
If which We live is indeed "a rope Of sand"
:. The theory adopted and acted upon by thos'
l., who hay imposed upon MS the necessity of th'
present war is that strikes at the very vtali
c ty Of the nation. Priceless interests are at stake
l. Have we a Government, Constitution and laws
! tboa ba osoloIl fnhrinS of a vision ~