The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-15
nlisfellonp.
For the Vermont Christian Messenger.
NJ. E. Tract Department,

10 THE CHRISTIAN PATRIoT:--Over one
hundred thousand of our countryman are
mastering to the battle which is to decide
whether our government shall fall into frag-
ments orsbe handed down intact to posterity.
These patriot soldiers have left father and
brother, wife and child, home. business, do.
mcstic comforts, and religious privileges to
fight our battles, to protect our institutions,
to promote our interests. In doing this ter
rible work of war they will encounter priva.
ton, fatigue, disease, and death while in the
field. The government will provide for
their military and material wants. 1t will
also, by the appointment of chaplains par
italy supply their spiritual needs. But it
cannot do all that ought to be done to keep
up the religious and moral tone of our SOL
ders. Piety is not indigenous in the camp,
,, the atmosphere Of war is not favorable to the
growth of divine life. On the contrary,
none but Christians of the true " Ironsides," >"
" Puritan" or " Huguenot" stamp-sturdy
souls who live near the throne Of the eternal
God--can endure its peculiarly powerful
temptations. On this read the testimony Of
chaplain now in the army. He says:
The tendency of soldier life is fearfully
/ demoralizing. Fighting even for good
cause is after all bloody and murderous work.
The loosencss and profanity of camp life is
awful. / saw two Pennsyvanians in Wash
ington, one swearing horribly one Sabbath
morning, the other swearing and bcastly
drunk On talking with them found they
were both professors Of religion, and one of
them was intimately acquainted with Broth
ers G.. and NJ"
This picture so faithfully drawn, is exceed
ngy painful to contemplate. 1t lifts the
curtain little and shows us that the spirit
ual dangers Of the camp are equal to the
physical dangers Of the battle field. Our
men have courage to face and conquer the
latter. They know how to die in their ranks
but they don't know how to be beaten. But
their spiritual adversaries are mightier than
Southern rebels, and will subdue them by
thousands II they are not put thoroughly on
their guard and aided in every possible way
Doubtless the Bible is the best antidote
to the poison of the camp. But the soldier
will not always read it. Something is need
ed to allure him to its pages. Religious
reading answers that purpose admirably
Tracts will do it. The Good Nesus will do
it still more efectually, because it is more
attractive than an ordinary tract. Says an
army chaplain to me in letter:
Nothing is published in tho country 50
fitted to catch the eyes and hearts OF tne
soldiers and fill them with salvation as the
Good Nescs"
Now, Christian patriot, ought We not to
furnish our soldiers literally with this means
&c resistance to their moral and religious
foes While they risk their lives to protect
our earthly interests, shonld we not do every
thing in our power to promote their eternal
welfare ? 10000 copies of the Good Neps
monthly, and 100000 Of our sweet little
tracts for the pocket and Snapsack, would DO
much toward this object 1000 would send
90 600 copies of the Good Ne'os monthly Tor
one wear. $1,000 would pay for 100000 OF
the tracts. Our Tract Society would seno
o,t al, this matter if it had the money. But
T. has not. 1t is scarcely able to meet the
drafts Of our foreign missionaries, to whom
it has made appropriations as they become
1,o II therefore turns to the thousands Of
.triots in Israel, and with fearful eyes and
;mploripg voice solicits special c0''fr'00''o'
of $4,000 for the army. 1t has sent inc
soldiers 10000 pages Of Good Ne''s and
40 900 pages of Words for the h0ar' II
~, I +he means of circulating $500 dollars
18th with no expense beyond the cost OF the
.n.rs and tracts. Reader, how much will
ron rive toward this very desirable obleo.
please send your response in cash TO o. ID
Edwards, 200 Mulberry Street. M 1.
Du""' DANIEL WISE.