Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1861-08-29
From the Louisville Journal.
THE HORRORS OF WAR-THE DU
TIES OF CITIZENSHIP.

THE HORRORS OF WAR-THE- DU
Il TIES OF CITIZENSHIP.
In that immortal oraiion of Demos
themes. DECoRoNA, which, by universe
consent. has been adjudged the highes
effort OF eloquence ever made, there
are lessons OF the deepest import fol
The present hour OF the United States.
Amidst the timid. hesitating, iII-Iormed,
crude vacillations that seize upon the
public mind in facing the calamiiies
that secessionism with all its brood oil
horrors has brought upon this land OF
freedom, this sanctuary Of law, this
temple of constitutional liberty, the
people need, and should heed, the pa
;riotic lessons uttered by Demosthenes
upon the great occasion to which we
have referred. We all should recog-
nize the facts. that there are blessings
more priceless than wealth, forces more
vigorous and enduring than trade. and
calsmities greater than death. With
sublimity that will move the hearts of
men, while manhood dwells upon the
earth, Demosthenes summons Mara
thou, Platea, and Salsmis. 10 bear tes-
timony 10 this primal truth of National
existence and dignity: 'lo have for
eign dominion obtruded upon Greece is
an overwhelming calamity; but to have
this accomplished without strenuous re-
sistance would be calamity aggrava-
ted by dishonor." This is the very
lesson that the American people must
now learn in all its amplitude, in all its
demands, in all its fullness of the -exer.
tions, the endurance, the forlitude, The
hopefulness, and patience that may be
required. The struggle now on our
hands is struggle for national exist
ence; the life- blood Of representative
government, yea, Of freedom itself, is
involved in the strife. and il we, as
men, value the consequences, we must
meet the conflict in all.the perfectness
Of manhood. Ours is no holiday free
dom now; our independence does not |
now repose upon beds Of roses. nor
do its, nights luxuriais in .ihe SuIeet
murmftings cf lbe luie. All that
na1ze< EIe <<17<z possessing. all that is /
dtz) <ress'an, all tina. gives digni-
T. - <|1sh;f and consecrates bu-
Inacit5 q zkzress, are intimately andd
idissoInbly associated wilk the present |
s.tpeg5s. Let the conflict terminate as
if may, fhe:eost TO bob parties will be
great. ss,sef;fees must be made, ca
iaHiiiss n6st be net sad endaree but
i lfs> jQzzice, jrfs Ion, and law ri. !
alton. MeHTo7s ssyes to dwell upon the /
deeds of The Revolutionary struggle, !
but, while we look upon the golden
tinted results of that conflict, We are
apt to forget the virtues that won and
secured those results; we forget the
dark tempest that lowered. year after
year. over the fortunes Of our forefath
ers, the bitterness Of death that was
borne, the csiamiIies that were often
thrown across the path Of the cause Of
the terrible, and, at
times, crushing desolation that seemed
almost to overwhelm hope. But the
founders OF the American Union en-
dured all the misfortunes, trials, rever-
ses, Affections, and calamities OF a seven
years struggle, and manfully bore up
under all these troubles rather than
abate a jot of their claim to each and
everything that would secure to them
institutions of their own, that would
secure them name and place among
the nations Of the earth. This was
their ideal, it is our reality. For this
ideal the men Of the Revolution en-
dured bravely and firmly all present
Affections under the hope Of coming
blessings; year after year Of darkness
wore away its dreary hours, until at
last the sufferers Of the Revolution re-
ceived the reward which their vigils,
forlitude, and perseverance had dearly
earned. From the gloom Of the past
they saw
might wane-the vapOrs round the noun
tain curled
Melt into morn. and Light awoke the world"
The sufferers became the founders of
an Empire, of which We are the inheri-
tors. A Constitution almost perfect in
its character ordained institutions Of le-
gal freedom.
"The anchor of our purest thoughts, the nurse, .
The guide, the guardian OF our heart; and soul I
OF all our civic being"
and revolving years have found this
"soul Of all our civic being" ever at
its post. keeping vigils for the welfare
Of freemen. Are these treasures Of
freedom to be madly thrown away?
Is the tempest Of rebellion to uproot all
the forest oaks?
Let us learn wisdom from the past.
While Athens was struggling for ma
tional existence in the second and third
years of the Peloponnessian war. a
celebrated pestilence swept over Attica
and poured desolation upon Athens
and upon her distant army. In the
midst Of these cslamities. popular in
dignation was turned against the great
statesman of Athens, Pericles, as the
author of all the public distresses. He
was fined and excluded from reelection
to his Office of strategus. He was up
wards Of sixty years Of age, and was
weighed down with public and private
Affections. While the popular pesti-
lence was trying to destroy him. the
plague was carrying off the most illus
,r;or- and ueaf,l of his noIitisal friends