Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-11-12
FROM The Now York r.blsi.
The Crusade of the Constitution.

Ihere will NOT be far from 100 OO0 ra,hoi;..
enlisted IN tue Federal army before the rlosa os
.he year. Every man OF this myriad would Iake
II US mortal offence to be called liar, a coward
or thief Yet ATE there not other onaiit;"s ~,
necessary to complete The patriot soldier 40 co,,
mon honesty, Common truthfulness. and eommon
courage what CONSTITUTES a soldier in the he's,
anu noblest sense What distinguisbes Lin,
beyond mistake from the mere saber,r. the mera
swash'buckler who retaia his blood on tho ha,,io
helu ior so much per drop told down in current
coin cut
The contest in which we are engaged dist,n.
CUISINES Tue American soldier from every other.
since tue clusades, by its essential chafncteris.
tic Of good Jdlh. The very word EcdsroI ss
every school-boy knOws, is derived from ,be
"oru JdHh, and, although the present ia mt a
religious War-an1 must not degenerate into n
iaDatical war-it draws its vital inspiration fron,
those two grand words good faithl Nh II
coin having solemnly sworn "to preserve nro.
tecf, and defend the Constitution Of the iJniied
states, Is, VIC verify believe, tndeayoting TO do
so, in sincere and single-minded pood feith
Private Murphy, Of Company II layipg sworn
iirst as citizen and again as soldier the sclf.
same oath as the President, is now under arms
to fulfil his cath, taken and to be kent in lil,o
good faith. This is not vindictiye war: il ia
not In one sense ga war of IDEAS :" it ia not n
propaganda war; it must not, shall not ne
maue CheeVer-beeeher war; but il was from
the hrst, still is, and ever must be till the end a
war OF conscience and Lonul-in which honest
men, high and low, feeling the awful obligaiion
Of their respective oaibs, are resolved IN dis-
charge those obligations ut all hazards
10 the due discharge Of this high duty weak
good Intentions and brute courage are wholly
insufficient. tue soldier must be sober lisg
Greet, punctuaI, orderly, intelligent. cheerful
ln oil shifts anu resources for the bivouac and
tic encnmpment. great Fiench captain ones
said, /" the first duty of soldier is TO know bou
to make SOUP" But IN military as in civil life.
no sort OF knowledge il burdensome black
smith ought not be more at home among tbe
cavalry thnn every true solder OF every arm
among his comrades. All the rendiness 10 obliga
which constitutes II good ueghbur in peace ale
necessary to constitute good cOmrade in cnmn.
and we are much mistaken in the character of
the Catholic contingent to the constitutional
army If they do not prove themselves as strong
y attached TO their c0lors, their officers ana
each other, as their kindred who compose ,be
French army have long been, when contrasted
with the sulen obedience and estrnnged ranks
of British troops
what we set out to sny in tho present attole
was that to the Catholic colder this war nar.
takes largely of the character of a crusn,Ie IL
Is plhulhg on conscience; It isa war to preserve
authority order, civilization, and peace II
TetuTmu-.
tl0n as well us military discipline it breaks the
strong chain Of old tyrannous associations il
turns over for tens of thousands of men TINT NH
important "new leaf" which is often sighed far
but seldom found, in the old established routine
OF daily indulgence and nightly dissipation
instead OF lamcnling tnat SO many OF our young
men have Joined the new regiments, their rela
'lycs ought rather to rejoice, if, even ut the risk
oi an honorable death, it gives them new and
TreHsuole incentives towards thorough change
OF llie. Nothing, in all the houors won by the
old 09th III Virginia, was 50 really commeniable,
Whs 80 great n gain, ~ solid conquest for them.
us That solemn confession und communion on the
eve ol the baille. So the yiciors of MoRarten
anu Bannockhuru prepared themselves for the
foe so on lhat Good Friday, long centuries
since, the gray haired King of Erin reviewed
his gallant auxiliares, cruciix in hand. on the
SURF botderel meadow of Cloutnrf! So those
glurious soldiers, st. Louis, ST. Martin. 81,
Maurice. and ST. Sebastian, had tbev been
captains to our Catholic heroes, would have do.
lighted to lead them, both by word aud examplel
Ihey found, amid all the occupations and cares
OF camps, ample time for frequent pious nspira,
tloni for examination of Conscience. for dine
performance OF enjoined penance. Living md
moving IN The daily presence of death, they kent
themselves ever pure, ever prepared for the
summons Of the Great Captain Of our salvation.
whose orders no mortal eau disobey, and whose
eye no act Of disobedienoe can escnpe NAV
their lives and examples become the constant
study-may their sainied names become the
familiar invocation of their brave coreligionists.
who have embarked their lives in the crusade OF
the Constitution