The Nevada Democrat., 1861-08-31
TILE WAR.

tern shore of the continent, 1t is we'll for the
people to indulge in a retrospective glance
at the past; to watch with vigilant scrutiny
the management of the present, and SO far
as human foresight may, to anticipate and
provide for the exigencies Of the future.
Through a series of calamiIous events, a
local disturbance has leaped q. bound to
the startling dimensions of revolution;
has taken for its aim half the continent, for
its supporters ten millions of people, and
for its sinews whatever of wealth or mate
rial piratical enterprise could secure, or
fanatic and desperate people command.
Since the Inauguration Of this war the
people of the North have passed through
series of illusions. They seem at first to
have fancied that 10 the flag and COnsSitu-
ton of the nation, there was some occult
and potent virtue, that, like the Israelitish
Ark, would blaze forth to blast and destroy
whoever should dare to desecrate. Sumter
dispelled this fancy, and showed the. nation
that bayonets and cannon were necessary to
enforce the respect of traitors, for the flag
however honored, or the Constitution how
ever revered.
Our next great mistake was in estimat-
ing the CONSERVATION of the South at
the exhibition of Northern patriotism that
followed the taking of Sumter. This
was the Fourth of July Of the new war
for freedom; it was the nations renewal of
the fealty vow OF seventy-six. But how
ever encouraging to the patriot, the traitor
saw in this outburst of patriotic zeal and
devotion but the greater necessity for des-
perate exertion, and renewed caution upon
his part; and of this his prudent policy we
have garnered the bloody harvest. We
have fought the Lexington and Bunker Hill
of this war-Long Island and Valley Forge,
with their horrors and disasters, may stand
between us and the Saratoga and Yorktown
which shall seal the rebellion of 1861. For
such struggle as the world rarely sees,
such as this generation has never seen, we
must now nerve ourselves. Not by lofty
eulogy to the flag, nor lond hOsannas to the
party administering the Government, but
by coolly counting the cost, and patrioti-
cally preparing to meet it. The arithmetic
of war is always fearful study, particu-
larly its first lessons. The startling rapidity
with which millions multiply themselves by
tens and hundreds; the lessons taught by
the untitled fields, that four plow-shares
make one sword that ten years of peace
are lost in one of war;-these are the stern
facts that we shall find realized at the end
of this contest, and it is we'll that we pro-
vide for it at the beginning.
To the bogus peace party-tO those who
see in JEFF. Davis nothing to deprecate or
condemn, and in Lincoln nothing to sup
port or sustan-who ask that the Govern
ment shall sheath the sword so justly drawn,
in the scabbard the South has thrown away;
to these we say that the cost of one year of
the war we are now waging will be less
than that of two years of the peace that
would follow the disruption of the republic
To all we say Answer the mendacous
whine against increased taxation by redoub.
led preparation for paying it stand by the
Government in this great contest Just CON-
mencing like patriots and men know what
the share Of your cost will be, and be ready
to meet it, and when the nation calls, be
ready to go. 1t is thus by preparing for
sacrifices, and making them when required,
that we shall attest at once our foresight
and our patriotism, and demonstrate to the
world that we are worthy guardians of
republic whose foundation was laid in sac
rifices, bankruptcy, and disaster.
To those who are pleased 10 term us
doubtful, shaky, secessionist, or traitor, be-
cause we question the political policy that
has led to this war, or the polticalmanage-
ment that he's caused its disasters, we shall
say but little. We have given the sword
and purse of the people into the hands of a
Republican President we have invested
him with unlimited powers we have assu-
med the responsibility of his doubtful, and
applauded to the echo his legal acts. And
with these great resources. and the future
| of the renublic the stake to he fouoht for