Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-30
Civil War.

Miseries ard horrors unparalleled and
unutterable are associated with those two
little words. Scenes Of desolatisn, hatchery
and blood crowd upon the fancy a, their
mention. Not all the combined evils Of
foreign war, -pestilence and famine-not all
the plaques which befel ancient Egypt, can
equal the sum of mischiefs inflicted upon
the cause of humanity and civilization by
the diabolical thing which they express.
The demons of hell let loose upon earth
could not entail upon its inhabitants a more
whitening, unmitigated curse than civil
war The power Of language is insufficient
to adequately paint its slaughters, its de
vastation, or its total depravity. History,
ancient and modern. depicts its terrible
ragages. Its record is the recital Of INDUS
try paralyzed, Of energy AID talent per-
verted, Of treasure wasted Of life wantonIy
and cruolly sacrificed, of Christianity OUT
ragged, of brute force and fsndish hate
usuFping the place of eternal justice and
brotherly love.
And yet, the din of warlike preparations
which resound in every part Of our country,
tell US that civil war is about to plunge
this great, prosperous and happy nation
into the abyss of destruction. In the two
| opposing sections of our country the enthu
siasm for the fratracidal strife appears to
be unbounded Patriotism and reason seem
( to be Ignored in some localities and mad
ness to possess the people. Meetings are
held in every corner in the land, and law
yers, and politicians, and judges. and min-
listers of the Gospel-those of all others who
ought to endeayor to keep alive in the in
most hearts of men warm emotions OF
brotherhood each toward the other-are ap
pealiug to prejudiees, sectional hate and
revenge to provoke the people to deeds Of
blood and havoc. Really it does seem tl
US if the men who are now so earnestly and
eloQuently urging forward others, or pre-
pairing themselves for the encounter, were
sensible of the appalling realities of civi
war, they would not be so fierce for the
affray.
1t is not our purpose, in this article, t,
discuss the question as to which politica
party, or what section of the Union is re-
sponsible for the existing state OF things
1t is enough to know that our once g'oriou,
Republic is about to be exterminated from
the family of natiors, to cause US to rush Il
the rescue. Bat whether the Republic car
be saved by offers of the olive branch o
peace, or resort to the dreaded alterna
tives Of fire and sword, is question to b,
determined. As for ourselves, we are il
favor Of the olive branch policy, as COON a
it can be secured without a sacrifice of ma
tional homer. We have no doubt that thu
government can strike down the rebellion
at the South, but it will be at vast sacrifice
of treasure and life; and history teaches u
that an appeal to the arbitrament of tn,
sword to maintain authority of government
over unwilling subjects, il extremely I'M
certain and hazardous.
Heaven forbid that this nation should b
the scene of internecine strife and BLOOD
for the future. Rather let US hope tina
peaceful counsels may yet prevaiI-thougl
it is almost forlorn hope. Government
as proud and powerful as ours have con.
descended to negotiate with erring subjects
when the grea: interests of civilization anC
humanity were at stake. And though thu
war feeling is rampant, VIC yet have hope
that President Lincoln will have the mora
and physical courage to stem the current Of
popular enthusiasm, and stay the work o.
carnage and save the land from being
dreGched with fraterual blood.