Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-10-15
The state OF the country.

The state OF the Country.
The picture presented to us, is by no
means an agreeable one. 1t may not be of |
any great benefit TO hold it up for review,
but we cannot hide the terrible scene from
our eyes. Therefore, we may as well look
the facts in the face and be prepared to
meet the events Of the future.
Scarce six months have gone by since
the toesin of war was sounded throughout
our land, yet fearful have been the results (
Of that brief Period. Millions and huns
dteds Of millions of money have been was>
/ ted, and the whole natio2-North, South,
East and West-presents evidences Of the
/ terrible ordeal through which we are pass
ing, Saying nothing of the stagua-
ton Of business, interruption of CONS
merce, the destruction Of individual for~
tunes and the deterioration Of publicimorals,
which have fallen upon our country since
the unnatural struggle commenced, we
find enough in the bloody battle fields of
our unfortunate land. the surieripgs, wounds,
death, and bereavement and sorrow which
have turned thousands Of happy homes into
places Of Of sadness and mourning, TO cause
our heart to sicken.
| Thousands of valuable and precious lives
have been sacrificed TO the madness Of the
,imes, and hundreds Of thousands of brave
hearts are rushing forward to engage in the
appalling conflict. As terrible as may be
Ihe picture that has already been pressn-
ted the future premises to be far more
irightful. Indeed live note the vast prep
aratIons which are being made by the peo-
pie OF both sections Of our country for the
destruction Of life, the worst is yet to come.
Vast armies and unsurpassed armament
are stretched from the chores of the Attain
tic on the dividing line between the bel
hgerent sections to the base Of the Rocky
Mountains. And scarcely day or an
hour passes without the din of battle. On
the borders of the mother of States" and
in our neightoripg State over the Mississ-
ipPi, the most mcmentuous results are
transpiring Never before were such
. immense bodies Of men collected together
on this continent for the preparation Of
deeds Of war, aud blood aud death.
} The future may be weighed by the past.
II the brief period Of FIVE months Of civil
war has brought upon CIR country such a
burden Of sorrow and woe, what may we
not expect if tho struggle should be pro,
iongned for one, two, or half dozen wears.
The trials, burdens and dangers Of the
present hour. in all conscience, are crush4
ing enough butif the bloody work goes
on they will be increased hundred fold
The imagination staggers at the immense
results in store for us and our hearts shud
der as we reflect upon the bloody scenes
that are on the eve Of enactment.
In financial point Of view, the condi-
ton Of our country is as distressing as it is
in a physical. The Secretary of the
Treasury announces that three hundred
millions Of dollars have been already expen
ded in the war. Should the war go on and
the present rate Of expenditures be contin
ued, 1t is obvious that it will not require
many years or even months to exhaust our
national resources aud saddle upon us a
Government debt which Will Cypress the
people tor all coming time.
1t is astounding that notwithstanding
the threatening future and the terrible
past, there is large body Of men in the
North, and many Of them hold important
Government oiices, who maintain that the
war must be carried on until the South
shall be suhjugated and slavery in the
States overthrown! Nevertheless it Is true.
These men shout loudly for the mainieu>
ance Of tie constitution and the Union and
at the same time are advocating the abro-
CATION Of a necessity that exists by virtue
Of them, and which, ifaccomplished, would
make the war and b!oodshed between the
North ard South Of eternal duration.
We rejoice however to be able to say that
President Lincoln and a portion of the
party that elected him 20 power hare risen
above sec,ionalism, and that hereafter they
will actwith the Democratic party in the
terrible crisis. This is cur only hope for
the future. The President in his dealings
with Fremont has shown that he does not
mean to wage the war to destroy the con-
stituli, IA! rights ofthe South. This dec;s
ion, if adhered TO- will deprive the war Of
many Of its horrors, and bring about a
more speedy peace. For cur cakes and for
the sake Of our bleeding country let US hope
that II viii be.