The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-06-01

stood helpless, locking or, and could Int no
hand TO save. The nation seemed IKE 2
noble ship that had run upon focE, ana
oniy waited TO decay and tau away piece
meal. or to be dashed into fragments by the
wares. Treason grew strong while To.
Government grew weak. Among the real
friends Of the Republic there were dlsisions
and ouarrels that encouraged the traitors.
Il was ruder such circumstances that the
RsprhIic seemed to have no cohesion and no
power, and il is not to be wondered At that
Americans felt ashamed OF their country,
and learned to look upon republican instl-
tu;ioos q, ssupendous failure. Thus last
ed until q gun vas fred upon fort OF the
Republic, 10 which we're cooped Up some
haIf.ssayyed United States troops. and then,
in an instant, the Republic became strong:
All those Who loved the Government united
their hearts and hands, and swore that they
would sustain is. Political differences were
ali forgotten in common devotion to the
country. and from that moment the victory
Of law over anarchy. Of liberty over des-
po,ism, Of legitimate power over treason,
became certain. And then this same weak
Republic. Suddenly made invincibly strong,
exhibited such a development OF resources
a. would not be possible By any other Gov
erpmsn. on the face Of the earth. An army
vas improYised, and marched to the Capt.
| tai Of the Nation, through every possible
obstacle. before treason could strike blow,
and while t was still gaping with wonder.
Il is blu. little over four weeks since the
| Presiden. called for troops, and the work
| Of mensbs-almos. Of years has been per-
| formed. II has been in the arming, clothing
and dispa.ching Of these troops that the
superiority of the Republic has been spec.
| ial!y N anifess. Towns, Counties and States
/ took the call, and went to work, raising in
the aggregate millions upon millions of dol
lars, clothing and sending off their men,
There was no circumlocution office to be
consulted. The President wanted men, and
be had them armed and ready for duty al.
most at the moments notice. To day there
are three hundred thousand men ready for
the field, anxious to meet their country's
foes, ready for any sacrifice. They are not
the hireling soldiers Of regular army, but
they are the working, thinking men of the
nation-men who can do anything, from
arranging Geographic battery to writing
sonnes-from sailing war frigate to
| building railroad. Out of seeming chaos,
this army has been made in four weeks
They cluster around the national capital,
| they throng into seaside forts, they super
intend and rebuild highways, and are ready
to commence operations for the recovery Of
PROPERTY plundered from the Government.
No other Government, and no other form
of Government, could have done what the
American people have accomplished in
twenty days. 1t is apparent, now, to US,
and must be apparent to Che world, that
there can be no Government SO strong as
Republic when it is united. Every State
and town, in an emergency, assumes its own
division of labor, and every man feels his
personal responsibility. A Government BY
the people calls for the support of the peo-
pie; and without formality, without COM
plicated machinery, with DO delay, they rush
to the post Of duty. England, or France,
or Austria, or Russia could not have done
what we have done. They have their stand
ing armies, and when those are regarded a.
on "war footing" takes them longer to
move them than it has taken to raise and
move our army. The time will come when
this grand uprising of the North for the dc.
fence of the country, this outpouring Of
men and money; this immediate fitting on,
Of On immense force prepared to do battle
with trained troops, this overwhelming en-.
thusiasm, will be regarded as one Of the
most remarkable events of human history,
not only, but as one.,of the most striking
illustrations of the streDgth-the peculiar
strengthen Republic. II is an event to
which We can point the nations of the world
with legitimate pride. For ourselves, we
can learn from the movements of the past
few months that the weakest Government
in the world, when divided in policy, opin-
ion and sympathy, is Republic, while
nothing but Republic united in the ma.
jorty Of its people as ours is to-day, would
be able to withstand the shock of treson
like that which it is called upon to put
down?