The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-04-27
From the Church Journal, n. T.
Civil War.


We cannot but wonder at it ourselves
Only few months ago at such profound
peace, that many forts were suffered to be
entirely unocupied, and the distribution
of arms was matter of too much indif-
ference to be inquired about: and no0, di-
agrams of forts and batteries are in all the
daily papers, cuts of forts and batteries
are in every illustrated weekly, and the
whole land is resolving itself with fearful
celebrity ard terrible determination into
two vast hostile camps The very idea is
so abhorrent to all the national instincts,
so utterly contrary to all our national ex-
perience, that it has been out of the ques-
ton to get people to believe in the possi-
b:iity Of such thing, until war is actually
begun
1t is not our province to express any
opinion as to the political issues by which
the present woiul state Of affairs was
brought about Probably no ten men.
could be found in the country who would
give exactly the same account of them
On this part Of the subject we make only
two remarks: One is, that if the South
as q body now entertained the same ol In
ion of slavery as their Revolutionary an
cestors, our present difficulties would not
exist. And the other is, that if the North
were as free from unscriptural fanaticism
on the subject as their Revolutionary an.
cestors, cur present difficulties would have
equally impossible. Changes. and great
changes, have taken place in both sections
of the country: and these differences,
unhappily and recklessly forced into poll
tics, and there made dominant issues by
men who have long made politics their vo-
cation, have prepared the way for all we
l. d.,
it is not for us further to enlarge upon the
story of this great quarrel. Rather let us
look at it from another point of view, and
see, not so much how it came about, but
rather who. Il means. The past is past. If
we learn what the whole great calamity
,aeanS, we shall be in a better position
rightly to make use of the present and
the future, which are alone within our
power.
Civil war is the greatest of national cal
amities, and is the punishment of great
and crying national sins. AS a nation,
have we not many and great national sins?
First look at our pride and boas,ing,-
constant habits of ours which have made
us a byeword to Christendom Resting
upon the free votes of the people, our
Government hes been declared by our
selves the great model for Government;
everywhere, in all nations, and under all
circumstances. The most ancient thrones
the most estimable Kings, Queens, and
/ Emperors, no matter how popular among
their own contented peoples, have been
looked down upon by us as remnants of
feudaism and the Dark Ages; and our
own model has been proposed for their
close imitation, no matter how abhorrent
it may be from their national instincts
and traditions. We have been utterly
blind TO tho idea that different systems of
government may be best for different ma
, tions and countries and have felt sure
that our plan was the only true one for
all. The American spread eagle has alb
solutely given n name TO style of oratory
which is no honor TO any nation, and has
been characterize with Us. This our proud
spirit has gone before our fall. The world
! now looks upon the boasters. who vaunsed
| that civil war or disruption of the Repub-
| lie was impossible because the People were
/ sovereign and because the Constitution
! provided for its own amendment in a
/ pcacetul way, and because, from the clear
! de,aarcation between the powers Of the
General Government and the States, there
/ could be no serious conflict between them:
the world looks on now, We say, and sees
This splendid country, matchless In the
history of the world for the rapidtv and
energy of its growth, apparently sundered
bv a final dinemberment with fifty
thousand men in arms in one section
seventy-five thousand called for in anoth
er. while from Maine TO Texas is heard
the perpetual roll of the drum, mastering
brethren TO fly to arms against brethren
. Only few weeks ago, and the United
States of America We're the cynosure o
all the struggling nationalities of Europe
The sufferers from the tyrranies of the
Old World have looked to us with lovinl
hearts and longing eyes Every ship tina
crossed the great deep brought sons O
foreigners to our shores, who were only
too glad to renounce forever the sight o
their dear native land, taking this fai
America as dearer to them than the coun
/. trv where they and their forefathers wer
born There was not a Parliament o
Legislative Chamber in Europe where tn
powerful impulse given by this our Littl
Giant of nation was not felt, by a stead
= and gradually Increasing Influence to
E plain and palpab,e to be denied An
r Just in the height Of her glory,-just a
t France is rseaining portion Of freedom
q 2 under Napoleon,-As Italy is throwing o
the ntolerable Tyranny Of the Bourbon
and is emerging into new life, the sor
e of which is that national unity which "
j. are madly hipging away,-as Hungar
/, and Poland are tracing themselves up
:. u struggle, and about to plunge once NOR
into that fiery ordeal of war in order
;. gain the liberty, which We pay the sam
. fearful price to destroy-as even the dow
trodden Christians of the East, Ion
ground into the dust by the insolelt an
merciless Turk, find the yoke of their ol
9 pressors SO rotted away that they hop
soon to shake it off forever er:-just at tn
moment, our proud standard, that W
fondly saw leading the van of this gloriou
procession of the Nations twards Libert,
is trailed ominously into the dust; il
> bright colors are dabbled in brother
blood; its bright starsgo suddenly down int
darkness. How art thou fallen, o Lucifel
Son of the Morning!
. We have been intoxicated with the ide
0 that the Peopie are sovereign; that the.
are the source of all civil power: and W
= have pushed this doctrine to such an el
:. tent as to forget that the powers that b
4 are ordained of God" The result has bee
first of all, the diminishingif if not destro!
y ing of all reverence for our rulers. VIZ
= the people-have felt that we have mad
the rulers, and can unmake them AGAR
We have called them our servants. w
know how base and contemplate were Tn
motives with which we selected them an
:, voted them in; and we have despise
). them accordingly. Nay more Findin
, that /" the People were easily tickled wit
!. the idea of their own Importance, and tn
better pleased the more was left to them
the idea that everything should be don
by popular suffrage has been absurdiy ru
:, into the ground. The number and variet
!. of officers to be voted for is now 80 grea
that-with two or more candidates fe
d each-no man but a politician by trad
has even so much as heard the names (
all the candidates up, much less is able