The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-05-13
TEyTa VOLUME--NUMBER SIS.


must be united. IF views not carried
OUT let us sacrifice private opinion TO
puoiic safety. In the great conflict with Persia.
Athens yielded to Sparta, aud acquiesced in plans
she could not approve, for the sake OF the public
good Nothing could be more dangerous now than
scrambles Tor office and power, and collisions
among the different departments of the Govern.
mcnt We must present united front.
1t Is tuther important that every man should be
ready to work 1t is no time to play the gentle-
man; no time for gAfed leisure All cannot
serve IA the field; but ali can do something 10
help forward the common cause. The young aud
the active, the stout and vigorous should be pre
pared at moments warning for the ranks. The
disposition should be one OF eagerness to 10 en-
pioyed; there should be holding back, no count
/ ing the cost. The man who stands back from the
ranks in these perilous times, because hs is unwi
ing to serve his country as private soldier who
loves his ease more than liberty, his luxuries moro
than MS honor, that man Is dead fly in our pre-.
cious ointment In seasons of great calamity the
ancient pagans accustomed to appense the
anger of their GODS by human sacrifices; aud if thew
had gone upon the principle of selecting those
whose moral lnsignihcance rendered them alike
Offensive to heaven and useless to earth, they would
always have selected these drones, and loaferS
aud cxqni>ltes. A Christian nation cannot
offer them IN sacrifice, but public contempt should
whip them from their lurking holes and compel
them to share the common danger The com.
munly that will cherish such men without rebuke
brings down wrath upon it, They must be forced
to be usefu, to avert the judgments of God from
the patrons OF cowardice and meanness
Public spirit will not have reached the height
which the ex gency demands until wo shall have
renquished all fastidious notions of military eti
quettc, and have come to the point of exnellino
the enemy by any and every means that God has
put IN our power. We arc not fighting for mill.
tary gle:y; we are fighting for home, aud for
national existence. We are not aiming to displav
our skill in tactics and generalship we are aiming
to show ourselves free people, worthy to possess
a9d able to defend the institutions of our fathers.
w hat signifies 1t to us how the foe is vanauished,
provided it ls done? Because we have not
weapons Of the most approved rkmanship. arc
we to sit still and see soil overrun, and our
wives and children driven from their homes
while we have In our hands other weapons that
can equally do the work Of death! Are We to
perish II we cannot conquer by the technical
rules of scientific warfare? Are we to sacrifice
our country to military punctilio? The thought
Is monstrouS. We must be prepared to extem-
roszc expedieuts We must cease to be charv
either about our weapons the means of using
them The end is to drive back our foes. five
cannot procure the best rifles, let US put up with
the common guns of the country if they cannot
be had, with pixies, and axes, and ton,ahawks.
anything that will do the work of death is an
effective instrument in brave mans hand We
should be ready for the regular battle or the par
tlsan sklrmlsh. 1T we are too weak to stand an
engagement in the open field, We can waylay the
foe, and harass aud annoy him. We must pre-
pare ourselves for guerrilla war. The enemy
must be conquered; any method by which we
can honoraby do it must be res0rted TO- This ia
the kind Of spirit which we want to see aroused
among people. With this spirit, they will
never be subdued If driven from the plains.
they will retreat to the mountains; if beaten ia
the field, they will hide in swamps aud marshes,
aud when their enemies are least expecting it,
they will pouncc down upon them in the dashing
exploits Of Sumter, Marion, and Davie II
is only when we have reached this point that pub
lie spirit is commensurate with the Danger
In the second place. we must guard sacredly
against cherishng temper of presunptuous con.
idencc. The cause IS not ours, but Gods; and If
measure its importance only by its accidental
relation to ourselves, may be suffered to perish
for our pride. No nation ever yet achieved any.
thing great that did not regard itself as the in
strument of lofty patriotism aud exalted courage
in the inspiration of religion. The Greeks and
Romans never venturcd upon any enterprise with.
out consulting their gods They felt that they
were safe only they we're persuaded that they
were in alliance with heaven. Man, though Hmi-
ted in space, a:id limited in knowledge is truly
great when he is linked to the Infinite as the
means OF accomplishing lasting ends To be Gods
servant, that is his highest destiny his sublimest
calling. Nations are under the pupilage Of Provi-
dencc; they arc in training themselves, that they
may be the instruments of furthering the pro-
gress of he human race.
PolYbius, the historian, traces the secret Of
Roman greatness to the profound sense Of religion
which constituted striking feature OF the national
character. He calls it, expressly, the frmest
pillar of the Roman State and hc does not hesi-
tate to denounce, as enemies to public order and
pr rpsperty, those Of his own contemporaries
who sought to undermine the sacredncss Of
these convictions. Even Napoleon sustained
his uting ambition by mysterious con-
nection with the invisible world. He was a man
of destiny. 1t is the relation to God. ard His
r yidentia training Of the race, that inparts true
dignity to our struggle; aud We must recognize
ourselves as Gods servants, working out His
glorious ends, shall nfalby be left To
stumble upon the dark mountains Of error. Our
trust in Him must be the real spring Of our heroic
resolution to conquer to die. 4 sentiment of
honor, momcntary enthusiasm, may prompt and
sustain spasmodic exertions Of an extradordiuary
character; but steady vaIor, q self-denying
patriotism, protraeted patience, readiness to do,
and dare, aud suffer, through generation or an
age this comes only from a sublime faith in God.
The worst symptom thar any people can manifest,
Is that Of pride. With nations, as with indiyid-
uals it goes before fall Let us guard against il.
r - AZ.