Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-09-07
AS THE DAY IS, SO SHALL THE
STRENGTH BE.
ny Z. 9. ARTHUR.

War! The very word sent shudder to the
heart of Mrs. Irwin. From child up. it had
been associated In her mind with all that was
horrible and wicked. To become O soldier,
seemed to her perception of the case to involve
cruel instinct, She saw no glory in the pro-
fession of arms. Toy drums and swords were
never In the hands of her children, except
through the unwelcome agency of sunts, uncles
or friendsj and they were in these eases soon
removed, with sober homilies on their bad sig
niAcance.
IL will teach my children" she would say,
"to love their enemies; not to bate and destroy
them. To be ever on the side of peace and
good will to mankind; not on the side of hatred
and destruction"
Mrs Irwin read tracts and books published by
the peace society, and in arguments ag gaiDst war
crowded her mind with facts, statistics and
reaeous to degree that made her aformidabe
debater on the non-combstive question, with
almost any one that happened to be drawn into
an argument 1t was useless to talk with her
about the undying sntagoniem between good
and evil, and the necessity OF external as In
ternal combats; of national regeneration through
the baptism of blood; OF q stable peace only
through the destruction of enemies She de.
MED the destruction of enemies. She denied
the positions. ALI wars were wrong, che con-
tended, and might be avoided.
Nor in anything had Mrs. Irwin sWerved
from her peace principles, up to the period
when Sumpter fell. But that event wss like
throwing suddenly into strong smooth cur
rent, broad obstruction. Her whole being
was in tumult. She caught her breath like
one in danger of suffocstion. She felt as
though the firm foundations on which che had
been standing for years, were crumbling under
her feet. Mrs. Irwin loved her country, end
revered its flag; and this assault upon one, and
desecration of the other, fred her soul with in
diguatioD; and when her Oldest boy, not yet IN
bis twenty first year, said to her with clnched
hands and flashing eyes,
"Mother, this must be svenged!"
She did not answer, but sat, with pale lips
and face, looking at him in such trouble snd
bewilderment OF mind that no thoughts became
coherent enough for words, until he added, al
he drew bis slender form TO its utmost height
"Aud there is one ready"
"Jobn! Johnm fell in weak remonstrances
from Mrs, Irwin, "don't speak 80; don't let q
murderous spirit bear you away"
"Don't say murderous," replied the boy, with
30 much rebuke 10 his tones that his mother
answered quickly:
"a spirito OF revenge, then, John. Vengeance
ia mine, saith the Lord, and will repay it."
"Mothet! shall we tameiy submit to zee thi
nation destroyed, and its fig, which has beer
honored throughout the world for eighty yeare
shot &C, rent and trampled upon2" The boy
eyes cleaned fereely. "For enc, say no! Ant
| / have mistaken my mothers mind il it doel
not echo back the word. do not forget the
lesson you taught me years ago, that love o
country is next to love of God. And if We low
an object purely. will we not defend it when as
saiIed1 Nay, even lay down our lives in it
protection2'
In spite Of all her peace principles, and hor
ror of war, there flowed into the mind OF Mrs
Irwin such feeling of admiration for thi
outepoken patriotism of her con, that even b
read pride and approval in her timid eyes.
"War 10 an awful thing, john" said Mr.
Irwin.
"I know Il is, mother. But, thore are worf
hilge than war; and that is at our door. Yo'
understand this az we'll as ! do. They hay
thrown the gauge Of war, and there is nothir
left for us but to accept the hard necessity"
s'But you are not called to this work, John,
q said Mrs Irwin, the words fslteriDg on b
tongue. "There are strong men enough WI
d will respond to the Presidents call. cannt
= let you go, my SON" The wet eyes OF Mrs.
r win elaowed.
= John laid his hands firmly on his mother
shoulders, and looked steadily into her face.'
= Then he kissed her tenderly. "For the bles
: ings We enjoys did not the mothers Of the Rev
luton give their sons to the battlefield"
"I cannot bear 1t, my son! am not siroi
enough for this" And che laid her face on 4
breast Of her boy, and wept ahudderingly.
aAs our day is, 90 shall our strength
mother. Don't you believe this?''
III do John" answered Mrs. Irwin, lifti