St. Mary's beacon., 1862-04-17

treasure ofsIths country are being pour
ed out in stream so coYious as to
threaten earIy and total exhaustion. =
Why stop to Inquire into the causes Of
80 disastrous : sarifef Why not prefer
to seek pes - en- end, and then ra-
tionaly and conscieniiQusly deliberate
upon the means necessary to its speedy
aud honbr&tIc attainment ? Sooner or
later such ds1ikeration nsusf be- entered
ion1; siSi ~ 1t sss.ssas -. .sit ssrfsss
what principles Of justice. equity and
national honor will, or can be. present
cd, that could not no.c have the benefit
of cool reason and solemn responsibility
to aid in their necessary arhitrament p
Would the North subjugate the South
Wherefore To what dcsirable end p
Will the means used have any fair aud
reasonable proportion to that end. even
if achieved On the contrary will not
the very use of these means stimulate
disaffcction, create disorders, and reveal
complications so dangerous, aye! SO per-
manently disastrous as to change, total
ly and forever. the destinics Of this gov
ernment, and blighs the hopes of the
civilized world Ii the wall of the van
quishcd shall come up from the desola-
te6 field, the violated hearths and desc
Grated affairs Of the South, will the songs
Of triumph from the North swell upon the
mir unmingled with the monody of bleed
ing hearts, ruined hopes and crushed lib
critics! Who doubts it? Who that has
studied the pages Of the worlds history Of
war and crime, dare lay his hand to his
heart and say that the horror and shame
of this unholy strife will fall upon the
South, while nothing but prosperity and
glory shall cnurc to the North? 'ris
madness to think so and q mock-ry OF
truth so to teach. Who will believe it Z
Europe laughs at the feeble claim and
postc+ity will dcride its culpable folly
Dare VIC look impartial history in the
face, and, in the presence of those spec
tres of ruined country il will evoke in
our condemnation, dare we say, thou
can'st not say | did it" Are We not
rather moving under the impulses Of the
veilcd Sorcercr of military ambition, only
to fad ourselves confronted with it un-
masked. when it will be potcntia:; enough
to hiss in our astonished cars.
There, ye wise saints behuld J our light, you,
star!
Ye would be slaves and victims-and ye are,
1t i. only the terrible madness of the
hour that locks up our reason in our
pride. and urges us in imbecility, but with
fearful speed. to the preeipice over which
We must plunge, unless saved by the
hand Of a mcrciful Providence. Peace,
then, must come. and that right speedily
If we are not to fall prey to anarchy. and
become the play thing of foreign den,ina-
ton. The phases of this peace must be,
either the reconstruction, if possible, oi
the Union upon the basis of the Constitu-
ton. with such organic conditions as may
be necessary to the efficient and harmoni-
ous action Of the national government OF
such recognition Of the Southern Con-
fe,lcracy as will bind the two sections oil
the country to either in league of amity,
commerce and mutual intercst-thus es-
Gaping foreign entanglcments, and sccur-
ing for our common country the benefits
Of an American policy. founded in mutu-
al interest, increased strength and COM
mon destiny.
These we do not now discuss It is
needless to say that the first has our un-
qualified desire-our holiest love on earth
The last were better Ian he In ng
aud deadly strife of brethren on the battle
field. Together they embrace the ques-
tion in which the future of both the North
and South is bound up. We are capable
Of solving them ourselves, if We are true
to our duty and our destiny. If we fail
to assert this privilege, and to discharge
this duty-thc sword Of foreign iuterven-
ton will cut the Gordian Knot aud sever
this Union hopelessly and forever. d.
ride ct-imper", will be the policy Of this
foreign intrusion in our political affairs -
The results could be easily imagined,
if history did not reveal them in characters
so cnlblasoncd in light that che who runs
may read" These results Cannot be
aversed by war. We can escape them only
peace. for il is peace which teach
es, in the Inspired word Of the Royal
Prophet. that Better is wisdom that wca-
pons of war" ."--Catholtc 4Nirror.