, 1863-06-18

The ideal to be the culminatipg point of logic.
Do 5ou believe In the great human journey
toward the celestial and divine! do. And
l name this procession, Progress; although
this IL word which las been prostituted by
csnt, dedled b. cruelty, and polluted by self
1shuess.' Still, for all that am not ashamed
Of II, bnt dare TO be{ieTe 10 1t and to lore it.
It = ii buried deep In the eternal truth
Of things, and can no more pass away than
that Heaven and earth can pass away; for, IN
this progress, this perennial aspiration and
ete.f al motion, consists the collective and
permanent life Of nations. What then, do
you querIyf Why, cf necessity, this: that
whenever the PASSIONS or superstittons which
constitute the momentary Life Of tudiriduals,
cla4h with OF offer resistance to the undying
life Of the human raee-the idesl or the truth
Of the fnture-oorrows its process from exist
ing methods and weapons, and there is physi:
cal battle between the oppugnant forces
Such I believe to be the character of
the var In which We are now engaged. On
cur own part q movement In. the direction Of
that Order which is the result Of wise obedl:
,euce to inflexible Law; an. endeaTor toward
the substitution: OF Absolute Substance for
-proyisiona shadow: an,attempt to nnnfhf1ate
The obstacles which retnrd the epoch of nni-
ye1sal welfare, and m effort to lift the life Of
the country to a level With. the Unchangeable
against the normal, healthful, and inevitable
development Of the brain and thews Of the
nineteenth century; mad struggle to resus-
ciate the htdeous ghost Of the past; an enor-
nous conspiracy 10 establish fllsehood, In
iquity and darkness; to cover the Garth with
back the world from the possible era OF angels
to tho insured period Of the satyr. :
This war tst therefore, not simply contest
nbout NATIONAL unity, or q struggle orer dispu-
ted acres; but It Is also question Of holy
against diaooliesl idea, involving eonse.
human proportions and beatitudes, or our
descent into all internally and unclcanness,
and into the inevitable torments which disci-
pline such uncleanness. So, when our ban
ncrs ware, and our trumpeta sound, and our
cannon shower their beautiful hail, it ought
not alone to be to yintllcato our Outraged
political filth and honor, but also to v1nll-
cate the inyl9lahle sanctity Of the human form
itself, which for the first time In. history Is
tiiyinc1y bound up with that Afaith aud honor.
Suck war, hy tending to the restitution of
things to reality, BY guaging matters upon the
basis OF equality Of the human sonl, Is the
surest possible method Of constructing an en-
during peuce, for war never becomes q dis
grace uut1l it assassinates Justice, reason,.
civilization and truth.
Am l doubtful Of the ultimate result? Not
at nil. A recoil Of ideas Is Us impossible as
tor river to flow up hill. Let the lagggard
past staEd never so much In the path OF the
hurrying future, It is all futile and In vain.
God is nut dead. The divine impulsion docs
rot cease. Slowly the darkness lifts, slowly
the new day dawns.. The sphinx will speak !;
the problem will be solved; and
Van viii be well, though faith and form
Bcsupdcrcd in the night Of fcaE." =.
Lat down to write you few paragraphs
relative to the recent hostile demonstration
of the rebels III our front, and OF the hourly
increasing probability Of. active movements
en- our oWn part; but os (no less nnaccount-
| ably to myself than to you) hiye ariftca
| into the regions Of specul1,ive' philosophy,
will not spell my items B.; clshing. them up
| with my ethics, but will make amends for
| this weak. dissertation by giving you
etrorg slice from glorious John
| Milton, who In the seventeenth century said
! Of England {that which Is equally applicable
| to America in the nineteenth =. 20 on, o
nation, never to be disunited! Dwell upright
| II, seeking only virtue, and to establish the
worthip Of truth among the people, and Of
| JUS Ice In the State. Then 6la11 the hardest
| difficulties smooth themselves out before
thee; envy shall elnk to hell craft and NAL
| ice be confounded, whether it be homebread
| mischief or outlnndfsh cunning. Yea, then
all other nations shnll covct to servo thee
| for lo.dship and victory are but the servants
| Of 1,urity and Righteousness" I quote from
memory, and have quito probably marred the
| old mans splendid dictf0n. But it is a Ut
| apostrople TO our own land, would that she
| might Iced IT, und remember that tho path to
the snow.pnre Mount Of TRANSPORTATION runs
straight through the sotrows Of Gethsemaue.
Ex.ORpERLY.