The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-09-22

crumbling Of the rebellion itself.
This is poetic justice 1t is the whirl
gig of time bringing its revenges. |
is the tagging punishment at last over
taking the evil deed. 1t was Sumter tha
first touched our blood. 1t was the blow
at Sumter that first smote the nations
cheek till TIE nations hand was clench.
ed to deal it back. II has now been
dealt back Had the war come to an
end without this blow, the nation would
have been unsatisied. and Providence
would seem to have neglected an oppor-
tunity for vindicating His ways to men.
But. the just retribution has fallen.
Vengeance is mine, and | will repay"
saith the Lord.
The first guns in a new war wake loud
echoes. The guns that dashed their
shots agains! Sumter were heard as no
guns have been heard since. Silent had
been the trumpet for years, when sudden
ly it sounded to waken us out of peace.
AS at the stroke of fire bell the firemen
leap out of sleep, so at the stroke upon
Sumter the nation sprang to its feet. 1t
did not need great battle to arouse US
in those days. A little blood split was
red enough to be seen across the whole
land. We have since become so familiar
with war. that Gettysburg, greater bat
tie than Waterloo, made no such impress
ion upon the popular mind as the first
few flashes of powder from Moultrie, at
daybreak of April 10, 1861. We all
recollect how profoundly the news of the
first few skirmishes Of the war affected
us-how, for instance, in West Virginia,
brushes with the enemy, such as would
now pass almost without record, were
then called a great campaign, and how,
by reason Of these magnifed trifles, a
certain little soldier. whose name we
could mention was afterwards magnified
into the greatest failure of the century.
Every early dash in the war was turned
into fame. When Lieut.. Tompkins,
with twentyone men, charged into Fair
fax Court House, the horses feet filled
tho land with their echoes. When Els
worth fell, every flag fell with him to
half-mast Our first defeats threw the
whole community into panics, for men
were then unused TO stern times. The
first great fatal day at Bull Run cast a
greater shadow on the land than when
the sun is eclipsed, and all nature dark
ened Yet compared with that Body Of
Death which we call the Peninsula Cam
paign. Bull Run was only flesh
wound. Sumter taught our ears to bear
the noise Of guns Bull Run taught our
ewes to bear the sitht Of blood Since
which. the nation has learned to suffer
and be strong.
After the first fall ofSumter, there was
an Uprising Of the People after its sec
ond fall. let there be another Let there
be a revival OF the early popular en-
| rhusiasm Shall we ever forget that
great day at Union Square "a hundred
thousand people OF one mind and one
heart. fired by a sacred enthusiasm for
Liberty, the identical flag Of Sumter wa
wing over them from the staff in the
hands of the bronze statue of Washing
ton, and every lip saying, Lose every
thing else. but save the Country F! 1t
was a dav when men redeemed them
selves in an hour from a lifetime of com
monplace thoughts. But IN unstable
minds, the goods resolves of that day.
rising like wave. fell like a wave. We
know Of men who on that day cried out.
Down with the Rebellion and Slavery,
and one grave for both vet who now
seek the restoration of Slavery as much
as the restoration OF the Union. Let
these men remember what they were
once, and be warned Of their moral de
cav. Let Their. re light their torches Al
the early fires Before the ashes o
Sumter are cold, tho national enthusiasm
ought to be kindled again into fame
from these embers, as with Goals from
the altar
Years ago Yankee coasters carried
stone 10 make solid the shoal on which
Sumter stands. And ms that fortress o
Charleston harbor was built on founda
ton of New England granite, SO that
State OF S nth Carolina shall be rebuilt
upon foundation of New England ideas
Sumter falls that new civilization may
rise The historic word Sumter Is
more than a battle name. 1t means q
new doctrine of government "a new vim
dication Of human rights-a new supper
TO free institutions Why have we bat
tered down its walls Because thei
heavy stones stood upon the body Of tn,
Slave Man is man and not chat
tel - was the screaming speech Of Gill
mofe's shells. Sumter crumbles. anC
from under its ruins rise the Slave int,
Freedom The God OF Hosts is - bring
t ing forth judgment unto victory -
: Thank God, the nation is to be saved
J Like ripening fruits Of summer. yictofie
, upon victories have blossomed and com
to harvest since the beginning OF July
Nor shall the War be gained and III
+ Cause lost There is but ono Victory
, and its name IS Freedom. This is writ
ten in the signs of the times This
decreed in the Providence Of God Gu
faith is without fear of the future, Go
reigns. let the nation tremble No
shall the fearful chastenings Of the wa
be wasted upon a people who are wlllin
10 grow wiser by experience. All lh
, ohas,snngs were needlul. First Pure
{ then Peateable-is the economy Of Got