The Portland daily press., 1863-05-02


ried over. This is the field of our daily moral
struggle, the oft repeated history of our moral
life. What man desires to do, he qualities
and extenuates: what he qualities and extenu-
ates, he looks upon with complacency: what
he looks upon with compacency, he favors !:
what he favors, he justifes: what he justifes,
he believes in: what he believes in, is right !
BY this simple method, illustrated in every
human breast, may the moral sense of whole
people pass over to the other side. 1t is the
simple account of the change of opinion on
the sub ject of slavery. Thus in the MONDAY of
the century people affirm with religious zeal,
with devout appeal unto God, that slavery is
no longer an evil, providential it may be and
to be borne for a season, but an all-compre-
hensive and final purpose of God, the blessed
ness of mankind, and the glory of states
But does the simplicity with which this opin-
ion is formed, the ease and naturalness with
which it can be accounted for, take away its
moral quality? Is there no moral recoil in
such a conclusion? The reward, the punish
meht of such a conclusion is to believe it, to
believe it wholly, and to act under it as de-
lusion And the civilized world to-day is
presented with the spectacle of people in a
blaze of war, in the infatuation that they can
make wssAg right by thinking it is right!
But to what extent could this moral change.
and attempt to dam up the rising food of
Christian civilization, have been carried with
out the help of the whole country? To what
extent could the plans predcated on this rev.
olution of opinion have been carried out with
out the aid ollhat corrupt maxim which taught
that men were to be paid In the distribution of
offices, for fidelity to a party? The maxim
| and the moral revolution are counterparts of
| each other, in the part they have played in the
| life of the country. 1t is through the power
of the maxim that we Of the North are respon-
sible to some degree for what the South is to-
| day. They are to some extent what we have
made them: for they are what never could
have been without our influence and help.
And while this is no qualification of their guilt,
1t nevertheless involves us in it, and makes the
| present calamities to that extent the inevitable
| consequence of our own conduct. j know that
| it may be said that all this acquiescenee ia the
will and wishes of the South, by the people of
the country, is in the nature of indulgence and
forbearance. But the answer to this is that
indulgence and forbearance, while they are con-
ciliatory and kind. are nevertheless studious
and careful to overcome and remove the evils
on account OF which forbearance is required
So far from this being the case however, it has
been the popular mind of the country that moth
ing should be done. We have agreed with those
who have been converted to a new morality, in
our precept and in our practice. We have pro-
jected no scheme of reliefto them nor to our
selves, but have been satisfied that certain
views were chimerical. Ii our conduct has
been in the nature of indulgence, it has been
indulgence carried to connivance and partner
ship. II the maxim had had no response in
the country, if the new morality had received
no help or sanction save from the place where
il was born, who supposes that our land would
be encircled with fire to-day, and treason
stepped to its lips in blood. by an insane ambi-
tionp am the more anxious to show the part
we have acted in the causes of the rebellion,
because in the present advanced stage ofevents,
the almost exclusive tendency is to dwell upon
the later outrages aud overt acts of treason,
which threw the balance of wickedness upon
the other side. 1t is tho duty of every good
citizen while he deplores the calamities of the
land, and gives himself in willing service to
the country, to know the sin that lies at his
own door, and with enlightened public
spirit and devotion to the common good ac-
cept the consequences of his own conduct. 1t
is testimony to the health and life of this peo-
pie that they hear and know these things now.
Deeds which they would not look at, they now
and acknowledge The spoils maxim and
the new morals are our sin, and know not
how we should ever have been brought to see
our deeds, and how we have set God at def
ance. save by this very experience through
which we are now passing. 1t seems great
TOLL for that which is so manifest but so pre-
cious are public wisdom and public virtue
We see our conduct, when it comes to its re-
suits, and the providence of God is justified in
suffering men to go on to the consequences of
their deeds. HH
Concerning this specific act and article of
rebellion, 1t Is not necessary to the purposes OF
this hour to discuss. The leading moral sug-
gestion in any review we take of it is, that
nothing has occurred from the beginning to
mitigate or qualify the seve est judgments of
its dark wckedness. 1t has gone on from
worse to worse, until its deep abyss the imagi-
alton cannot fathom. The war has gone on
to dimensions, results and issues, more mo-
mentous than the most timd or the most dar-
ing ever predicted. 1t has gone booming on
its inevitable way. Man has seemed to have
as little to do with il as with the return of the
summer solstice, or the tides of the ocean. 1t
has even turned and deyoured its own lead
ers. And the general course of events has
been fitted to show to all rejecting men how
little they know of human affairs when they
take the dimensions of great historic eras.
We have demanded a policy of the war,
while the war has made its own policy We
have foretod financial ruin behold Increasing
wealth; and so on through the whole category
of conditions.
Perhaps the most striking thing in the teach
ing of the war is the idea of country which it
has awakened in the minds of men. How
many there are who never knew until now
what patriotism Is, or who never took any
profound interest in the larger aspects of hu-
man lie! Ii Is blessing to live in a period
when the hidden susceptibiities of the mind
are SO awakened! 1t seems TO put a man in
relation with the universe, and reveal to him
something of the grandeur of humanity!
What munfcence flows down from the Hill
tops of noble sentiments! pity the men, the
suspicious, the croakng, who can see nothing
but what is reflected from their own mercena-
ry minds; who can see nothing but fathless
contractors. defaulters and swindlers, and
whine out their dolorous suspicious OF all pub
lie virtue. see tokens around me of great
and magnanimous people, whose self-sacri-
flee is as beautiful as their power is terrible
This people is not demoraized people, 1t is
awakened by its dstresses, a glorious people,
childlike, teachable, heroic and kind. The
idea of Country has risen to the zenith of their
thought, and accepting the results and admo-
nitons Of she past, they are ready to act in the
present with fortitude and patience and trust.
Their bear their sorrows well, and mothers re-
ceve their dead sons in certain awful majes-
ty of grief SO sustained and consoled! The
providence of God is justified in awakening
the minds of the people, and giving such mo-
mentum to life. Present events alone are ad-
equate to such a result, and only so great
cause could be followed by so great an effect.
The purpose of God is not that men shall
merely exist here in this world, but that they
keep alive great thoughts and noble senti-
ments; and to this end he has inspired this
people with the idea of Country, that the holy
fires of patriotism and public virtue may be
preserved on earth. If to any man it seems at