The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-01-30
From our Special Correspondent.
ENCOURAGEMENT.
BY REV HIRAM EDDY.


In the midst OF darkness which may be
felt gloom which hangs like pail over the
nation, and terror which makes strong men
tremble,1it is important to find encourage
ment if any is to be found. The people must
be encouraged. This is the more important
in our government inasmuch as the result
in this gigantic struggle for nationality de-
ponds upon the people. If the people are
courageous, We shall must win. This is alb
soutely certain. There is no bravery and
military prowess where there is 10 encourage
ment. And if there is encouragement and
it is not unprecedented, and it is not seen and
felt, it is as though there were none at all.
By not finding the true ground of encourage
ment good and mighty cause may be fear
fully imperii!ed, and finally ruined. The
people must be encouraged from the press
and pulpit-from the platform and the book.
In this dark hour there is light in the
heavens-light there is in the binacle of the
national ship. Let all hands be piped on
deck, every man at his post, strong, honest
arm at the helm, u keen eye in the look out,
rigging filled with men, and although the
seas kiss the heavens, the grand old ship will
outride the storm.
|. The tempest cannot last always, and
such is its present fury it cannot last long.
>. God Almighty is on the throne. and
rides Himself on the storm, he may hear His
voice amidst the roar of the elements. He
walks upon the foaming waters.
J ,. All history has shown Him to be on
the side OF the Rght-on the side of the
oppressed, and He fights against the wrong
deer. This He is doing now. The bolts of
His wrath are bursting among the rebels.
God is now fighting for the Right. Doubt it
not.
+. There is progress. Where were Mary
land, Kentucky, Missouri, Southern Louisi-
ana the commercial metropolis of rebeldom,
year ago? Where was Western Virginia :?
The federal government has enough now in
Ter hands and which she can retain with all
ease, to make the Confederacy perfect fail
ure. The Contederacy is failure without
Westinghouse failure without the Missis-
sippi. She will accept no peace without the
border states. She cannot regain what she
has lost of them. You cannot say that the
South has gained single inch of territory,
but our forces are now in the very heart of
rebeldom. Saying nothing Of our conquests
she must expel us or she herself is conquered.
>. Right is on our side. Who dares say
No? The South are engaged in " devilish
evangelism" They are propagating sys-
TEN Of wrong, theft, murder, adultery, soul
murder at the point of the bayonet. They
have emblazoned on their banner now drip
ping with the blood of two hundred thousand
free men " Slare,y the cornerstone Of the
Contederacy.' They have thus unsheathed
the sword for the devil, and are doing his
work. On the other hand, we have broken
the shackles of three millions of the slaves.
and are about to charge our Dahlgrens, and
riHed cannon with the bloody fragments, and
in the name of God hurl them into the ranks
of the rebels. Will the God of nations for
sake US? He cannot. His right arm will
strike for the government which He has Civ
en- US, and His arm will strike for the op-
pressed whose prayers have sounded through
the heavens for generations. We cannot
fail As an aJoliionist am satisfied. The
glory of the morning is kindling in the East.
The great grand work has commenced. 1t
cannot stop. The songs Of freedom are al
ready ringing in my ear. An exodus has
commemorative grandest in history. AS a
patriot l feel assured. This Union is to
stand as the proudest national monument in
history.
6. And now We might despair if there was
a lack of men and means, but it is an over
whelming consideration that near million
of men with no lack of the munitions of war,
are marching through rebeldom ready to die
for the good and holy cause. Did ever any
such cause fail
Be of good courage and wait little.