Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-04-13

One Good Sign.

grieve us to the heart. They could have
been written by no one save an atheist IN
heart. And yet there are some things seen
in them that encourage US. In the Rich
mond Wing of March &c, there are two
articles, one taken from the Southern Cr<
sis and the other from the jackson Crsls,
most admirable in their tone and senti-
ment. Says the first named paper:
she who is not an atheist must believe
that God has power to direct and control
all events. What He does MT prevent,
He permits, as to the fortunes of nations,
and the event must be taken as a proyi-
deuce. What He orders must be Wise and
Just, and cannot occur without asignii-
canoe. : Al judicial infections have refer
ence to our moral condition, as u people;
and if there re aUy one solemn truth de-
clared ~oftener, and with more solemn en-
phasis than another, in the Book OF rove
lation, it is that all national sutfelings are
designed to teach-to call men back to a
recognition Of the moral government of
Him that made heaven, and earth, and
angels and will not divide his sovereignty,
nor allow His creatures to sink into the
polIutions Of idUiatry without an effort to
save them. Ye shall know that am
Jehovah b. !" is the oft-repeated and NEST
solemn declaration of the Deity to man.
If our people would rise from this great
struggle, purified, exalted, free, great In all
the moral attributes of a mighty nation
if our struggling, suffering country would
achieve, a glorious and decisive victory
over the oppressor, and once more wave
her triumphant banner over every league
of her domain, aud hurl defiance into the
teeth of a cruel but impotent foe ; if our
people would once more sow their fields
and reap their harvests, open again the
school house and the church, re-establish
all the broken arrangements OF social and
domestic organizations if they would be
free and at peace, let them perform a great,
solemn, formal act of humiliation before
God, and call upon Him All the rest
He will do for us J.
Again we appeal to the Southern press.
Are the conductors of the press ashamed
10 acknowledge a belief in the truths of re-
Vealed religion?
Lave they no more moral courage than
to shrink from the discussion Of the pro-
prleties involved In the observance of a
holy day
do they not recognize th..-. ss'th
that they are the rePsesentata0eS OF tneit
peopIe. and as such are held 10 account!
Let every man, woman and child in our
confederation observe the day of fasting
and prayer, in their character as a people
aud invoke the patriots God" for aid
and for deliverance
The jackson" paper commenting upon
how long the war will last" thus con-
cludes j:
"But howeWilI it end? Wars, Ike
famine and pestilence, are judicial infic
tious. But for the restraining influence
of the gospel, nations would fight eacl
other forever. But for the same ~infueu-
ces, individuals would never cease to max
war on each other. When restraining in
fuences operate, it is the Office of Mercy
when these influences are. partially with.
drawn, and bloodshed and desolation en-
sue, it is the office of incensed Justice.
If there were, to our faith, no operativ
system of unlimited intelligence, truth
goodness and wisdom, comprehending al
controlling all, guiding all, mercifully re
straining the work Of utter destruction, an
SNOlNlbB INC hiSuCct dHN UCoI IS6uIS a.
tainable for humanity, we should laugh a
or cry over, and deSpise the whole arrs
of effort, and the work of sacrifice, as Il
insane folly Of demented victims of desti
ny, or the sport of fiends. We would n,
write another line, nor bestow anoth
care, nor suffer another priyation in Il
premises J He would be a fool that wou
do so?
But the springs Of hum Az action can
touched-already the finger of God is vi
be in this work-and the tide rolled ba
in a. day, an hour, and the glorious lig
Of peace beam brightly over a. land pun
fed by suffering, and disenthralled fro
the manacles Of despotism, and the .embro
ments Of f~anaticaf hate. May the 90
Lord deliver US, and hasten the day of 0
deliverance! s..
In the Sentinel" of the 25th ult is
. article from the Charleston Mercury, viii
speaking of the Superior Power of t
North" writes thus |:
The presses OF the United States 81
reply upon the superior.physical power
tho North to subject the Southern Stat
In their view, our. conquest is a simple
fair of arithmetic. AS eighteen is grear
than eight, therefore eighteen millions
people must subdue eight. They ignc
all moral influences. They jgaore G.
Material and sensual, they regard a stru
gle for liberty and iudcpendence as an 3