The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-09-02

J ter work for them to do. Aud we command
TINS ehapterof our national history, to all who
fall to discern the signs of the limos, and who
are winning and repinirg over that very dis
cIpiine absolutely necessary to the nations
ntness, Tor that sublime mission of houndless
oeheFolence' that Is to enlighten, elevate
evange .ize, and save a lost world.
Let lis look next tsoa c OF the sneciaI co,,}
siderations that go to show that the nation is
IN healthier, stronger and more bopeful
condition, and position, to-day than it was
three years ago.. We had become a vain. av-
arc'ous, wanton, prodigal nation our prodi-
Saiity and wantonness, had they continued a
4 jlttle longer only, in the increasing ratio of a
lew preceding years, would have ruined us
The war can do no more. The economy and
trngallty, industry, and stern self denial and
selt-sacrlfice, which the nations perils have
,orceu upon IT. nave developed its resources
beyond all expectation, all computation.
4 The war, moreover, has engendered and re-
vived healthy patriotism which had well9
nigh died out of the heart of the nation in
our unwohted career of material prosneritv
and rife speculation The young men. who
nave gone forth to the tolls and fatigues OF
warp-to hight our; bait. .es, and to defend oi,r
nag, VIII Learn the value of liberty more eff
tectually than under the influence of vanor-
ing, vain glorious 4th of July oratiens.--.
Chang1ng climates, invading diseases. toiIsome
marches, uncomfortable encampments nress-
ing hunger, hard fought battles. acbino
wounds, torlern hopes, and all.the untold hard.
ssilips OF the camp, and the field, will endear
4 the sacred name of liberty to vast nlultitndes
of returned soldiers. These memeptos of
i the price of freedom will outlast the nrescnt
generation. Will such men, think YOU, be
forward to cast their votes for candidates for
ounce, who are rlitors t :, their country
l. me suHer1ngs too, of SO many thousands
OF our countrynen all over the land, have
i opened wide the door of sympathy IN many
trnore hearts. And who can estimate the bn.
4 Iymanlzing ameliorating. christianizing. ipflu-
j enee OF such national sympathy? How
4 many cold hearted Eeavites, has the all-per-
Vadlhg gener us sympathy converted into
good Samaritans ?-All the more easy will it
/ be fo plant the germs of gud-like beheyolerice
in such soil Those who have learned 10 Do
good towards those who under God have
saved the country, will be all the more ready
to extend their benign mission to the souls of
men-all .oyerthe world. IsHla ssa5aslI d -
4 we may joy and rejoice to-day, that the
lines are drawn more isblys than ever. be-
J tween the friends and the enemies of the gov
ernment- The issues of the war are deyel-
! oplng the antagonistic elements that caused
: it Men are driven to take sides, and COM
i PEELED to show their true character, in this
waF@f principle. Such, indeed it is, war of
ErlncIples,-of great conflicting prineiples.-
nat thlsls awar of principles, and waged to
the death is susceptible of the most eonvinc-
ing proofs from its origin, till the present
hour. One instance, only, will we adduce of
the kind. 1t was the closing Interview of a
christian gentleman, the Rev George Duff
held, Jr,, with company of rebel prisoners.
} some OF them of rank and intelligence, wbo
had been four days on the battlefield of Get
tysburg. Our friend had been hard at work
all day, mlnistering to their necessities in a
most filthy, agonizing, dying condition. As
the darkness of the day set in, these high
:, lnlnded southern gentlemen,-someo of whom
i had received aprofessional education, insisted
on knowing the name and residence of one,
to whom they were SO much indebted. The
J Df. told them frankly who and whence he
was, and as frankly stated to them his views
OF the war, and their espousal of it. This
was done with the utmost kindness. For a.
!, moment says our friend, all was silent. when
one of the number. a lawyer who was severe
~ wounded, spoke, 4" Sir,'' said he, in a sort
OF dePrecatory tone, as if at one and the
same time, to put his best foot foremost, in
J self-detence, and to repay the candor, on my
part, by equal candor on his own. al want
you thoroughly to understand us-wbat we
mean: and what we are trying to do With
I9the exception of that third man from the
i door, who-is is one of your men, Union man,
who belongs in the Union, and, y (with short
densIve laugh) who believes in the recon-
structlon of the Union none of us believe
in a Republican form of government. 1t is
not.l the power of such government to do
for us what we want. There can never be
: any place; there can never be any permanent
prosperity under it We are in favor of a
monarchlcaf form of government, and that is
what we are tryingto establish, and then, and
} only then, can we or our children, expect to
j enjoy the real blessings of government at all.
This is an intelligentand honest avowal of
the important principles that underlie the
mighty struggle thatis shaking the land from
side TO side, with its commissions We can
? not too well understand that this is, "a war of
Il prpciples-opposing principles--the elements
of two distinct and opposite forms of soeie-
ty-one simply republican, and the other aris-z
tocratic, oligarchal and monarchical.
) Let it further be borne in mind that the
war was begun to defend and extend the prin-
: elples, of the southern oligarchy over the
| length and breadth Of the land This spirit
and determination of the South, we'll enough
defined and deeply enough rooted, has re-
4 ceIVed aid aud comfort from abroad. France
and England has ministered its strength
and violence. rf.- ..---.. 49, -.-.-,.s,.
It is cause of devout acknowledgement at
this time, that the tide of public opinion is
rapidly changing in favor of the government
of the country. For two years past, the
North has been assailed with the cry of in
tervention from abroad. 70 And this cry has
been Kept up, by the South, and by rebel SYM
II pathizers at the North; and many have fall
? len inwith it, as a refuge from the calamities
of war; and as dictate of that false humani-
ty, which often shows itself in espousng the
quarrel that man carries on with his maker
Let US rejoice in the reflection thatthe vexa-
rtion and trouble which the nation has expert
enced from their source, have well nigh spent
their strength, It would seem TO require
much faith in the weakness and folly of Eng
land or France, to think that either of them
4 would ever adopt the illegtimate bantling of
the Southern Confederacy, into the royal
family OF nations. 1t is matter of derout
: JOY, this day, that such a measure is a fore
gone conclusion, in the minds of all enlight-
2 eifed, impartial persons.s7osf hocz s b1e l5t1a
z. Welmay, well rejoice, also, III the progress
of public opinion in favor of the downfall of
. slavery. The conviction is rapidly gaining
) ground that slavery must perish in the agita-
tons of this tremendous civil conflict The
: proclamation of the President, touching the
} freedom of the colored people was looked up
on when first uttered, as delusion, so much
so that it was regarded as favorable to slavery,
t from its very ultraism. Not so now. That
grand edict, of freedom, rising at the time,
far above the lead of public opinion, is found
TO be, no trifie, no untinely illumination. Its