American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-03-27
Fer The Citizen
Waterman. What of the Night.

Turned in search of some indications of ces-
sation of hostilities. A generai-an almost
universal longing is felt, for the dawning of
that blessed era that shall bring back peace
to our beloved country gain.
The yearning desire is outspoken from ev
ery mothers heart, and echoed and re-echoed
by the wives, and children, aud friends, Of
our soldiers in arms while the soldiers them
selves unhesitatingly express their ionginss
for the quiet and happiness of the domestic
circle and the joys of hone
Almost every fugitive scrap OF poetry that
meets the eye in the public journals, breathe
of peace. Indeed, the tone of all our public
prints, to a greater or less extent, shadow
forth the same eager looking to the horizon
to discern some indications that the storm of
war IS sabsiding. All this shows that the
public mind is rife with the inquiry, stWatch-
man, " hat of the night ~ What the signs of
promise that the dag of peace IS dawning?
And yet, with all this anxious desire-this
longing of heart for this great blessing-are
we looking to the proper source for it? Are
we using the proper means to bring it about?
trow noti
We know the public mind has been looking
to intervention-to Louis Napoleon, forsoothi
to the Parliament of England ito disaf-
lection in the West ito divisions sn tSe
North On all these broken reeds have
we been leaning, And yet there as source
whence this great and much longed-for bless
ing may be obtained if the proper means are
resorted to, aud that speedily
To every acquainted with history
and especially sacred history-and who is
accustomed to mark the ways of Divine Prov
idence, the conviction forces itself apon the
mind that the present cruel war has been per-
nitted to come upon US as just chastise-
ment from the Almighty Ruler of the uni
verse
lis there evil in the world and ha1s not done
it =? is the language of the word of God and we
know there have been sins in cur land that have
cried to Heaven for vengeance for 10 these many
years.
We read in the word of God the following Ian
guage If ye shall dspise my statutes. or if your
soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all
my commandments but that we break my cove
nant -. We shall yonr seed in vain (; for
your enemies shall eat it, ard will set my face
against yoll and We shall be slain before your
mics they that hate you shall reign over YOU
These are only part of the threatenngs pro
noun, ed against the offender-but it is graeiousy
promised on the other hand-in obedience to the
following commands
Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my
sanetnary-G an the Lord"
If We walk in my statutes, and keep my com
raaadments, and do them
"Then will give you rain in due season. and the
4 4 IL ~ . no
field shall yield their fruit; and your threshing
shall reach unto the vintage and the vintage shall
reach INTO the sowing time and We shall eat your
bread to the full, and dwell in your land Safely
aud will give you peace in the land. and We shall
lie down and none shall make you afraid. And ye
shall chase your enemies aud they shall fall before
/ you by the sword.
! Now we are conscious that people Itefore
the scoRrge came upon as) we had become proud
and arrogant-forgetfuI of God aud His claims upon
us forgetful 20 acknowledge the hand that be-
slowed blessings upon As people we
have snned against God with a high hand aud an
outstretehed armand because of oar sins the land
mourneth-the judgments of Heaven have fallen
upon And how are we te be delivered from the
scourge? How is the victory enemies to
be obtained? Not by profane and drunken officers.
though they be as brave Csezar-n by swearing
! soldiers, who belch out blaslbemy with every
breath but by the mighty arm OF the God of bat
/ ties
! As prompted by our President, let MS humble
ourselves under the mighty hand of God in fasting
and prayer-in earnest, continuous prayer-for
! Prayer the that the uniVevSs.'
| Let this be a general thing-let none hold back
but let all up to the help of the Lord against
the mighty-and the word of the Almighty is
pledged, that very enemies shall fee be-
fore and peace be restored
-~N.--~-~---~-
Mr Editor:-In your last issue there APP
peared article signed q Zero" criticising
those militia officers from this county. The
facetious remarks made in this article in ref
erence to the Major General and the Briga-
dier are not such as to impeach manly viz
tues, and can be read and passed with smile;
but the apparent spleen couched in the I'M
called-for epithets and unjust and incorrect
statements In reference to the Colonel, force
me reluctantly to appear in contradiction.
/ | assure you, sir, dislike public contro
versy, and only such misrepresentation OF
my conduct going out among my fellow-citi-
zens, could overcome my dislike for such pub
I itStsJf oSSsaaSc my iofS VI Siutu, justice anu
4 unspotted honor, is greater than my love OF
privacy AS a public officer, would always
invite and challenge intelligent criticism
the criticism of men whose purposes are good
and who are careful first to observe correctly
before they venture to impeach the conduct
of others.
i Although assured by you that the charges
i of u Zero were made w,tbaut malice T n.S,
say they were discourteously made. aud are
certainly incorrect. | don't object to What
the writer says about gay dislike of Yankes
gaHpoEder, or getting beat for Office, &C.
but when he arraigns for q blunderins
Ignorance" or "wiiifal partialty,n and cite.
instances, I must contradict. l have never