The Portland daily press., 1863-05-02

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Country, of loving the country, which these
days have inspired, is worth more than the
cotton crop of thousand years. or the mere
earthly, unemotioned life OF million of men,
i repeat, it is thought, sentiment, convictions,
that make the glory of people. And the
tokens on every hand Of our devotion to our
beloved land are pledge of the glory and
power of the Republic. repel the insinua-
tions of croakers and grumblers, and i'll
omened birds, who foretell evil and disaster,
and magnify the misortunes of our cause, and
charge dishonesty and public corruption every
where. Honesty is rs hundred to one in the
land.
To all rejecting minds the great question of
the war, the test of success, is the patience
and perseverance of the people, War is in
| its very nature a series of alternate successes
and failures: it is full of mistakes: all wars are
full of mistakes: there are so many moves to
be made the success of which cannot be deter
| mined until they are made, and the result quail
ifies the wisdom in which they were conceived: !:
! there are many contingencies all of which
must conspire, that military operations are
SLOW and disheartenng, until people are ed
ucated to the state Of war Nothing can sur
pass the temper of rising steadiness and per-
severance in which this war has been carried
on, the people really coming to their purpose
| aud conviction about the time when the rebel
lion showed symptoms. OF distress. The feel
ing that we are making no gains, is yielding
under the steady and relentless grasp of a pa
tient power. five study the map we see that
we have conquered more territory already
than would have satisfied the great captains
| OF history for an empire. The government
has its foot planted in nearly every rebel State
The continuance of the war has its great COM
| pensations. 1t developes the industry and
mechanic skill Of the South, which they will
so much need when the war is over and which
they never would have learned without the
war, and it reduces the questions which arise
for settlement to greater simplicity. We have
| troubled ourselves good deal about settling
many things which we shall not find in exist
ence when the war is over.
What gives great dignity to the spirit of
the country at the present hour, is the increas-
ing conviction that we are right 1t Is not
passion--t is not a feeling: it is a conviction
grounded in the eternal distinctions of right
and wrong. We know that if anything is sure
on earth, We are not aggressors. We are cool
and deliberate in our purpose: our early en-
thusiasin has met its disappointment, without
discouraging us. l have seen letters from the
Southern States written by refined and culti-
waited people, setting forth their devotion to
thler cause. in language at once of heroism and
religious trust have seen them from women:
and while | could admire their devotion, |
could not fail to discern the signs of delusion
as complete as ever hing witches. or howled
at an eclipse. The difference between the
North and South, is the difference between
passion and reason, delusion and intelligence
And not only on grounds Of self-defense and
national life do we feel bound and compelled
to prosecute the war, but for the sake of our
enemies themselves and mankind We have
testimony beyond cavil that the leaders of the
rebellion are carrying out their purposes by
the means OF tyranny more dreadful than
modern times have ever known The gibbet.
bood-hounds and fire are their instruments Of
command. Gen. Hamilton says that from the
opening of the last presidential campaign to
the present time, more than two thousand
men have been murdered in Texas for political
opinions: that they have been put to death
under every variety of torture, from scalding
to tying to wild horses and turning them into
the wilderness. Every sentiment of selfres-
pect and loyalty to government which never
did any man a wrong. and against which the
rebels themselves bring no charge; every no.
BILE sentiment inspired by the peace and secu-
rity OF home, by the Innocence OF childhood
and the chastity Of woman: by the grace and
ainity of letters; by the sanctions of Justice
and religion; by all that God hath planted in
mans nature that lifts him above the brute, to
an exalted life of freedom and law, we are
urged, constrained. compelled 10 lift up our
banner in the name of our God, and keep it
lifted up. The people have been most happily
tied the whole is settled o.
How little we knew before we begun, of this
matter OF slavery, and how we should handle
IL Extreme expectations on all sides have
been disappointed. As events move on, the
question OF slavery occupies less distinct and
prominent position, and has far less distract
ing influence. 1t is coming fast to be consid-
cred one ofthe elements of the war, as much
as mud or horses or corn, and to be acted on
as ability and occasion decide The Procla-
nation is one of those incidents in the prose-
cutlon oil great war, concerning which men
may differ but cannot distract the steady mo-
mentum of great government. The convic-
tion is fast taking hold of all minds that the is
sue Is at length made up between Slavery and
Freedom: that Slavery is to come to an end.
whether by proclamation or not, matters little.
The feeling is increasing. and it will sweep all
before 1t. that Slavery shal be used in any
method that experience and events determine,
10 carry on the war The black race Is mixed
IN these events, as the sunlight is mixed in the
day We were told five years ago that there
WIS not money enough in the nation to free
this people by gradual compensated emancipa
ton. once proposed a scheme TOR purchas-
ing the slaves, to member of Congress. Let
them be set free gradually at five hundred
dollars apiece, little aud great: that will A.
mount To two thousand millions of dollars.
fund it, and distribute its paymen Mt over a pc
Rod OF thirty or fifty years. He replied that
It was utterly preposterous, as such debt
could never be paid. He evidently looked up-
on it as minister's opinion. But we shall owe
two thousand millions when the war is over.
and Gen. Nye says that the territory of Neya-
da alone will pay the interest on that debt an
nuaily in bullion. And the debt itself. distrih
ed over period Of fifty years, will be actually
imperceptible. Thus does God show people
their deeds.
1t was natural enough that there should be
difference of opinion and discussion CONCERN
ing the policy of the war, before the war had
assumed its real proportions and deyeloned
the issues at stake. IL is little interesting
however, to know that the leaders OF the re,
bellion look upon all alike; those who bpllv
them, and those who caress them. Whatey
er view you take of the war (saye that of
peace at any terms, which is simple treason1
the position of the rebel power compels ms 10
conquer them. They play game To win or
hose. Any other position they do not recog-
nlze. That extreme and desperate ground of
theirs is most providential thing in this con.
test, for 1t throws upon us the burden of final
settlement in favor of free government. We
shall not know precisely what the war is for
until it is over. We say it is for the Constitu-
ton: that is true: and we shall find what the
Constitution is A II we want l. a., -. -.