The Lansing state Republican., 1864-08-17

Battles were doubtless lost, and lives sac
rificed. by Incidence, drunkenness, misman-
agement, incompetency, want Of prompt
ness. want of courage, or want Of patriot
ism in those who conducted them. Is not
our present condition reproduction Of the
same thing Does not history tell the same
story in regard to all warsg
Now, what is the great lesson we are to
learn from this true history Of the evils OF
the Revolutions Are We TO say that the
evils endured were greater than the good
which has accrued from Independence
Who will dare to say that it would have
been better and more manly for Us to have
remained obedient cOlonists to the throne
Of the Georges, for several centuries, until
some one Of them, in great cOndescensiOn,
should grant to Us the boon Of selfgOvern-
ment Even COpperheads and slave hold
ing orators have always cOntended in every
Fourth OF July GRAFTON, that our fathers
gained for all white men the inestimable
privilege Of being free and Independent,
and that this alone was worth all the Rev
olution cost through eight years Of suffer
ing and conflict.
So the struggle in which we are now en-
gaged-a struggle not for the rights OF
white men only, but for the rights OF human
nature hself-a struggle, the benefits 0
which are to last through all ages-is TO bel
carried on 10 its cOnsummatiOn through all
discOuragements, with the full conviction
that. in the end, its results will be worth
all they have cost. II must be carried on
by the better part Of the community against
the opposition OF the worst. And the OBJ
stacles will be found to exist in the charac-
ter Of the people more than in the political
parties to which they belong. \ dishonest,
knavish, selfish contractor will cheat the
the Government whether he be Republi-
can OF Democrat \ drunken officer will
disgrace the service, let his politics be what
they will 4 forger will counterfeit the
currency if be can, without asking any
questions on politics. \ drunken surgeon
whether Republican or not, will revel on
the supplies provided for his soldiers, while
they die Of neglect. \ mean, selfish man
will work out the selfshness that is in him,
whether he benefits or Injuries his country
thereby He lives and works for self and
is willing 10 let fools and fanatics live and
suffer for their country if they Will In this
way thousands Of Republicans, by their
crimes, vices, dishonesty, neglect OF duty,
general scllishness, or want Of patriotism,
bring large amount of evil upon their
country. Our struggle with the enemy IS
prOtracted and rendered more severe from
this source, as well as from the open oppOs-
ition Of Democrats and Copperheads. This
difficulty is one that must needs be. 1t can
not be wholly prevented 10y any govern
mental regulations. it grows out Of the
imperfectOns of human nature. 1t Is an
evil that has attended every reform that has
been carried through successfully III the
world. Even the twelve Apostles had one
traitor among their number. Every change
for the better in society has been resisted
or hindered 10y the ignorance, seliiShness or
indifference of portion Of the people oi
all parties, classes and conditions But are
we therefore to abandon Il good cause on
account of this inevitable OppOSitiOny Are
we not rather to apply ourselves to It's
support with renewed vigOr and devotion,
from the consideration that il needs all the
more the help of every patriotic and unset
fish man.