The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-16
lilac ,,a'. r... Day Proclaim a,l.n.

Cd pas4ed resolution requiring lshcofh
10 aoraict day of humiliation and player
lar The people OF the United States. aud that
iunctionary has, by proelama'ion, recon-
iaauded the first Thursday Of August a. The
day. nthst proclamation, 1t scems. lie al.
v,s-s them TO confess and repeut Of their
manifold sins. to implore the compassion
and forgiveness cf the Almighty, aud To
pray that, Ii consistent With Ills will, the
existing rebellion may be speedily sup-
pressed, and the supremacy Of the Consii-
tuition aud Laws OF the Uaitcd States DC s.
tabiishcd throughout the States; that the
rebels may lay down their arms and speedily
return to their allegiance; that they may
not he utterly destroyed; that the efiasion
of blood may be stayed. aud tha. aInity and
fraternity may DO restored and peace estab-
llshed throughout our border" &c.
The Congressional resolution aud the
ON more accounts than one. In the first
place, 1t forms the solitary instance Of hui
initiation and prayer recommt nded by the
authorities Of the United States during this
war; There have been numerous "1s De-
aaa," oraered-numerous commands from
the throne to thank the Almighty fer bless
ings bestowed, ana to lray for coutiau-
ance OF Divine favor. Very slight occasions
have been sufficient to cali them forth -
The Yankees, for example, were ordered TO
rejoice with all their hearts for their So.
called victory Of Pitts's Landing. In which
they were nearly annihilated, alder the i,n
pious belief that 1t was as easy to cheat the
Almighty as 1t was to cheat Lord John Rus
sell, for whose particular benefit the farce
was )ntrived. Blu. this Is the first time
that the Yankee nation, speaking through its
representatives In both Houses Of Congress
and its Executive, has ever acknowledged
that it hai any hing to repent of, anything
TO be ashamed of, anything for which
it could do aught else than lift up
its hands to heaven aud shout for joy
Truly, the situation Ia which il fluids iisel!
must be hard and painful one-a very dii
ferent one from what We should conclude
1t to be, did we rely on the reports of Grant
aud Stanton for our Information with re
gard to 1t. Ii those veracious chroniclers |
and their echoes OF the press are to be re |
lied on, this should be a time of thanks.
giving, not Of humiliation and prayer. If, |
however, the proclamation Is to be carried |
out inthe spirit as well as the letter, we |
doubt whether any nation ever had more |
cause to implore the mercy of Heaven Il
That mercy, We are we'll aware, is initiate, |
aud 1t is Fortunate for Yankeedom that it is |
so.
Inanother respect, this appeal to the Throne |
OF Grace is more remarkable still. TAX |
ing into consideration all the attending cir
cunstanees, We doubt If it be not the must
remarkable OF which We have any account.
A despot, who has utterly subverted the
Consultation of his own country, aud extin-
guished the last spark of its liberties, ap-
pears before the altar and lifts up his hands,
streaming with the blood of one million OF
human beings, to that Omnipotent Being
OF whom not even the devils damned before
the foundation Of the world can think la the
most secret recesses OF their hearts without
lear and trembling, and humbles himself,
not because he repents Of the crimes which
lie has authorized, bat because they have
faiied to produce the result which he anti
cipated And he prays that in future the
murders and desolation Of which he is the
author may bear their proper fruit, iu the
subsection CT those whom they are designed
to destroy, to bis own viii and pleasure -
Can anything more shockiugly blasphemous
be imagined?
10 the name of that blessed Redeemer
who inculcated peace upon earth and good
will to man, the Almighty is to be besought
10 allow "this rebellion" to be speedily sup
pressed, and as that cannot be done without
the Inhabitants, the Almighty
5, of course, besought to aid 10 that work
II blood and murder. At the same time he
,rays that the supremacy Of the laws and
Of the United States be re-
Constitution which he himself has
Utterly destroyed, and laws to which, from
he beginning OF his most arbitrary and
most oppressive reign, he has never paid the
mallest respect, when they interfered in the
iightest degree with his own despotic will.
lie prays that the rebels may lay down their
Irms without giving him further trouble,
t being his benevolent wish, no doubt, to
rave his choice among whom he shall hang,
whom he shall imprison for life, whom he
hall despOii, whom he shall turn over to be |
he slave of bis own negsess. and whom he
shall Danish forever from the land of his
birth. Be prays that they may not be ut.
erly destroyed, and that the tffusion OF
blood may be stayed; that is that the shells
ne 10 firing every day upon. unarmed cities
may not kill all the women and babies, but
oniy q portion thereof; that the shells NAV
be endowed with discretion, and learn when
they are fled what they are expected to do
Ind what to leave undone. in word, hav-
ng deceived everybody else, as he thinks.
n this most blasphemous proclamation be
attempts to deceive onnipotence himself,
md to make his Creator believe what he
Snows to be palpable lie
such Is the proclamation of Abraham
lincoln 1t Ia full q encouragement to the |
confederacy. for 1t reveals the fact that It's
snemies are in desperate straits, and see no.
hing to hope for In the arm of fiesh. II
8 highly characteristic of the Yankee ma
ion, which carries fits love of trIekery even
% lite devotions. and attempts to cheat On
aipetsnce himself
Confederate Oatrsee.