Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-06-23

mighty God, in 80 signal = manner, to
bless our arms on almost every point of
Jour invaded borders since the opening of
the present campaign, enables Us to pro-
fess this desire of peace in the interests of
civilization and humanity, without danger
of having our motives misinterrreted, or
Of the declaration being ascribed to any
unmanly sentiment or any distrus: of our
ability fully to maintain our cause. The
repeated and disastrous checks, foreshad-
owing ultimate discontinue. whici their
gigantic army, directed against the capi-
tai of the Confederacy, has already met
with, are but continuation of the same
providential success for US. We do not
refer to these successes in any spirit of
vain boasting, but in humble acknowledge
ment of that Almighty protection which
has vouchsafed and granted them.
The world must now see that eight mil
lions Of people, inhabiting SO extensive a
territory, with such varied resources and
such numerous facilities fer defence as the
benignant bounty of nature has bestowed
upon US, and animated with one spirit to
encounter every privation and sacrifice of
ease, OF health, Of property, of lite itself,
rather than be degraced from the condi-
tion of free and Independent States into
which they we've born, can never be con-
auered. Will not oar adversaries them
eelves begin to feel that humanity has bled
long enough that tears and blood and
treasure enough have been expended in q
bootless undertaking, covering their own
land, TO less than ours, with = pail Of
mourning, and exposing them far more
than ourselves to the catastrophe of fnan-
cial exhaustion and bankruptcy, not to
speak of the loss of the liberties by the
despotism engendered in an aggressive
warfare upon the liberties of another and
kindred people Will they be willing
by longer perseverance, in . wanton and
hopeless contest, to make this continent,
which they SO long boasted to be the cho-
sen abode of liberty and selfgovernment,
Of peace and higher civilization, the the
atre of the most causeless and prodigal ef-
fusion of blood which the world has ever
seen, of virtual relapse into the barba
risnl of the rude ages, and of the destruc.
ton Of constitutional freedom by the law
.essness Of ururped power.
| These are questions which our adversa-
ries will decide for themselves. We de-
sire to stand acquitted before the tribunal
of the.world, a. we'll 40 in the eyes of om-
niscient justice, of any responsibility tor
the origin or prolongation Of war as con-
trary to the spirit of the age as to the ira
ditious and acknowledged maxims of the
political system of America.
On this continent, whatever opinions
may have prevailed elsewhere, it has ever
been held and acknowledged by all parties
that government, to be lawful, must be
founded on tho consent of the governed
We were forced to dissolve our federal
connection with our former associates by
their asgressions ON tho fundamental prin-
ciplss of cur compact of union with them !;
and in doing so, we exercised = right con-
secrated in the great charter Of American
liberty-the right of a tree people, when
government proves destructive of the
ends for which it was established, to recur
to original principles and to institute new
guards for their security. Tho separate
independence OF the States; as sovereign
and co-equal members Of the Federal
| Union, had never been surrendered, and
the pretsnsion Of applying to independent
communities, so constituted and organic
ed, the ordinary rules for coercing and re-
ducing rebellious subjects to obedience,
was q solecism in terms, as we'll as an out
rage on the principles of public law.
The war made upon the Confederate
States was therefore wholly one of ag-
gression. On our side, it has been strictly
defensive. Born freemen, and the descen-
dents of q gallant ancestry, we had no op-
ton but to stand rp in defence of our in
! vaded fresidss, of our desecrated altars, of