The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-04-27

into our hands the sublime occasion, of perform
ing grand deed of national justice and freeing
the land from the guilt of human bondage, has
been auspciously commenced.
If this first high tide of patriotic ardor has since
somewhat declined, if party rancor and wrang-
ling have shown themselves again, and a malig-
nant, INSCRIPTIONS opposition to the govern
ment been organized if selfish and incompetent
men have been foated into places of power, and
timid policy bent to the weakness of the hour has
sometimes taken the place of that lofty principle
that runs straight forward to eternity, if there
have been unnecessary delays, and blunders in
command and mistakes in the Cabinet, and dis
| asters that might have been avoided-all these
might have been avoided--all these things,
though to be justly lamented and striven against
and remedled, are yet what have been ex-
pected, and what might have been expected, and
what have occurred in all great wars known to
history. Such overlooking flood of national
life was that first uprising of the people could
not be lasting. Pentecostal seasons neces-
sarily transient. The flow of emotion is by
ture intermittent; it has fulfilled it's office when
it has passed into principle and set that into
action. True, we have not realized, to the full,
what the spirit of the opening campaign so mag
nifcently promised. Three years have passed,
and the rebellion is still strong. We have gone
through many season of discouragement and
gloom. Again and again his " hopes deferred
ended at last in bitter disappointment We have
seen our brave soldiers robbed of victories just
in their grasp by the gross incompetency and
shameful-aye, infamous-jea lousies of their
Generals. There has been corruption, extortion,
villainy-war always gives opportunity to vice
not to be winked out of sight. Treason, too
there has been within our own lines. The poor
slave, anxious to help, and trusting in honor,
has in too many an instance against the laws of
war and of the land and of humanity, been thrust
back by federal soldiers with most cruel treat
ment. Still notwithstanding these blots on the
record, no one, with a map before him. can read
the history of these three years of war without
admitting that both in the Cabinet and in the
field solid advancement has been made, which
compares well with the history of military
achievements by other nations abroad firm ba-
sis has been laid, which the governments be-
beginning to build, and upon which, as it pro-
ceeds, it will continue to build more and more
| according to our most patriotic and philanthro-
pic hopes.
Moreover, though that early enthusiasm has
subsidized, it has passed over into something bet
ter than enthusiasm manly principle and deter
mination. In that wonderful outburst of har-
monious patriotism, noble and sublime as it was,
there was yet, as in all enthusiasm, something
youthful short-sighted and crude. 1t over-esti-
matedits own strength, under-estimated it's
tagonist-talked of peace in ninety days.. 1t
needed to be tried by delay and disappointment
and stern resistance, needed these three years
schooling under the hard task-master experience.
Now enthusiasm has ripened into vigorous and
persistent principle.
1t requires higher order of character to sus-
tain q war nv dint of resOltlte nrincnla alone