Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-04
DAY OF HUMILIATION AND PRAYER.

Our readers are aware that, at the suggestion
and in accordance with the recommendation of the
Congress at the CLOSE of it's late session, the PreSi
dent Of the United States has, by proclamation,
appointed this day to be observed throughout the
Loyal States as q day of solemn humiliation and
prayer.
In the joint resolution of the National Legisla.
ture the people of this nation are invoked
"To confess and to repent of their manifold rims; to
impore the compassion and forgiveness of the Almighty
that il consistent with His WILL the existing rebellion
may be speedily suppressed and the supremacy of the
Consultation and laws Of the United States may be estab
lsh4d throughout all the States to implore Him. the
Supreme Ruler of the World, not to destroy us as
people nor suffer to be destroyed by the hostility
connvance Of other nations by obstinate adhesion to
our counses which may be in conflict with Hi eter
nal purposes and to implore Him to enghtn the mind of
the nation to know aud do His will hpmby believing that
it is 10 accordance with His will that place should be
sntaned united people among the family of nations
to mpore Him to grant to armed defenders and the
masses Of the people that courage power OF resistance
and enurar CO that result mpOre
Him 10 His infinite goodness to soften the hearts, enghen
the minds and quicken the conscences of those in rebel
lion that they may lay down their and speedily
turn their allegiance to the United States that they may
not be utterly destroyed that the uson OF blood may be
stayed and that unity and fraternity may be restored and
peace established throughout all our borders"
In full view of the awful calamities which are
abroad in the land, we that every thought
full not to say Christian, observer will concur in
the opinion that it behooves people thu, visited
by the judgments of God in their sternest form to
prove the sincerity and depth of their religious
convictions by bringing forth fruits meet for that
repentance which is their FIRST and highest duty
while visibly resting under the severe chastise-
ments Of Providence. The prevalent insensibity
of the people in the Loyal States to the higher
religious aspects of the fearful strife in which they
are engaged furnishes just cause for despon-
deney, as regards the result of this struggle to all
who believe that moral forces are the ultimate in
huenoes which control the affairs of men in the
figure of society. We began this war in simple
and vainglorious reliance on our numerical and
financial superiority over the enemy. The tone of
the press and the daily speech of the people as
suued the speedy and easy conquest of the South
from simple comparison of statistics, embracing
in their scope purely material and physical cons-
derations. If atheism be an afffont to high Heaven
never was the inpiety which leaves God out of all
its thoughts more signally illustrated by the human
creatures pride and performance. Referring to
this species of confidence in an arm of flesh, and
to the universally of its diffusion at the North,
the New York Tribune only day or two ago thus
interpreted its boastful language
aWhat! republic of thirty Millions rich intelligent,
energetic and intrepid to be vsnquhed by three hundred
thousand slavehodersand this in the middle Of the nine
teenth century, As well might pop gun dismonn and
silence eleven inch Dahgren or Parrot No. the con.
tostcan have but ne result! No terms-no truce-no
parley-down with the accursed rebellion!"
j
against no law of that Providence which some de-
vout minds still supposed preside over the destnies
of nations it is at least certain that it has degraded
the thought and enervated the martial energies of
the people 1t has degraded the national thought
by reducing this mighty effort of the country to
preserve its territorial integrity to mere calcu-
lation of material agencies. 1t has eneryated the
martial energies of the land because the war being
carried on by the Government Gas great branch Of
business"-we use the phrase applied to it in our
Hearing by Government contractor--it has fol-
lowed that greed and speculation and luxury have
come in like food to swamp the heroic spirit of
the people, while many so battening on the
ealamties Of the nation that in their haste to get
rich or retain power at the price of blood, they
are in no haste to see this terrible brought to-
IN end 1t is thus that in some minds, and these
not the least potent in the control they exercise
the rostrum, in the mart, and in the exchange,
terrible sefshness has eaten out the heart Of that
patriotism which is developed by self sacrifice AMI
devotion. As soon as we leave the army which is
pouring out its blood like water on Southern SOIL
or the hospital in which noble women wearing
out their lives to alleviate the suerngs of our brave
soldiers, we have little on which to rest the eye with
pride or compacency
It is proper, then, that the nation should bow
its head in prayer and humiliation--in fervent
PRAYER and in sincere humiliation-for He who alb
hors the sacrifice in which the heart is not found
will turn with only greater aversion from the land
which is now resting under the shadows Of His
wrath, il to the insult of cur practical atheism we
add the hypocrisy Of simulated homage and a
mock reverence.
But it may be said by some that in dcploring
the prevalence of gross material views in the pro-
secution of the war we overlook the high aims and
moral motives Of those who have converted our
struggle from a war Of arms into war Of ideas
No, we do not overlook this portentous fact. 1t
is impossible to find in any other feature of the
time, more striking evidence Of the moral un-