Shreveport news., 1864-11-15
Prayers for Peace.


time both North and South. Long
years of fearful strife begins to
operate seriously upon the resources
of both sections. The question is
earnestly propounded. is there no
other method for n settlement of ou,.
difficulties save by constant appeal
to arms Il this wholesale slaughter
to continue indefinitely withou, ces-
sation, or opportunity t" make terms
of peace The Northern Journals
come to Us filled with this irnp"rtan,
topic. From the North alone must
come the proposition for a cessation
of h"stilitirs. They are the aggrrs
sive power. Tn. South. actin. on
the defensive, cannot do NOR. than
she has already done. Openly !; "a
claiming Il desire for peace, for Il ter
mination of the contest, she is still
forced to boldly, dctian,ly confront
her foes, determined to obtain her in
dependence or mob y perish in tn"
attempt. SELF preservation is the
first law of nature" Thus. so long
as the North persists in its insane at
tempt at conquest and sutjuSat ion.
jus, so long must the South oppose
such effort. by armed force. Let the
North acknowledge our indepcn-
drnc-. and then is the desired peace
easily reached
Will such proposition ever be
made The Presidential campaign
at the North is over. The contest
has been settled by the ballot box,
and in all probability Abraham Lin
coin is continued in office Will h.
still endeavor to accomplish the her
culean task of conqu-ring Il fire.. peo-
pie ! If so, will the Northern States
sustain him in such insane policy !
! These are momcnt"us and import ut
interroga,ions. We NAV sp.culat"
and reason on this suhjec, to an IN
! definite extent, vet no guiding light
at present breaks in upon the dark
ness which overshadows tn. mental
vision. The kilograms inform us
that Lincoln has appointed a day for
prayer for peace. What avalIs the
prayers of Lincoln and his people for
such contingency, when lie alon. pos
sess-s the power to calm the bolster
Gus waves Of war, now rolling their
crimson tide over the land. which
| his own wand has raised into noun
| tain Lillows7 Peace rests with him
! Let his armies be Withdrawn from
Southern soil let him recognize our
right to govern ourselves. and there
is calm in place of storm; white
winged prac. in place of grim visag"d
war. Prayers for peace, forsooth
while his armies still march with
thunder tread upon Southern soil,
destroying Southern freenen, plum
d.ring and desolating Southern
homes and fields. What an absurd
ity. VIVA; a sacrilege ! We imag-
inc it would be a spectacle over
! which demons in hell would shout
with triumphant glce Abraham
Lincoln pray for peace, lifting his
hands, red, rocking with human gore,
| to invoke an omnipotent power to
stay the fierce carnage which h still
pushes forward with all his r"sour cr-
aud ingenuity! We can conceive
what deviiish spirit actua,rd Nero
as he fiddl.d over burning Rome,
but ima ginati"n fails to conc"iv.
what prompts Abraham Lincoln.
the Nero of the 10th century
"A worse than Caligula the iron hear
ted deSpot to kneel in PRAYER to an
all wise beneGcent creator. Such
prayers would be abonination IN
His sight coming from such source.
"Men may cry peace. peace, but there
is no peace so long as two exaspera-
ted nations confront each other with
arms in their hands and deadly hate
growing at their heart strings. We
can appreciate the spiri, which
prompts President Davis to appoint a
day for such prayer. Peace and de-
liverance we desire. Such peace
as will make us free and independent;
such peace as will restore quiet to a
land over which rolls the thunder