Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865, 1864-11-01
Re, OsutiOn-Thc Crisis Of our Fate.


of government Of any people or
nation. A peaceful revolution is an
unusually rare exceptions. From the
time when the children of Israel. I'M
der the guidance and protection Of Il
the land of Egypt thrt ugh long lines
of kings, emperorS and rulers of diff
terent nations, down to this eventual
nineteenth century. history gives evil
dence or the above statement. Some
times the wars assumed Il religious
form. srd again arose from political
| causes. Greece and Rome W re con-
tinually involved in war from one Of
these causes. Ii we Gene down 10
"A later period we find the Greek and
Saraccr, the Turk and Christian en-.
gagged N fierce and bloody strife.
cmmatiug from religions enthusiasm,
and, later still. the struggles between
freedom and drspotism. The Ger
man Stat, :, Poland. Hungary France.
ENGLAND and Switzerland furnish
striking instances. The States of
South America are li!>ew ise no cX-
ception or Mexico, on ORR own cor
tiuen.. Such. in fact, is the record
of every people having = national
existence. OF all tie wars recorded
in ancient or modern times those
wa"ed in brlalt o.: liberty Seem to
have been the most desperate and
bloody. Yet the mighty iron heel
Of d"spotic power seems to HAY"
crushed beneath its ponderous weight
this promcthean fire, until thepil-rim
exileS from the Old world found Il
home and abiding place from p"r>e-
cution on the North American Con-
tinent. Gaining strength in mum
bcrs and prosperity, srlt-reiiant. and
as such accustomed to q freedom oi
speech and action. they boldly, de-
tiantly resisted the arbitrary enact
ments and entertainments OF mon.
archical despotism. War followed.
After long years Of suffering. priva-
ton and almost hopeless strife, they
successfully established "A new form
of government on this continent,
Here Liberty at last found a home,
Thus sprans into existence the
United States of America. a const"l- !
lation of Of sovereign powers, united
for mutual protection and defence.
prosperity and power. Beautiful in
all its proportions rose the temple OF
constitutional freedom, until not a
pillar, cornice or ornament was want
ing, or the ingenuity Of human intel
lect could make one addition To- its
perfection. Beneath its projecting
arches gathered the oppressed and |
down trodden Of every nation, devoted !
wors,,ippcrs at its shrine. Here the
people governed, making their own
laws and choosing their own rulers. !
whose tenure of office rested with |
themselves. Thus each citizen was .
an independent sovereign, to act and !
speak of his own free viii, under u
which was formed with
the consent of the governed. Crowned
heads looked at this rising power
with distrust; at the seed planted
and thus increasing yearly in strength
and beauty, a. the plant expanded.
Years passed on, yet notwithstaud-
ing the predictions OF the statesmen
Of the old world to the contrary, each
succeeding year found us more happy.
and powerful. a people
great among the nations Of the earth;
living together in bonds of amity,
the free States of the North furnish
ing grain, manufactures, &c, and
the slave States Of tn. South, in
return, furnishing sugar, tobacco and
the greatest commercial staple
Of the world. Despotisn was dissat-
isfied at this prosperity and power,
and by jealous comparisons found
followers at the North who Were
ready and willing to begin a fanatical
crusade against the South. This
seed of discord grew and expanded,
until it became Il huge, deformcd,
.ank growth in our halls of Congress.
fanaticism grew stronger and holder,
he South passively submitted to its