Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-06-07
A CONTRAST.


A CONTRAST. !,
MI. s,hons Of the General Association Oh
The BAPTIST denomination Of Virginia, now W,
..ss;on in DR.. Barrows' Church. IN '''s
prescott a pleasing instance Of the uSs' con
rarn spd interest felt by the relie',"s -'oh'nu
,,;tv for the spiritual imrr"ser.en' of our ar,
m;ss' Already, in toe first day q their ass
n.''' .,ar have psssed seri~ Of resolution
providing for tho ea.ablishp. emit Of an asylum
for+h. children Of pooz deceased and dis
.hled soldiers. They eviroe determination
a., tbssa unfortunate children shall not lael
.ho rotsrnal care Of which the assaults Of ths
enemy hav edsprivsd them. The reports If the
various boards, under the direction of this AS
ISOLATION, all point to the care and comfort OF
tho army as the principal and most urgent
theme of which they can treat. IneS are f'-
nlete with information from the army, reports
of chaplains and army missionaries, reports
Of traots and other religious matter printed
for and circulated in the army, number OF
conversions in the srmy everything has--not
an indircct-but clear, direct allusion to
.l,e srmv. And, not satisfied with attending;
10 ths wants Of the soldiers themselves, they
now take tho case OF their Children into con
aideration.
This movement ID netthar limited 10 the
Baptist denomination, nor the State OF Var
einis. Go where We w;ll we fed the same
untiring efforts among all denominations IN
all the States. Is not this q cheering Indication
that the religious mind shall be solely direct
ed to quilting down the strong arm OF 1eao-
yah" to fight our battles and crown our bah
ners with victory? There is not mind 80
psrverse in the Southern land but raust
foel that there is Divine Power which d.
rects the naneuvres of our army. No skuR-
tic but must confess. from the indications OF
the past, thkt superhuman Intellect tss had
the direction Of this war.
But We intended to draw from these facts Il
contrast between our own army and the enc
MY which we are lighting. BY the unsising
s.ertions Of these religious associations, ~
vast number Of chaplsins and missionaries
have permeated through the army the re-
freshing stream of spiritual Instruction.
They hsve succeeded in making the army OF
Virginia respectful acknowledges Of the Di-
vine Director, if hot deyout and pious aiaci-
rles of the Redeemer. Those piously inclined
have, by their example, impressed their moro
frivolous aot onGelesa companions vita :. asfiaa
Of their obligations and dependahto onra
Providence. And 1t bro made army til
name, sSen Il the miserable ~retches wno
carry tho flaming torch and asssssin's krile
with their muskets arl knapsacks.
It has been often asserted that the more
chivalrous spirit Of the Cavaliers induces MS to
treat the descendants OF the bigo!ci Pu7;;.,na
In more lenieo. snd humane manner. That
it prevents us, ty instinct, from making war
on women and buching their homesttndS over
their unshielded heads. This may, IN i nisa
sure, 10 trah i!ut If tie natures and dispJ,
sitions Of man be not cultivated 10 the Same
degree as the mind, even the manly end chiv.
slrous instincts Gc The Cavaliers will degeae-
rate into she savage. The religious oornn.n-
nities have furesesn This dangsr--thoy have
foreseep, that without cultivation tho DISPOSE
tions of the soldier. made callous aud lisrd-
ened by the myriad scenes or w0a and desc
ton that he is called upon TO witness, would
soon place lib on a level With tho fanatics WHO
oppose us And to tina r'l they have enden
vored to instill relisioug sentiment into the
minds Of the army. We LOOK upon tI4!a
agency ss having been tho main Instrument
Of relieving our srmiss from this deSeaofati"n
which is 80 much to be feared.
Without checks like these the Yankee army
has given itself up to tho porpctr..tion Of all
descriptions ni outrages. The soldier Of Il
year finds that the principle Of "No. |" is the
only true principle which can curry him
through. The daily pictures Of suffering
become matters Of course to him; and grad
nally he falls into the belief that whateTcr hs
can do for his own ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ~ please
his nature is both right and proper. fy de-
yyaes this hardens into Ia. carelcssness which
produces thu atrocities Of the soldier. Ia tits
affirmation, we IRE confirmed by the hatory
Of the world, where soldiers l,ave passed over
even their own countries, unchecked by any
moral or religious iafluenas. This, We take
st, is the explanation G. the different DISPOSE
lions of the two armies. There is no interest
folt among the religious men Of the North for
their army, compared to tue interest felt in
tho South, which swallnws up oVsry conaiie-
ration save that of the soldier.
There may be "a time when the praying
man--the man who has influence with God,
the man who, on his knees, brings victory and
triumph to our afaies-will be conai1ered as
great general Us those in tho tiells. There
may be time when-the pioas men, who aro
devoting time, health, strength, everything to
the spiritual comfort end improvement Of tho
ri