Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-01-26
what or the Nightf
lrrom lhe wi.eon.In Farmer.l

fourth watch OF the terrible night OF our ma
tional troubles. There have been times
when scarcely one ray Of light penetrated
the gloom. Now, the midnight is long
past, aud the East will soon be streaked
with the glorious light Of the morning.
And such mOrningl The morning OF a
nation redeemed from the corruptions which
had well nigh eaten out its very heart; of a
Republic, by its own inherent energy and
virtue stronger than the strongest mon
archies, and henceiorth established upon
the firm basis Of viudicated authority and
an essential unity Of interest 1t will be
such morning as the world has net seen
for more than eighteen hundred years
For it will be marked by the completed de-
monstration Of the spracticability of Self
Government; by new recognition Of the
real essence Of the principles on which our
institutions were attempted to be founded
by our Fathers. 1t will be the beginning
of day ofwhose meridian glory the most
sanguine patriot has never yet conceived
Ii we recUf to the past, We shall find that
within the brief period since the adoption of
the Constitution we have grown in terrific
rial extent from eight hundred thousand
square miles to nearly four millions; in the
number Of States from thirteen to thirty
six; in population from three and half
millions to thirty-tbree millions Ian increase
four times greater than that of Russia, six
tim es greater than that of Great Britain,
nine times greater than that of Austria,
and ten times greater than that of Francel;
in the valuation of property from four hun
dred and eighty millions; with internal i'm
preyements aad social advancement un
exampled. Thus, to day, fifty thousand
American ships are plowing their furroys
on all the seas; thirty thousand miles Of
completed railway connect all portions of
our vast empire with bands of iron-the
great thoroughfares of an internal COM
merce; the like of which has never been
known; forty thousand miles Of telegraph
have made one vast whispering gallery of
the whole continent; while thirty thousand
post offices, together with over three thous.
and newspapers and other periodical pub
lications, and tens Of thousands of schools
and churches, indicate the degree of inter-
est felt by the people and government in
tDhe instrumentalitios necessary to the vida
and equal diffusion of that intelligence and
moral influence without which our republi-
: can institutions must surely prove lnigsr-
able failure.
All this we have in the early morning OF
our day of destiny, and in spite of the most
serious antagonisms of ideas and insttu.
tions. What, then may we not expect OF
our country when the war is ended; when
we are once again, and as never before, o
: united, homogeneous people, equal in rights
aud in the enjoyment OF the free institutions
which, in so shert a time, have made Us Sc
| marvellous rationl
. Does all this seem the language Of en-
t thusasm? Let US see. Less than fou
| years ago, the government accepted tht
: challenge of the revolving States, and to-
the first time drew the sword against intes
tine foes. 1t began with almost nothing. -
1t had no army, no navy, no munitions o
: many of the citizens of the Loyal State
were so in sympathy with Treason, that IA
o Executive was in danger ofentrusting mos
! important positions to the secret enemies o
o tho the Republic. Well, with this cmpt.
4 handedness and atrocious treachcry to en
;, counter, what has been accomplished?
y We have raised, equipped and put in tn
. field nearly two millions of soldiers.
We have built and set ahoat the might
G est navy the world ever saw.
r We have fought hundreds of bloody bat
@ ties and only in two or three of the Who'll
|; number of those which were important hay
d our armies been beaten.
IS We have re.opened the Mississippi, from
J. its source to the Gulf. -~.
We have captured and now hold four
s Gfths of the enemy's strongest positions, an
L shut up his ports from the commerce OF tn
world. ....-
e We have planted and now maintain tn
IT Old Flag in every one of the revoitec
States, and in tho midst of several hav
erected new States, with Constitutions il
y harmony not only with the letter, but ais
| Il Al, l.l IA. 4 So,
n Not content with these triumphs, OF ou
}, armies, in the spirit of sound politica
d economy, which demands that our Indust
e should keep pace with our needs, and will
d the progress to the age, we have created
a Department of Agriculture, and enactet
IS laws fer the better protection and encour
ir agement of our manufacturing and CONNER
t. cal industries.
4 We have constructed an overland tele
r graph to the Pacific, commenced railroa
over the same vast extent OF territory, an
% projected, in connection with the Russia
e and English Governments, submarine telt
m graphs that shall connect US with the Asia
At ic and European continents.
ell We have given to the world more useft
le inventions than any other people within tn
70 same period. ...... .-
el And, finally, in the vindcation of OF
n character as consistant Christian natiol
" and in conformity with the principles of
sound political economy, we have trodde
Ill upon the institution of Polygamy, abolishe
at slavery in the District of Columbia, secure
as the territories against its blighting inhuenc
procured its peaceful and voluntary abolis
in ment in the great States of Maryland al
es Missouri, and forever broken its damnii
power in all the land.
,st These things, with Gods help, and mol
i'll other-nay, against the will aud mschin
ut tions of European powers-have been do
70, by this nation within the past three and
We half years! r r. .. .r
nd No, we are not over-sanguine. The mig
he of our tribulation is passing. The
he dawns, and thousands who read these O
he hopeful New Years salutatious, will live
ost see tho sun Of our national prosperity glo
ion ing with new splendor in the horizon
this third and brightest era in Americ
history.
But the end Of the war, with its terri
,od slaughter and destruction of property,
al. not yet Much still remains to be do
as and the success we have predicted is ba,
upon the condition Of continued faithi
old ness and heroic effort. We must contir
tn 1iva and uork and fipbt kfillions