Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-01-11

NfNG, JANUARI IL, @looS
The Darkest Hour Precedes the. Dawn.
sIsis natural that, under present teYerses,
the public mind should be; despondent--7s1 :
that anxiety should weigh upon every heart
and it is, therefore proper, that ever and
amen, but especially wher our political SKY
is darksned by the shadows of doubt, we
should recur to the: principles Of. the. great
issue, and satisfy ourselves of the Justice Of
this war, in order TO prevent that doubt from
running into despair. There are two views
only in which we can regard the contest
'ls.Asit bears uponsour, dutiesto God. q
As, it relates to our immediate quarrel with
the North. AS regards the first, I woold be
the last TO- deny the truth Of the Gospel
warning.saIf we say we have not sinned,
We deceive ourselves" Not only on this
authority, which viii hold good through all
time, during the present order or dispense.
ton, but BY Our own consciousness, 1 call
alto witness, that lust, fraud, intemperance
and ayarics have prevailed among sus toIan
extent which, however, exaggerated BY our
enemies, we feel and know, though we are
reluctant to confess it, called for vengeance
from on high. But though great have been
its evilss and,aBuses, O. thorough sitting Of
the subject has satisfied us,ias a.psople, that
I (to quote from our friend, Dt. Lord, Of
Dartmouth College, while addressing the
younng, 4 men meu Of New England on slavery,1
istbe South is righsin principle, however
deficient ,thsy,may; be;in practice." Even
il, therefore, the issue Of this war should d
prove its doom, we may be assured that this
shall have been the result, not.bscause it is
|insthsory's arims, but because it is perver:
sion from high objects tor those Of appetite
and peounisry aggrandizement,, as has al
ways been the case wherever it has existed,
for which reason, too, We may partly ac-
count for its gradual abolition, until we are
almost the only retainers Of that ancient in-
stitutiion. Nevertheless; let us remember
that, SO far as thib main feature Of our poll.
cy is acoucsrned, We are "rigSt in principle"
Is regards the North, it must be mani:
fest to every reaeoing mind, that the con,
aict had to come some day. The two civ.
ilizations were dissimllar; theirs was impa:
tent and restive ours slow and conserva;
tive they needed somewhat Of our element
to operate as q balance wheel Or break on,
their too headlong progress and develop;
ment; while We must borrow from theiren-
ergy and industry the great secret Of ha-
tional growth. We were not in Q humor to
do this, while we were always AZ variance
and Watching each others expansion With q
jealous eye; but if we endure, knowing.
that for IS every,taius hangs, on The issuse,j
our enemies must, sooner OF later reach the
limit Of their own war Of sentiment or;con;t
yenience, when they perceive that h'ds
it is one of necessity existence and
honor > So far as they are coucerhcd, oar
conscience isclesr;. We owe them nothing
forfavors received before the crusade against
our Government, fresidesi and aitars, and
surely:we are under no obligations to them
for this. Statesmen may write asaphilo.'
sophically and speak as elOqusntly 'asseVer ];
but on one side such exhibitions, unless, d.
rected to our abasement ;for:sina before our
Maker, or, exhortstion to shameto the work
we are bound by all that is holy to perform,
can be grounded only on fear. No war
ever was ended by diplomatic oveftures
from the weaker to the stronger party favor fago9r
ably for the former. We must make up our
minds to a long. .Rar--onsi Of retreats, with
a view: to exhausting the enemy, and by
word and deed keep: brightly burning the
beacon. fires Of resistance from every bill
top and mountain in our glorious Southern
land %@s 's r. I. NJ, JR. .
n . ,