The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-03

euccess and disaster. At Its close, in spite Of
plans laid only to be disconnected, and victor
les won, too often, only to be thrown away, we
were able to chronicle some gain. Most and
best Of all was the gain in some measure, Of
what had been most wanting.-that moral
power which is to physical as the soul to the
body. In this respect however we were still
weak. Although a. the war cloud had lifted
and rolled away from Antietam, there had
cleaned out upon its lurid folds bow Of hope
and promise, the preliminary Proclamation Of
Of Emancipation seeming to pledge Heaven
to our help, the hearts Of men were as yet
slow to accept the blessed omen. And SO with
the awful slaughter of Fredericksburg throw
ing ten-sold gloom over the winter, and a
public sentiment but half reclaimed to truth
and justice, ended the second year of war.
The next year seemed but little suspicious.
Early 10 the season the high hopes ofthe coun-
try were dashed at Charlottesville; and when
two months later the hosts ot'Lee and Jack
son came pouring into Maryland and thence
carrying dsmay and ravage into the bosom of
the North, menacing many great and opplent
cities and almost isolating the seat of ciyil
power and the key of military operations,
when edition, rebellion, anarchy blood drunk
en- stalked through the greatest city Of the
land, then we felt that though earth and sky
were glorious with summer, "the winter of
our discomfort had come The terrible crisis
passed by. With what gratitude shall we OIL
ways recall the names of Gettysburg, -Vicks-
burg and Port Hudson, nor with little less
shat we remember the successful defence OF
Knoxville and the victory of Chattanooga re
trieving as they did the bloody reverse. Of
Chickamsuga, and browning the closing year
with Triumph 81
The gneat moral revolution too, In which we
are still eng aged, and which completely un-
derlies the conflict Of physical forces, q reyo-
luton that is COMPRISING into few troubled
years the changes of peaceful centuries, and
which win be the wonder of future times, as il
Is the marvel Of the present, had this year gone
on with unprecedented rapidity. Men not a
few, who had yisitedwith an equalshare of ex.
ecration the, abolitlonists fighting to destroy
ii, and talked with charming facetiousness Of
hanging them in couples, had arrayed them
selves on the side Of universal freedom; and
many more had come to doubt whether, heap
ing new wrongs and outrages upon those who
were and must remain part ofthemselves
upon those whose wrongs had already brought
us to the verge Of ruin, were indeed the SAT
est or shortest way to escape our troubles.
What need to speak Of the yer just closing
Its victories by land and sea, its mighuer vic
tories OF principle, are they not all fresh in ou
minds While our victorious eagles have
been pressing the rebellion an all sides, thu
mighty sweep and current OF eYents has.no
left us as to thought and conscience, strande,
upon beach or bar, or idly whirling in som'
slow eddy. While we have not escaped re
verses, triumphant progress has been the rule
And in all this, can we see no approximation
though it be through fire and blood, to tina
peace and good will proclaimed SO long ago
i The Inscrntable future we may safely trus
with Him whose hand has led us hitherto; no
since His grand design i so plain need "
seek too -curiously to penetrate the veil b
has drawn before it. It is enough, tina
through stern but needful trials he is guidin
us to that goal for which we all pine. And s
with profound gratitude and deyout thanks
givings, let us lay down the burdens ofthe oil
year and with hearts Of renewed strength an
hope take up those of the new. Il. SIP.