American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-08-02

ele, throwing her charms voluptuously
forth, sought to make love with the kings
and potentates Of earth, prematurely de-
veloped, unblessed by those who praised
her beauty, she retires from the scene in
the form ofa shriveled old grandmother.
Virginia was the spot of this fair land
first prostituted to slavery. The foot
prints of the oppressed we're first seen
upon the banks of the James River !;
now, upon that same ground, slavery has
received her death blow, and the foot
prints of the bondmen have been washed
out by the blood Of the free. Sacred
soHof FIrgiaia!-sacred to slavery once,
-sacred to freedom now. The grave
yard of the nation Scarcely family
from Maine to California, is there, that
has not been dismembered during the pro-
gress Of the war, and portions of each
family father, son or brother, lies buried
or unburied upon that consecrated ground.
But there is vitality in the blood of free
men, the earth baptized with it will send
up trees of liberty, forest of such will
spring up all over the South, and the
bones of the dead will be an eternal
pledge Of the freedom Of the living
Under the flag of our country, monuments
to our noble dead will rise up on every
battle field, in the sight of which no slave
can breathe, and from the presence of
which despots will fly forever.
The South sought disorganization; the
States arrayed against the general Gov
ernment. and labored to break its power
the people Of those States poured out their
blood ike water in the support of their
bad cause they only succeeded in disor-
ganizing themselves; they shook not the
power against which their strength was
hurled. The President of the United
States, with an arm unweakened, affords
them protection against themselves; not
out of the Union, but self-destroyed
within it. Reconstruction of the State
Governments is now the order of the day.
Abraham Lincoln in the kindness Of
his great good heart, forgetting that the
cause of freedom should owe nothing to
civilians in rebellion, granted to the dregs
Of Rebel Legislature the privilege Of
meeting in Richmond, and traitor hands
laid him low in the dust. General Sher-
man, one of the nations most honored
cae(tains, entered into negotiations with
the Rebels, pledging his official influence
to secure general amnesty-a Military
Chicitain as such arranging matters Of
civil polity-an act, harmless in the in
tention of the actor, yet the first step to-
wards an armed despotism Scarcely had
the writings been signed until the head
Of the nation falls; ominou5 of that con-
ditian of things, when the sword rules,
and treason is no crime. Rumor says that
General sherman pleads Lncoln's au-
fhority for the course he pursued; history
soys Lncoiu's hand was pal'el in death
before he hal time t. write his name to
an agreement sacrificing justice upon the
altar Of mercy.
Traitor hands has stilled the motion of
The kindcst, calmcst, truest heart; a heart
inclined to mercy, and with the pulsation
of that heart has died out all sympathy
forthe traitor cause That miserable reg
icdc sent bullet through the head of
Abraham Lincoln, but before his victim
had reached his honored grave, another
missile of death had PASSED through his
own. That unnamed william struck at the
head of the nation, Git was the official
position of Abraham Lincoln that made
him the target Of the assassin) but the
nations fag-as if endowed with vitality
for the moment-threw him to the floor
and f.om that moment he fed from the
haunts of man, chased like wild beast,
shot down like dog, and denied even the
bu ial of an ass.
For the administration of the affairs.o
mankind, God makes use of human agen-
cy. When men move in harmony with
Hiswill, peace and quietness prevail; when
they ignore His authority, He asserts His
preogatives The declared purpose is "to
oyerturn aud overturn until lie comes
whose right it is to reign"
For the selection of his agents, God
calls men to the work, for which they are
adapted. There was natural qualification
Tor the work to which each was called, in
the case of Abraham, Joseph, Moses,
Joshua, SAUL David, Solomon, Nebuchad-
nazer, Cyrus, Alexander, Peter and St.
Paul. Luther. Calvin, Wesley and Whit
field, were the men for the times in which
they lived as much may be said of Geo
Washington, and of the noble band of