Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-06-07

ready To lay aside the arts of war.
] Through war religious rs well as puiitical
/ freedom has attained progress. War Is
tie way u' time. Gazing down the Vis-
tas ui past wears aud looking far down
the avenues ui remote ages we behold
here and there, TAR and near, the SONS of
earth, roarcd by the same bouutiIul
/ mother, having the same hopes aud
Cherisiung like purposes. engaged IN ira
triciill Striiy fighting .or some cherished
obicCt, bat uuwIytiugly serving Divine
! Providence In winning victories ioTtru;h.
-. too. IN the War Of the Rebellion we
see great numbers ul men ct "a kindred
! people and r.gce arss, from the ground
! iuilV armed a. iu the ancient fable. and
| tail upon one another ia deadly Slaught-
I cr. IL must have been bcwildcriug
sight To an iuhabitaut of another sphere
as hc psrChGUCc saw brother fighting
| brother. each praying Ia the same God
and each fighting for what lac Thought
right. Ecwildcring, too, was 1t to many
OF orr couutrymcu. Little did men see
the meaning of those events. Though
through the providence q. God men of the
| North were inspired to execute sacrifice
and patriotism and were guided 10y
! heaven appointed leaders, vet God alone
behcld the lullnpSS of gam in that great
/ conflict. | can never believe that the
civil war could have been avoided by
mans wisdom. 1t was at lcaS, permit
ted by providence, and God ordained that
1t should become part Of the very lie OF
this nation that that lie might become
] higher, trucr, noblcr.
Whatever were the causes Of the war.
! however narrow were the views and
rt-Sighicd the objects OF its partizanS,
its results have been far grander than
WAS conceived or hoped. To overthrow
slavery was consistent action by free
people. pcrpctuate slavery threatened
death to freedom. Said Lincoln in his
memorable speech at Gettysburg: This
nation, under God. shallhavc new birth
of freedom, aud that government of the
people, by the people for the people shall
not perish from the earth Real indeed
WAS the new birth of freedom. The slave
was freed from his bondage the nation
was freed from its sin OF oppression, and
the people were freed from the awful
power of an institution founded upon
selhShneSS. wrong and tyranny.
The war preserved the union. 1t did
more. 1t made a new union. Long had
disuu!On been rampant. Long had the
north and south been separating. Zach
section held to it's own IDEAS. Different
principles prevailed among two peoples
There was hardly union except i'll name
The war removed the obstacles to Union
and Cementcd together the several states
with their citizens into a united body ct
Americans. Today rs never before does
the American feel that he is a citizen of ii
great and enduring commonwealth. The
Revolutionary Fathers fought Tor indie
pcndcnCc. They won ii. The Declaration
OF Independence sent across the country
, on July 4th, 1876 is valid today. The
indCucndeuCc of the United States of
, America was eventually acknowledged by
the nations of the world. But indie
pendcrCc at first was a theory. The new
; American states had vet to live indie
dependence before II was reality. The
young nation, called independent, was
; really quite dependent ON Europe and
not until after the war of 1912. often
called our second war for independence,
did it enter into a vigorous life OF indie
pendcnce.
In establishing independence our faith.
; /, crs realized not how large foundation
. for larger nation they were laying.
; Absorbed in the struggle Tor independence,
. they failed fully to appreciate that III ma
ton building Union, too, must be a guild.
ing principle of the architect. At the
! close of the war the bonds of union fell
: asundcr, and the Continental Congress,
: was left without power and almost with
out influence. There were thirteen Soyer-
: eiGu pc Ncrs, independent to lie sure. per
haps too independent. Then they tried
:; the Confederation, but that failed
= through lack OF union. \ perfect union
is conditioned upon a strong national
: government. Then followed the adoption
: of our national constitution, framed by
: men of large wisdom and of prophetic
vision. Theoretically there was union
But union must be lived. Men cared
y more for their state than for the natioua
= union. In the war Of 1912 New England
: was ready to resist national authority
= Later South Carolina attempted tc
h. nulity within her borders law of Con
! greSs. And later still the whole soutl
i tried secession. During all these years is
: apparent lack OF harmony--a want o
: union. Independence was secure. Ma.
: tionality was developing. The spirit o
. the constitution was active in weaving
> the bonds of more perfect union, but
', spirit OF slavery again and again tore
Il them apart. At the beginning OF tn,
! civil war was people disunitcd, and The
= hope Of union was faint indeed
y The War of the Rebellion changed al
> that. Union took on a new meaning
4 The authority of a national government
y was maintained, and the Union bccam,
50 strong that for the first time i'll ON
J.. history neither state nor individual ques
:, toned its authority. Hardly doubt o
:, the stability of union arises. Strange to
us now seem opinions expressed betor
: the men of the North had expressed their
y will on the field of battle In that bric
. era of our history so mighty an energy o
q charity, fraternity, and loyalty was gen
u Grated that with rcsistless power it ha
:. renewed the very likelihood of our nation
: al being. The individual citizen ha
= J., caught the inspiration OF that great war
. and enshrined in every true American
y heart with love OF God and love of man
y is that noble and tnnobling sentiment
~ love of country.
Concluded next week.
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