The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-07-05

( ever before, ! am therefore cON-
strained to believe that the tree
imendous moral and physical
forces that are now il motion are
directed and controlled by God
himself, Now TO make the ap-
pioatlon. There can be no doubt
that this great nation, the second
in power upon the globe, and the
grandest monument to human
| liberty that was ever conceived
| by human intellect, or reared by
human hands, has a mission to
perform. IL showed the handi-
work Of Jehovah in it's very in
ception. The remarkable system
Of government embodied in our
constitution, original as IL is, in
its conception, and with no pre-
cedent in history to guide its
trainers, inpresses me AZ work
OF divine inspiration, 1t surely
was raised up for great pur-
pose; il surely has an appointed
work to do in making the history
4 of the human race, lt may be
that the slavery Of the South was
a shacllle upon it's giant strength,
and God saw fit to remoye it.
We an know that lifc ia the old
South was of a noble type. 1t
was lordly as we'll as patrarchal;
but tlt cannot bc denied that the
South had reached its highest
possible development. Under the
incubus Of slavery individual en-
torprise was stilled In the
wealthicr communities poverty
was not tolerated and white la
borer or white artisan was
viewed with suspicion and dislike
as possible enemy 10 our 'pe-
culiar institution. "
But this fetter upon our nation
al energies could only be re-
moved by force, ana force was
applied; and today tho South
and the nation is stronger and
greater for this fearful baptism
Of blood Perhaps, also, IL was
inconsistent with the Divine will
that this powerful instrument in
His hands should be paralyzed
by a separation into two hostile
parts with only an indefensible
and artificial boundary dividing
them from the Atlantic 10 the
Rio Grande. In the light Of his
tory such conditions could not
exist and God overrued IL. But
be that as it may, slavery and
secession were but incidents Of
the civil war, and the armies Of
the Confederacy fought for true
principles OF civil and religious
liberty for which the United
States OF America stands today
as the champion before the world.
Though We failed in accomplish
ing the full measure Of our am
bition, yet thcse principles, which
were almost forgotten in the
North, were impressed upon the
whole country ia a way that has
made them perpetual Soon af-
ter the war the great principle Of
state rights, as settled by il, was
upheld by the Republican su-
preme court Of the United States
in the celebrated Virginia cases.
u Is therefore clear, my friends,
that we did not fight in vain, nor
was the offering up Of the Con-
federate dead a vain Offering.
Our common country Is now
confronted with grave issues; ii
is threatened with serious dan
gers; but have an abiding faith
that until the work which God
has appointed this people TO 40 IL
| accomplished, He will guide us
/ safely through it all. We have
. just emerged from one foreign
war, and are prosecuting anoth-
er, and conquest is the result.
We hear much Of the dangers Of
expansion and Of imperialism,
and the politician sounds dolo-
rous note Of warning for the fu-
, ture. Personally am opposed
to expansion. The policy seems
TO threaten unknown and evil re-
suits; but after all, who can tell?
It may be inevitable destiny--in
| other words, the hand OF God.
We have already seen that civili-
! zation and enlightenment and
/ Christianity follow close in the
/ wake Of armies. We already
/ know that God does not always
E bear with man; and that nations
3 are not permitted to cumber the
r ground and to retard the prog
n TcoyTTyUED ON FOURTH PAGE.