Year: 1863

A>oobS AM L hlRlOIlC SENTEMESTS.


There is something very delightful in this
word Peace. 1t strikes upon the ear of n
tumultuous and ever agtated world with Il
musical softness that is wonderfully attrac-
tive. We associate with its presence. COM
fort and ease and prosperity and love. All
that is brightest in the home and in the
heart is wrapped up in it. The pictures of
fancy, :ho dreams of poetry, the richest
promises of the gospel are all woven out
of its golden hues. The sequestered valley,
with It's murmering stream and it's quiet
happines s-the cultivated plain, basking in
tue sunshine and covered all over with the
iuxurlant harvest-the crowded city, as it
lies asleep under the soft moonbeams, its
hum Of industry stiled by the inexorable
decree of nature the placid waters, reflect
ing as IN mirror, the softned forms of the
huge monsters which, when awakened from
their slumbers, are to bear across the ocean
the products Of tho earth-are some of the
scenes which we have been accustomed to
harmonize with the idea of Peace. And
when we have enlarged the scope of our
vision, and risen upon imaginalion's airy
wings, we embrace in the same idea of
Peace an interchange of kindly affections
among all the nations Of the earth, and an
universal good will towards men, Philoso,
ply and poetry and prophecy have all com.
bined to body forth its blessings and have
alike personified it on earth and in heaven
by the mild eye and .lre gentle murmur OF
the Holy Dove.


But delightful as is the word, and at
tractive as aro its associations, we should
not be seduced by them to yield up either
right or truth or justice for its attainment.
1t would indeed te great burden rolled
from our h"arts If we could take our chill
dren to our bosoms, and feel that they in
deed had a country-if we could look upon
our noble sons and rejoice that they were
freed with honour from any further conflict
with foemen so unworthy of their .steel-
If we could glance around onr hearthstones
and be satisfied that no rude trumpet would
again disturb their peace, no roar Of can
non div" us from their shadow-if we
could enter the temples of God and s,ng
the angels song Of peace on EARTH good
will towards men. But until we can do 80
VITA honor and with security, let us hanish
the idea from our thoughts. Let there he
no making haste to find Peace. It will
come when God sees that war has accom-
p'shed his purposes, and it ought to come
! no sooner. Unless we follow his guidance
i'll this matter we shall fail into temptation
and snare. and in grasping at shadow,
lose the substance which we have already
gained at the cost of so much precious
| blood. We seeded from the Government
OF which we were once part, because we
lelt tnat under it we no L'nger had coun-
try. For what is our country? Our coun-
try is in its constitution, and its provisions
were openly and shamefully violated -onr
country is in its religion, and ito altars were
decorated by in6deity and the vlest fana,i.
cisn-our country is in its institutions and
they were threatened with total sutversion
our Country is in its social life, and that
was covered al over with rude abuse and
malignant defamation And shall we, for
peace sake. think for moment Of return
ing to the embrace of such Union? God
:orbid'l Let US learn at once the stern truth
that we have no country until we make
one. We can never 60 back to that whence
we came out. We should not recognize it
in its present garb of tyranny. We should
not discern that once proud Republic un-
der the mask which it now wears, with the
oriental despoLism that rules over it, and
the oriental submission that kisses it's feet.
In its delirium it has lost all sense OF re-
gulated liberty-it remembers only passion
and vengeance. Closing its eyes against all
truth. and shutting It's ears against al wis
dom, it is striking at man madIy in its
rage, and it is cursing God who has placed
the bit in its mouth, aud is saying to it,
Thus far shalt thou 60 and no further"
In quietness and confidence is our strength.
Manly fortitude and heroic patince will &C
complish for us in due time all that we are
contending for. We did not enter upon
this conflict in the temper of children, who
were quarrelling for some mere point Of
piqne, but with the resolution OF men who
perceived that every thing which made life
tolerable was trembling in the balance.
Let peace come 10 US, and let US not fnrget
our manhood and 60 in search Of peace.
We might find counterfeit of it among
the contrivances of man and meanwhile
loose that heav-n.descended peace which
God will give us, if we will wait bls will
and abide his discipline. Every thing for
bids US to be too solicitons for peace. Our
conseratcd cause consecrated by the





it would give our enemies-the permanent.
welfare of pobterity. II God sends it 10 us,
then welcome, o,ight.eyed Peacei but woe
to us II, for lts sake, we sacrifice one lot or
one little of our duty and of eternal JUS
ticel


In the present condition Of thin ga such
q peace as we ought to accept would be
impossible. What have we to offer in ex-
change for all the territory witch the enemy
now holds within tho borders of the Con.
iederste States, for the half of Tennessee,
Tor the Eastern and Western regions Of
Virginia, for all oar rich sea coast, for our
harbors and forts, for that garden spot of
our country, lovely Louisianaa What have
we. nt the present moment, to cast in the
balance against Maryland and Kentucky
and Missouri, whose right to determine
their own future destiny, it would be base
in as to abandon9 Hence is.it that foreign