Year: 1863

What the war aas Done for the Uoun
try


Great wars are great phases OF development;


and. though in all the sorrows that their occur


rence entails they appear "a the misfortunes and


soourges Of people. yet In another and


larger view they should be regarded a. at
onoe the causes and the evidences Of national
greatness.


Stimulated by those exalted sentiments that
impel men to struggle for their homes, for free
dom, for right, and even for conquest, the naked
wretches Of ancient India saved themselves
from the utter oblivion Of time; an obscure


band of italian rufians became the great Roman
people; the miserable Tartar Of the steppes
arose Into the tenacious Russian and the gal
liant Magyar; the dwarhsh byperborean
of antiquity grew. into the northern
battle god Of the Thirty Yeara' War,
and tho nations of Western Europe fought
their way literally to their present high position
in the scale of national grandeur and civiliza.
ton. War supplies great impulses and great
obstacles. The obstacles develop the power
by which they are to be overcome, and whom
they are overcome the power remains 80 that,
though II may seem paradox, II is practical
truth Of history that nation that has lost one
hundred thousand men by battle is stronger by
the value Of one hundred thousand men in the
development Of it's war power; and every pa
triOt who gives his life to his country gives il
in double sense, the strength that was his be.
coming, as it were, part Of the general mass.


Such is the general law Of national develop
ment by war; and in our own case-in this, our
first great struggle-the operation Of this law
is perfectly clear Within the past two years
the two sections of the United States have
spent in war twsnty-seven hundred millions of
dollars, and have lost by battle and disease
half million OF the best portion Of the
population-the brave and active mon. Yet
to-day the United States stands immeasurably
higher as q military Power than it stood before
this war began. Great Britain and France, two
unwilling witnesses, testify to this. Then, at
the very outset they gave us gratuitous in
suit in the recognition of the Southern States;
in their whole intercourse with us they were
arrogant, superoilious and aippant; for we were
nation without an army--a third or fourth
rate military Power already OF war-and they
would fight us if we chose But that is done
with. Our renonstranoes now are heard with
respect and attended to; for we have fought
great battles, and every item of their carnage
has spoken for us In Europe. We have built
ships that are at once impenetrable and sea-
worthy, and we have made Swamp Angels"
Sufficient weight has not been given to the dipio.
matte abilities Of the irst Swamp Angel" From
its msrshy noighborhood ia Charleston harbor
that bold speaker cast food Of light upon
miles was thought to be good range for can
nom but here is piece that has annihilated
half dozen rebel rams in the rivers of Europe
at distance Of three thousand miles Good
practice, that. And i. may be naturally
thought that We ought to make more Angels"
One Is now in the course Of construction al the
Fort Pitt Works whose length is twenty-four
feet thickness through tho breech Eve feet
eight inches, and bore twenty inches: Its
rough weight will be ono hundred and Eve
tons, and, finished, sixty eight tons. From the
same place one ifteen-inch gun is turned out
every two days, and Of mortars and guns Of
smaller size they finish forty per week. We
shall have guns enough at that rate.


In an evil hour for the prepondsrance OF the
Southern politicians, they arrayed one section
of this country in arms against the remainder
OF 1t. As became Americans and freemen, the
people Of the South, though deluded, fought
the battle bravey; but their attemp. is now
we'll nigh over, aud the immense rebellion IL
in its Last days It has accomplished greater
end than was marked ont for IL II hiss given
us the one great want Of the great republic
full trial and development Of our resources
and practice in war. Thus tested and trained,
who doubts that we shall be Ihe better able to
cope with foreign foes, and to go forward all
Che stronger to accomplish our destiny in the
great events Of the future!