Year: 1865

nobler than ever. A country reunited,
a country FOREVER FREE is restored to
us. Thank God.


Upon the loyal people Of this Union
devolved the mighty task Of preserving,
not only for themselves and their pos
terity, but for all the peoples of the
whole world the priceless blessings of
free republican government. A failure
on our part would have riveted the
chains of the oppressed, would have Sc
o~aed the thrones of the despotic, the
world over, for indefinite years to come
Nobly, glorously have our brave armies
and our patriotic people discharged the
great work. They have set up a light
which shall send it's rays to the utter
most parts of the earth. The people of
all nations shall see it, shall rejoice at
it, shall kindle similar lights for them
selves, until the world shall be bathed
III Ihe uIIEuIhtSS Vi IIce government,
free schools, a free press, a free church,
for all,-popular liberty everywhere
For four years the loyal American peo-
pie have struggled against a powerful
foe, against opposition at home and the
enmity of monarChies abroad, against
encouragement and doubt and defeat,
and behold now the day of their tri-
umph and great reward 1t was the
greatest stake ever fought for and it is
won, Now let the people rejoice, and
thank God, The oppressed Of all climes
will give them thanks and honor gene
rations yet unborn will rise up and call
them blessed.


The glorious old Army of the POto-
mac has finished its gigantic work. For
long years it has heroically toiled and
fought against the flower, the strength,
the bulwark OF treason. 1t has won the
victory. We would not depreciate by
an iota the great, important and bril-
liant services rendered by the other ar
mics of the Union tQwards the achieve
ment Of the great event of the day.
But we rejoice that it was that grand
old Potomac Army that has fought the
unequaled battles and made the un-
equaled marches which first decapitated,
and then destroyed the remains Of,
Rebellion. The reverence and honor of
the people, in the fitting language of
Secretary Stanton will be rendered to
Lit. General Grant and to the brave and
gallant officers and soldiers of his army
for all time.


The victory has come in Gods own
time, and we may be sure it is the best
time. His mills grind slow, but they
grind exceeding fine. Great success
on our part in the first or second year
of the war would have left the graet
curse of this country, the one disturbing
element, the one great antagonist of re
publican institutions, the treason-be
getting sum of all villainies"-
SLAvERY-comparatively intact. Com
promise then would have left the viper
still coiled about the heart of the I'm
ion, ready again to strike at it's life
Much as we strove for earlier success,
deeply Respondent as we were at re-
peated failures, we can now look back and
thank God that He in His all-wise prov
idence overruled the wishes of His peo-
pie to their good. With the destruction
of the rebellion is the destruction of its
cause, wrought out in Gods good time.
The Union, freed from its incubus, pu-
rified OF its guilt, rendered homogeneous
in its institutions and interests, secured
against future treasons, is to enter upon
new stage of development, a new ca
reer of progress and prosperity, and is
to commence new era in the history
of the world.


The cost of all this has been great,
but o, how great the compensation, how
ineffably great the reward to us, to our
posterity, to the whole world.


Let the people rejoice and give thanks
Never will they see another so grand oc-
casion. The event is one, the like of
which occurs twice in the lifetime of
no man. 1t is an event the like of
WHICH occurs once in the lifetime of
comparatively few. 1t is an event Of
ages Let the people who are permit