Year: 1861

wreck of eur institutions should exhibit the
principles OF constitutional liberty-in con


trast with every aspect of anarchy-and in al
their unalterable force and beauty. Let oul
ruin be the tbousandth proof of the violence
of human passions, and the instability OF hu-
man hopes: let it not be damniBg evidence
against constitutional government. To us
nothing appears more certain, than that look
ing to either result, the nation has no neceS-
Sity more Imperative, as means to any endura-
BILE result, than that the Federal Government
instead of shrinking from its true position
on the one hand, or resorting to needless vIo-
lence on the otber-should accept its true
mission as the representative of the nation,
and so to great extent master of the stua-
tion. and pilot the ark in which such tran
scendent treasures are mbarked, courageous
ly amidst the bowling waters. God will bring
1t to the right heaven: for the prayers of ma
ny hundreds of thousands of his children-lie
yet unanswered before his face.


f. 1t is from single point of view that we
have conducted this exposition, and it is un-
to one single result, that We have directed it.
The point of view is that of one steadily be-
holding the imminent and deadly peril of his
cOuntry-nay, its ruin, already in some de-
gree accomplished, and fastening to be COM
plete; and the single result developed is the
salvation OF the country-the aUhoLe country.
Many topics have, therefore, been passed in
Sleuce, winch, from any otner pOlnC Oh view,
or in eXpounding any other result would have
required careful treatment and many other
topics eminently pertinent here, have been
omitted, because have already discussed
them on a recent occasion. 1t is of the last
Importance, that we should not be deceived
by appearances, or misled either by our hopes
or our terrors. The voice that alone ST.
lence the storm that is raging around us-the
hand that is alone competent to grasp and to
crush every element of disorder-that voice
has not yet spoken, that hand has not yet put
forth its strength it is the voice and the hand
of this great nation. 1t is time for it to speak
time for it to act. If we may dare to trust
all the lessons OF the past. it will be true to
Itsef-true to every one who is faithful to it.
In that case we are safe though we may suf
fer much and long before the end is reached.
Our civilization, in its present form, is the
growth OF nearly a century-the growth of
two centuries and half on this continent
the growth of all preceding ages in the old
world, before its best inhabitants came hither.
to construct society afresh out of all the treas
ures of the past. The gigantic oaks of the
forest are not planted more deeply-the ever
lasting mountains have not surer foundation
than our American Civilization. Let the
nation stir itself as giant, waking from his
sumber. Let the voice of God be heard a
mongst us, as the voice of many waters, and
as the voice of great thunder. Let us not
hold our -peace,-iet us not rest, till the peril
is overpassed, that we should be termed Forsa-
ken and our land be termed Desoate-nor till
our country be as crown OF glory in the hand
of the Lord, and royal diadem in the hand
of our God