ceful industry; whether as victors, or as
the unrighteously borne-down in our sorest hour of need,--it is not
impossible that, in one way or the other, it is yet in our destiny to
refute the monstrous theory that whatever the most powerful nation on
earth does is necessarily right, and that all considerations must yield
to its enormous interests. Such has been till the present the morality
of English and of all European diplomacy,--who will deny it? Can it be
possible that this is to last forever, and that nations are in the
onward march of progress privileged to adopt a different course from
that enjoined by God on individuals? 'Was Israel punished for this?' No,
it can not be. We stand at the portal of a new age; step by step Truth
must yet find her way even into the selfish camarilla councils of
'diplomacy.' Storms, sorrows, trials, and troubles may be before
us,--but we are working through a mighty time. 'Nothing without labor.'
_Our_ task for the present is the restoration of the sacred Union. From
_this_ let _nothing_ turn us aside, neither the threats of England or of
the world. If we must be humiliated by the law, then let us bear the
humiliation. Our Great Master bore aforetime the most cruel disgrace in
the same holy cause of vindicating the rights of man. If new struggles
are forced upon us, let us battle like men. We are living now in the
serious and the great,--let us bear ourselves accordingly, and the end
shall crown the work.

* * * * *

There is no use in disguising the fact--the people of the North,
notwithstanding their sufferings and sacrifices, are not yet _aroused_.
While immediate apprehensions--were entertained of war with England, it
was promptly said, that if this state of irritation continued, we should
be able to sweep the South away like chaff.

Meanwhile, the North is full of secession sympathizers and traitors, and
they are most amiably borne with. There are journals which, in their
extreme 'democracy,' defend the South as openly as they dare in all
petty matters, and ridicule or discredit to their utmost every statement
reflecting on our enemies. They are, it is true, almost beneath contempt
and punishment; but their existence is a proof of an amiable, impassive
state of feeling, which will never proceed to very vigorous measures.
Were the whole people fairly aflame, such paltry treason would vanish
like straw in a fiery furnace.

Yet all the time we hol