passages from an old volume of life-第17章

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mblies。

In　periods　of　disturbance　like　the　present；　many　persons　who　sincerely　love　their　country　and　mean　to　do　their　duty　to　her　disappoint　the　hopes　and　expectations　of　those　who　are　actively　working　in　her　cause。　　They　seem　to　have　lost　whatever　moral　force　they　may　have　once　possessed；　and　to　go　drifting　about　from　one　profitless　discontent　to　another；　at　a　time　when　every　citizen　is　called　upon　for　cheerful；　ready　service。　　It　is　because　their　minds　are　bewildered；　and　they　are　no　longer　truly　themselves。　　Show　them　the　path　of　duty；　inspire　them　with　hope　for　the　future；　lead　them　upwards　from　the　turbid　stream　of　events　to　the　bright；　translucent　springs　of　eternal　principles；　strengthen　their　trust　in　humanity　and　their　faith　in　God；　and　you　may　yet　restore　them　to　their　manhood　and　their　country。

At　all　times；　and　especially　on　this　anniversary　of　glorious　recollections　and　kindly　enthusiasms；　we　should　try　to　judge　the　weak　and　wavering　souls　of　our　brothers　fairly　and　generously。　　The　conditions　in　which　our　vast　community　of　peace…loving　citizens　find　themselves　are　new　and　unprovided　for。　　Our　quiet　burghers　and　farmers　are　in　the　position　of　river…boats　blown　from　their　moorings　out　upon　a　vast　ocean；　where　such　a　typhoon　is　raging　as　no　mariner　who　sails　its　waters　ever　before　looked　upon。　　If　their　beliefs　change　with　the　veering　of　the　blast；　if　their　trust　in　their　fellow…　men；　and　in　the　course　of　Divine　Providence；　seems　well…nigh　shipwrecked；　we　must　remember　that　they　were　taken　unawares；　and　without　the　preparation　which　could　fit　them　to　struggle　with　these　tempestuous　elements。　　In　times　like　these　the　faith　is　the　man；　and　they　to　whom　it　is　given　in　larger　measure　owe　a　special　duty　to　those　who　for　want　of　it　are　faint　at　heart；　uncertain　in　speech；　feeble　in　effort；　and　purposeless　in　aim。

Assuming　without　argument　a　few　simple　propositions；that　self…　government　is　the　natural　condition　of　an　adult　society；　as　distinguished　from　the　immature　state；　in　which　the　temporary　arrangements　of　monarchy　and　oligarchy　are　tolerated　as　conveniences；　that　the　end　of　all　social　compacts　is；　or　ought　to　be；　to　give　every　child　born　into　the　world　the　fairest　chance　to　make　the　most　and　the　best　of　itself　that　laws　can　give　it；　that　Liberty；　the　one　of　the　two　claimants　who　swears　that　her　babe　shall　not　be　split　in　halves　and　divided　between　them；　is　the　true　mother　of　this　blessed　Union；　that　the　contest　in　which　we　are　engaged　is　one　of　principles　overlaid　by　circumstances；　that　the　longer　we　fight；　and　the　more　we　study　the　movements　of　events　and　ideas；　the　more　clearly　we　find　the　moral　nature　of　the　cause　at　issue　emerging　in　the　field　and　in　the　study；　that　all　honest　persons　with　average　natural　sensibility；　with　respectable　understanding；　educated　in　the　school　of　northern　teaching；　will　have　eventually　to　range　themselves　in　the　armed　or　unarmed　host　which　fights　or　pleads　for　freedom；　as　against　every　form　of　tyranny；　if　not　in　the　front　rank　now；　then　in　the　rear　rank　by　and　by；assuming　these　propositions；　as　many；　perhaps　most　of　us；　are　ready　to　do；　and　believing　that　the　more　they　are　debated　before　the　public　the　more　they　will　gain　converts；　we　owe　it　to　the　timid　and　the　doubting　to　keep　the　great　questions　of　the　time　in　unceasing　and　untiring　agitation。　　They　must　be　discussed；　in　all　ways　consistent　with　the　public　welfare；　by　different　classes　of　thinkers；　by　priests　and　laymen；　by　statesmen　and　simple　voters；　by　moralists　and　lawyers；　by　men　of　science　and　uneducated　hand…laborers；　by　men　of　facts　and　figures；　and　by　men　of　theories　and　aspirations；　in　the　abstract　and　in　the　concrete；　discussed　and　rediscussed　every　month；　every　week；　every　day；　and　almost　every　hour；　as　the　telegraph　tells　us　of　some　new　upheaval　or　subsidence　of　the　rocky　base　of　our　political　order。

Such　discussions　may　not　be　necessary　to　strengthen　the　convictions　of　the　great　body　of　loyal　citizens。　　They　may　do　nothing　toward　changing　the　views　of　those；　if　such　there　be；　as　some　profess　to　believe；　who　follow　politics　as　a　trade。　　They　may　have　no　hold　upon　that　class　of　persons　who　are　defective　in　moral　sensibility；　just　as　other　persons　are　wanting　in　an　ear　for　music。　　But　for　the　honest；　vacillating　minds；　the　tender　consciences　supported　by　the　tremulous　knees　of　an　infirm　intelligence；　the　timid　compromisers　who　are　always　trying　to　curve　the　straight　lines　and　round　the　sharp　angles　of　eternal　law；　the　continual　debate　of　these　living　questions　is　the　one　offered　means　of　grace　and　hope　of　earthly　redemption。　　And　thus　a　true；　unhesitating　patriot　may　be　willing　to　listen　with　patience　to　arguments　which　he　does　not　need；　to　appeals　which　have　no　special　significance　for　him；　in　the　hope　that　some　less　clear　in　mind　or　less　courageous　in　temper　may　profit　by　them。

As　we　look　at　the　condition　in　which　we　find　ourselves　on　this　fourth　day　of　July；　1863；　at　the　beginning　of　the　Eighty…eighth　Year　of　American　Independence；　we　may　well　ask　ourselves　what　right　we　have　to　indulge　in　public　rejoicings。　　If　the　war　in　which　we　are　engaged　is　an　accidental　one；　which　might　have　been　avoided　but　for　our　fault；　if　it　is　for　any　ambitious　or　unworthy　purpose　on　our　part；　if　it　is　hopeless；　and　we　are　madly　persisting　in　it；　if　it　is　our　duty　and　in　our　power　to　make　a　safe　and　honorable　peace；　and　we　refuse　to　do　it；　if　our　free　institutions　are　in　danger　of　becoming　subverted；　and　giving　place　to　an　irresponsible　tyranny；　if　we　are　moving　in　the　narrow　circles　which　are　to　ingulf　us　in　national　ruin；then　we　had　better　sing　a　dirge；　and　leave　this　idle　assemblage；　and　hush　the　noisy　cannon　which　are　reverberating　through　the　air；　and　tear　down　the　scaffolds　which　are　soon　to　blaze　with　fiery　symbols；　for　it　is　mourning　and　not　joy　that　should　cover　the　land；　there　should　be　silence；　and　not　the　echo　of　noisy　gladness；　in　our　streets；　and　the　emblems　with　which　we　tell　our　nation's　story　and　prefigure　its　future　should　be　traced；　not　in　fire；　but　in　ashes。

If；　on　the　other　hand；　this　war　is　no　accident；　but　an　inevitable　result　of　long　incubating　causes；　inevitable　as　the　cataclysms　that　swept　away　the　monstrous　births　of　primeval　nature；　if　it　is　for　no　mean；　unworthy　end；　but　for　national　life；　for　liberty　everywhere；　for　humanity；　for　the　kingdom　of　God　on　earth；　if　it　is　not　hopeless；　but　only　growing　to　such　dimensions　that　the　world　shall　remember　the　final　triumph　of　right　throughout　all　time；　if　there　is　no　safe　and　honorable　peace　for　us　but　a　peace　proclaimed　from　the　capital　of　every　revolted　province　in　the　name　of　the　sacred；　inviolable　Union；　if　the　fear　of　tyranny　is　a　phantasm；　conjured　up　by　the　imagination　of　the　weak；　acted　on　by　the　craft　of　the　cunning；　if　so　far　from　circling　inward　to　the　gulf　of　our　perdition；　the　movement　of　past　years　is　reversed；　and　every　revolution　carries　us　farther　and　farther　from　the　centre　of　the　vortex；　until；　by　God's　blessing；　we　shall　soon　find　ourselves　freed　from　the　outermost　coil　of　the　accursed　spiral；　if　all　these　things　are　true；　if　we　may　hope　to　make　them　seem　true；　or　even　probable；　to　the　doubting　soul；　in　an　hour's　discourse；　then　we　may　join　without　madness　in　the　day's　exultant　festivities；　the　bells　may　ring；　the　cannon　may　roar；　the　incense　of　our　harmless　saltpetre　fill　the　air；　and　the　children　who　are　to　inherit　the　fruit　of　these　toiling；　agonizing　years；　go　about　unblamed；　making　day　and　night　vocal　with　their　jubilant　patriotism。

The　struggle　in　which　we　are　engaged　was　inevitable；　it　might　have　come　a　little　sooner；　or　a　little　later；　but　it　must　have　come。　　The　disease　of　the　nation　was　organic；　and　not　functional；　and　the　rough　chirurgery　of　war　was　its　only　remedy。

In　opposition　to　this　view；　there　are　many　languid　thinkers　who　lapse　into　a　forlorn　belief　that　if　this　or　that　man　had　never　lived；　or　if　this　or　that　other　man　had　not　ceased　to　live；　the　country　might　have　gone　on　in　peace　and　prosperity；　until　its　felicity　merged　in　the　glories　of　the　millennium。　　If　Mr。　Calhoun　had　never　proclaimed　his　heresies；　if　Mr。　Garrison　had　never　published　his　paper；　if　Mr。　Phillips；　the　Cassandra　in　masculine　shape　of　our　long　pr