11 paid for a higher style of manhood. It was a strenuous leap of society for the next foothold of civilization. It was the last and critical struggle of a people for the stability of the government and the unity of the nation, in which is garnered up all possible prosperity, through an indefinite and progressive future, and when that last warlike struggle is successfully achieved, the patriot may die with the prayer on his lips, that is both a prayer and a prophecy: “ My country, be thou perpetual as the ages.” If such, then, be our war, as who can doubt it is, surely we are not without a theme for thanksgiving, that we are permitted to look through the dark vista out upon an expanse of serene light and beauty. And we may do more than this, we may recognize God’s sovereignty in this war which he has permitted to be waged against the sovereignty of the nation. Although conceived and born in selfishness and pride, he has not so forfeited or foregone his claim of supremacy as to leave the war without his watch and supervision. He has purposes of his own divine pleasure to be worked out through it, and he will win praise even through such wrath of man as caused this fratricidal strife. Fratricidal did I call it ? It is worse. It wears the black unnaturalness of a matricide. For they who fired the first shotted gun in this embroilment aimed at the heart and life of the most benign of mothers, and would have slain
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