passages from an old volume of life-第25章

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　virile　energy　of　determination　which　made　the　oath　of　Andrew　Jackson　sound　so　like　the　devotion　of　an　ardent　saint　that　the　recording　angel　might　have　entered　it　unquestioned　among　the　prayers　of　the　faithful。

War　is　a　grim　business。　　Two　years　ago　our　women's　fingers　were　busy　making　〃Havelocks。〃　　It　seemed　to　us　then　as　if　the　Havelock　made　half　the　soldier；　and　now　we　smile　to　think　of　those　days　of　inexperience　and　illusion。　　We　know　now　what　War　means；　and　we　cannot　look　its　dull；　dead　ghastliness　in　the　face　unless　we　feel　that　there　is　some　great　and　noble　principle　behind　it。　　It　makes　little　difference　what　we　thought　we　were　fighting　for　at　first；　we　know　what　we　are　fighting　for　now；　and　what　we　are　fighting　against。

We　are　fighting　for　our　existence。　　We　say　to　those　who　would　take　back　their　several　contributions　to　that　undivided　unity　which　we　call　the　Nation；　the　bronze　is　cast；　the　statue　is　on　its　pedestal；　you　cannot　reclaim　the　brass　you　flung　into　the　crucible！　　There　are　rights；　possessions；　privileges；　policies；　relations；　duties；　acquired；　retained；　called　into　existence　in　virtue　of　the　principle　of　absolute　solidarity；belonging　to　the　United　States　as　an　organic　whole；　which　cannot　be　divided；　which　none　of　its　constituent　parties　can　claim　as　its　own；　which　perish　out　of　its　living　frame　when　the　wild　forces　of　rebellion　tear　it　limb　from　limb；　and　which　it　must　defend；　or　confess　self…government　itself　a　failure。

We　are　fighting　for　that　Constitution　upon　which　our　national　existence　reposes；　now　subjected　by　those　who　fired　the　scroll　on　which　it　was　written　from　the　cannon　at　Fort　Sumter；　to　all　those　chances　which　the　necessities　of　war　entail　upon　every　human　arrangement；　but　still　the　venerable　charter　of　our　wide　Republic。

We　cannot　fight　for　these　objects　without　attacking　the　one　mother　cause　of　all　the　progeny　of　lesser　antagonisms。　　Whether　we　know　it　or　not；　whether　we　mean　it　or　not；　we　cannot　help　fighting　against　the　system　that　has　proved　the　source　of　all　those　miseries　which　the　author　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　trembled　to　anticipate。　And　this　ought　to　make　us　willing　to　do　and　to　suffer　cheerfully。　There　were　Holy　Wars　of　old；　in　which　it　was　glory　enough　to　die；　wars　in　which　the　one　aim　was　to　rescue　the　sepulchre　of　Christ　from　the　hands　of　infidels。　　The　sepulchre　of　Christ　is　not　in　Palestine！　He　rose　from　that　burial…place　more　than　eighteen　hundred　years　ago。　He　is　crucified　wherever　his　brothers　are　slain　without　cause；　he　lies　buried　wherever　man；　made　in　his　Maker's　image；　is　entombed　in　ignorance　lest　he　should　learn　the　rights　which　his　Divine　Master　gave　him！　　This　is　our　Holy　War；　and　we　must　fight　it　against　that　great　General　who　will　bring　to　it　all　the　powers　with　which　he　fought　against　the　Almighty　before　he　was　cast　down　from　heaven。　　He　has　retained　many　a　cunning　advocate　to　recruit　for　him；　he　has　bribed　many　a　smooth…tongued　preacher　to　be　his　chaplain；　he　has　engaged　the　sordid　by　their　avarice；　the　timid　by　their　fears；　the　profligate　by　their　love　of　adventure；　and　thousands　of　nobler　natures　by　motives　which　we　can　all　understand；　whose　delusion　we　pity　as　we　ought　always　to　pity　the　error　of　those　who　know　not　what　they　do。　　Against　him　or　for　him　we　are　all　called　upon　to　declare　ourselves。　　There　is　no　neutrality　for　any　single　true…born　American。　If　any　seek　such　a　position；　the　stony　finger　of　Dante's　awful　muse　points　them　to　their　place　in　the　antechamber　of　the　Halls　of　Despair；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　With　that　ill　band　　　　　　Of　angels　mixed；　who　nor　rebellious　proved；　　　　　　Nor　yet　were　true　to　God；　but　for　themselves　　　　　　Were　only。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fame　of　them　the　world　hath　none　　　　　　Nor　suffers；　mercy　and　justice　scorn　them　both。　　　　　　Speak　not　of　them；　but　look；　and　pass　them　by。〃

We　must　use　all　the　means　which　God　has　put　into　our　hands　to　serve　him　against　the　enemies　of　civilization。　　We　must　make　and　keep　the　great　river　free；　whatever　it　costs　us；　it　is　strapping　up　the　forefoot　of　the　wild；　untamable　rebellion。　　We　must　not　be　too　nice　in　the　choice　of　our　agents。　　Non　eget　Mauri　jaculis；no　African　bayonets　wanted；was　well　enough　while　we　did　not　yet　know　the　might　of　that　desperate　giant　we　had　to　deal　with；　but　Tros；　Tyriusve；　white　or　black；is　the　safer　motto　now；　for　a　good　soldier；　like　a　good　horse；　cannot　be　of　a　bad　color。　　The　iron…skins；　as　well　as　the　iron…clads；　have　already　done　us　noble　service；　and　many　a　mother　will　clasp　the　returning　boy；　many　a　wife　will　welcome　back　the　war…　worn　husband；　whose　smile　would　never　again　have　gladdened　his　home；　but　that；　cold　in　the　shallow　trench　of　the　battle…field；　lies　the　half…buried　form　of　the　unchained　bondsman　whose　dusky　bosom　sheathes　the　bullet　which　would　else　have　claimed　that　darling　as　his　country's　sacrifice

We　shall　have　success　if　we　truly　will　success；　not　otherwise。　　It　may　be　long　in　coming；Heaven　only　knows　through　what　trials　and　humblings　we　may　have　to　pass　before　the　full　strength　of　the　nation　is　duly　arrayed　and　led　to　victory。　　We　must　be　patient；　as　our　fathers　were　patient；　even　in　our　worst　calamities；　we　must　remember　that　defeat　itself　may　be　a　gain　where　it　costs　our　enemy　more　in　relation　to　his　strength　than　it　costs　ourselves。　　But　if；　in　the　inscrutable　providence　of　the　Almighty；　this　generation　is　disappointed　in　its　lofty　aspirations　for　the　race；　if　we　have　not　virtue　enough　to　ennoble　our　whole　people；　and　make　it　a　nation　of　sovereigns；　we　shall　at　least　hold　in　undying　honor　those　who　vindicated　the　insulted　majesty　of　the　Republic；　and　struck　at　her　assailants　so　long　as　a　drum…beat　summoned　them　to　the　field　of　duty。

Citizens　of　Boston；　sons　and　daughters　of　New　England；　men　and　women　of　the　North；　brothers　and　sisters　in　the　bond　of　the　American　Union；　you　have　among　you　the　scarred　and　wasted　soldiers　who　have　shed　their　blood　for　your　temporal　salvation。　　They　bore　your　nation's　emblems　bravely　through　the　fire　and　smoke　of　the　battle…field；　nay；　their　own　bodies　are　starred　with　bullet…wounds　and　striped　with　sabre…cuts；　as　if　to　mark　them　as　belonging　to　their　country　until　their　dust　becomes　a　portion　of　the　soil　which　they　defended。　　In　every　Northern　graveyard　slumber　the　victims　of　this　destroying　struggle。　　Many　whom　you　remember　playing　as　children　amidst　the　clover…blossoms　of　our　Northern　fields；　sleep　under　nameless　mounds　with　strange　Southern　wild…flowers　blooming　over　them。　　By　those　wounds　of　living　heroes；　by　those　graves　of　fallen　martyrs；　by　the　hopes　of　your　children；　and　the　claims　of　your　children's　children　yet　unborn；　in　the　name　of　outraged　honor；　in　the　interest　of　violated　sovereignty；　for　the　life　of　an　imperilled　nation；　for　the　sake　of　men　everywhere　and　of　our　common　humanity；　for　the　glory　of　God　and　the　advancement　of　his　kingdom　on　earth；　your　country　calls　upon　you　to　stand　by　her　through　good　report　and　through　evil　report；　in　triumph　and　in　defeat；　until　she　emerges　from　the　great　war　of　Western　civilization；　Queen　of　the　broad　continent；　Arbitress　in　the　councils　of　earth's　emancipated　peoples；　until　the　flag　that　fell　from　the　wall　of　Fort　Sumter　floats　again　inviolate；　supreme；　over　all　her　ancient　inheritance；　every　fortress；　every　capital；　every　ship；　and　this　warring　land　is　once　more　a；　United　Nation！






CINDERS　FROM　THE　ASHES。

The　personal　revelations　contained　in　my　report　of　certain　breakfast…　table　conversations　were　so　charitably　listened　to　and　so　good…　naturedly　interpreted；　that　I　may　be　in　danger　of　becoming　over…　communicative。　　Still；　I　should　never　have　ventured　to　tell　the　trivial　experiences　here　thrown　together；　were　it　not　that　my　brief　story　is　illuminated　here　and　there　by　a　glimpse　of　some　shining　figure　that　trod　the　same　path　with　me　for　a　time；　or　crossed　it；　leaving　a　momentary　or　lasting　brightness　in　its　track。　　I　remember　that；　in　furnishing　a　chamber　some　years　ago；　I　was　struck　with　its　dull　aspect　as　I　looked　round　on　the　black…walnut　chairs　and　bedstead　and　bureau。　　〃Make　me　a　large　and　handsomely　wrought　gilded　handle　to　the　key　of　that　dark　chest　of　drawers；〃　I　said　to　the　furnisher。　　It　was　done；　and　that　one　luminous　point