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ter；　and　are　forever　threatening　to　burst　and　shatter　themselves　to　pieces。　　There　they　lie；　in　a　continuous　line　nearly　a　mile　in　length；　along　the　levee　of　St。　Louis；　dirty；　dingy；　and　now；　alas！　mute。　　They　have　ceased　to　groan　and　puff；　and；　if　this　war　be　continued　for　six　months　longer；　will　become　rotten　and　useless　as　they　lie。　They　boast　at　St。　Louis　that　they　command　46；000　miles　of　navigable　river　water；　counting　the　great　rivers　up　and　down　from　that　place。　These　rivers　are　chiefly　the　Mississippi；　the　Missouri　and　Ohio；　which　fall　into　the　Mississippi　near　St。　Louis；　the　Platte　and　Kansas　Rivers；　tributaries　of　the　Missouri；　the　Illinois；　and　the　Wisconsin。　　All　these　are　open　to　steamers；　and　all　of　them　traverse　regions　rich　in　corn；　in　coal；　in　metals；　or　in　timber。　　These　ready…made　highways　of　the　world　center；　as　it　were；　at　St。　Louis；　and　make　it　the　depot　of　the　carrying　trade　of　all　that　vast　country。　　Minnesota　is　1500　miles　above　New　Orleans；　but　the　wheat　of　Minnesota　can　be　brought　down　the　whole　distance　without　change　of　the　vessel　in　which　it　is　first　deposited。　　It　would　seem　to　be　impossible　that　a　country　so　blessed　should　not　become　rich。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　these　rivers　flow　through　lands　that　have　never　yet　been　surpassed　in　natural　fertility。　　Of　all　countries　in　the　world　one　would　say　that　the　States　of　America　should　have　been　the　last　to　curse　themselves　with　a　war；　but　now　the　curse　has　fallen　upon　them　with　a　double　vengeance；　it　would　seem　that　they　could　never　be　great　in　war：　their　very　institutions　forbid　it；　their　enormous　distances　forbid　it；　the　price　of　labor　forbids　it；　and　it　is　forbidden　also　by　the　career　of　industry　and　expansion　which　has　been　given　to　them。　　But　the　curse　of　fighting　has　come　upon　them；　and　they　are　showing　themselves　to　be　as　eager　in　the　works　of　war　as　they　have　shown　themselves　capable　in　the　works　of　peace。　　Men　and　angels　must　weep　as　they　behold　the　things　that　are　being　done；　as　they　watch　the　ruin　that　has　come　and　is　still　coming；　as　they　look　on　commerce　killed　and　agriculture　suspended。　No　sight　so　sad　has　come　upon　the　earth　in　our　days。　　They　were　a　great　people；　feeding　the　world；　adding　daily　to　the　mechanical　appliances　of　mankind；　increasing　in　population　beyond　all　measures　of　such　increase　hitherto　known；　and　extending　education　as　fast　as　they　extended　their　numbers。　　Poverty　had　as　yet　found　no　place　among　them；　and　hunger　was　an　evil　of　which　they　had　read　but　were　themselves　ignorant。　　Each　man　among　their　crowds　had　a　right　to　be　proud　of　his　manhood。　　To　read　and　writeI　am　speaking　here　of　the　Northwas　as　common　as　to　eat　and　drink。　　To　work　was　no　disgrace；　and　the　wages　of　work　were　plentiful。　　To　live　without　work　was　the　lot　of　none。　　What　blessing　above　these　blessings　was　needed　to　make　a　people　great　and　happy？　　And　now　a　stranger　visiting　them　would　declare　that　they　are　wallowing　in　a　very　slough　of　despond。　　The　only　trade　open　is　the　trade　of　war。　　The　axe　of　the　woodsman　is　at　rest；　the　plow　is　idle；　the　artificer　has　closed　his　shop。　　The　roar　of　the　foundery　is　still　heard　because　cannon　are　needed；　and　the　river　of　molten　iron　comes　out　as　an　implement　of　death。　　The　stone…　cutter's　hammer　and　the　mason's　trowel　are　never　heard。　　The　gold　of　the　country　is　hiding　itself　as　though　it　had　returned　to　its　mother　earth；　and　the　infancy　of　a　paper　currency　has　been　commenced。　　Sick　soldiers；　who　have　never　seen　a　battle…field；　are　dying　by　hundreds　in　the　squalid　dirt　of　their　unaccustomed　camps。　　Men　and　women　talk　of　war；　and　of　war　only。　　Newspapers　full　of　the　war　are　alone　read。　A　contract　for　war　storestoo　often　a　dishonest　contractis　the　one　path　open　for　commercial　enterprise。　　The　young　man　must　go　to　the　war　or　he　is　disgraced。　　The　war　swallows　everything；　and　as　yet　has　failed　to　produce　even　such　bitter　fruits　as　victory　or　glory。　Must　it　not　be　said　that　a　curse　has　fallen　upon　the　land？　And　yet　I　still　hope　that　it　may　ultimately　be　for　good。　　Through　water　and　fire　must　a　nation　be　cleansed　of　its　faults。　　It　has　been　so　with　all　nations；　though　the　phases　of　their　trials　have　been　different。　　It　did　not　seem　to　be　well　with　us　in　Cromwell's　early　days；　nor　was　it　well　with　us　afterward　in　those　disgraceful　years　of　the　later　Stuarts。　　We　know　how　France　was　bathed　in　blood　in　her　effort　to　rid　herself　of　her　painted　sepulcher　of　an　ancient　throne；　how　Germany　was　made　desolate；　in　order　that　Prussia　might　become　a　nation。　　Ireland　was　poor　and　wretched　till　her　famine　came。　　Men　said　it　was　a　curse；　but　that　curse　has　been　her　greatest　blessing。　And　so　will　it　be　here　in　the　West。　　I　could　not　but　weep　in　spirit　as　I　saw　the　wretchedness　around　methe　squalid　misery　of　the　soldiers；　the　inefficiency　of　their　officers；　the　bickerings　of　their　rulers；　the　noise　and　threats；　the　dirt　and　ruin；　the　terrible　dishonesty　of　those　who　were　trusted！　　These　are　things　which　made　a　man　wish　that　he　were　anywhere　but　there。　　But　I　do　believe　that　God　is　still　over　all；　and　that　everything　is　working　for　good。　　These　things　are　the　fire　and　water　through　which　this　nation　must　pass。　The　course　of　this　people　had　been　too　straight；　and　their　way　had　been　too　pleasant。　　That　which　to　others　had　been　ever　difficult　had　been　made　easy　for　them。　　Bread　and　meat　had　come　to　them　as　things　of　course；　and　they　hardly　remembered　to　be　thankful。　　〃We；　ourselves；　have　done　it；〃　they　declared　aloud。　　〃We　are　not　as　other　men。　　We　are　gods　upon　the　earth。　　Whose　arm　shall　be　long　enough　to　stay　us；　or　whose　bolt　shall　be　strong　enough　to　strike　us？〃　Now　they　are　stricken　sore；　and　the　bolt　is　from　their　own　bow。　Their　own　hands　have　raised　the　barrier　that　has　stayed　them。　　They　have　stumbled　in　their　running；　and　are　lying　hurt　upon　the　ground；　while　they　who　have　heard　their　boastings　turn　upon　them　with　ridicule；　and　laugh　at　them　in　their　discomforture。　　They　are　rolling　in　the　mire；　and　cannot　take　the　hand　of　any　man　to　help　them。　　Though　the　hand　of　the　by…stander　may　be　stretched　to　them；　his　face　is　scornful　and　his　voice　full　of　reproaches。　　Who　has　not　known　that　hour　of　misery　when　in　the　sullenness　of　the　heart　all　help　has　been　refused；　and　misfortune　has　been　made　welcome　to　do　her　worst？　　So　is　it　now　with　those　once　United　States。　　The　man　who　can　see　without　inward　tears　the　self…inflicted　wounds　of　that　American　people　can　hardly　have　within　his　bosom　the　tenderness　of　an　Englishman's　heart。　But　the　strong　runner　will　rise　again　to　his　feet；　even　though　he　be　stunned　by　his　fall。　　He　will　rise　again；　and　will　have　learned　something　by　his　sorrow。　　His　anger　will　pass　away；　and　he　will　again　brace　himself　for　his　work。　　What　great　race　has　ever　been　won　by　any　man；　or　by　any　nation；　without　some　such　fall　during　its　course？　　Have　we　not　all　declared　that　some　check　to　that　career　was　necessary？　　Men　in　their　pursuit　of　intelligence　had　forgotten　to　be　honest；　in　struggling　for　greatness　they　had　discarded　purity。　　The　nation　has　been　great；　but　the　statesmen　of　the　nation　have　been　little。　　Men　have　hardly　been　ambitious　to　govern；　but　they　have　coveted　the　wages　of　governors。　　Corruption　has　crept　into　hig