GENEEAL EEPOET. 
25 
Civil War, which for many years had fitfully glanced in the sun¬ 
shine of the nation’s hope, now rested upon the country like 
Egyptian midnight. Suddenly, from her dream of peace and 
undisturbed happiness, and her vision of unexampled glory, 
the Guardian of our Liberties awoke to find her strongholds 
stoutly besieged and the Great Eepublic throttled by legfons 
of implacable foes. 
Then was witnessed that sublimest spectacle hitherto known 
among the nations—of a people by myriads, at the simple call 
of their chieftain, leaving the peaceful and remunerative fields 
of industry and going forth as with one arm and one will to 
battle for the integrity of their country and the vindication of 
principle; while at home, with re-enforced zeal, the women and 
children, led by such patriots as could not, or were not needed 
to, wield the weapons of war, carried forward the arts of peace 
with undiminished results ; not only feeding and clothing them¬ 
selves and the two millions of our warriors, but even sending 
bread and the products of their mechanical skill to the needy 
populations of foreign lands ! 
Nor is this the sum of the nation’s industrial achievements 
during this eventful period. Institutions of learning for the 
benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, and- liberally en¬ 
dowed by the National Government, have been established in 
many of the States. Cities have multiplied their public insti¬ 
tutions and private abodes. Yillages, by thousands, have 
sprung up like an efflorescence upon the broad expanse of 
our prairies, and carried the clamor of the mechanic arts into 
the heart of primeval forests. The iron horse has made his 
path upon the plains of the far West, and even now snufis the 
cool air of the Eocky mountains on his way to the Pacific 
coast. The lightnings, first subjected by our Franklin and 
Morse, have been taught the courtesies of international inter¬ 
course. Even new States, with territory vaster than many of 
the most potent kingdoms of the Old World, have been added 
to the galaxy of the Union. And, better than all, now that the 
smoke of battle has cleared away, and the call of the bugle and 
the roar of artillery have given place to the ever-welcome music 
