Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses ! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of these offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope - fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid with another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations. Total gross area (land and water), exclusive of Alaska..3,025,600 sq. miles. Total water surface, exclusive of Alaska..... .55,600 sq. miles. .2,970,000 sq. miles. .3,602,990 sq. miles. Total population, exclusive of white persons in Indian Territory, Indians on Total number of Indians on Reservations, exclusive of Alaska.. .62,622,250 133,382 3 .249,273 8 .23,531 NOTE. Works of reference differ in giving statistics of the states and territories. Those given above are, with few exceptions, on the authority of The Public Domain, Thomas Donaldson, Washington, 1884, and the publications of the Eleventh Census of the United States. The areas given are those of the Eleventh Census, and are gross (land and water). 1 Bought from Russia March 30, 1867. 2 Estimated. "The Reser 3" The Indians not under charge of the United States are slowly increasing." vation Indians are slowly decreasing, but this decrease may be from their leaving the reservations and voluntarily taking the duties of citizenship upon themselves." Census Report. |