Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/351

Rh inexhaustible resources, till the women and children of the South as well as the armies in the field were brought to the verge of starvation by the systematic destruction of the necessities of life. I tell you we are not true to the memory of our brave soldiers who died for us if we suppress the facts for the sake of peace!

I am a man of peace. I plead for peace and harmony, and a united country. But I would have it on true and scriptural grounds "first pure, then peaceable." I would not have that peace which is gained by the cowardly yielding of principle for the sake of material prosperity. Truly, the Lord our God has led us through a waste howling wilderness, and we must remember all the way He has led us these more than forty years.

How often, with all power in his hands, He allowed His chosen people to be defeated, and how often He brought good out of evil! That did not make the evil good, but only showed that He was good and wise.

If prosperity is the worldly Canaan, we have, as Southern people, entered the promised land. When Israel stood at the entrance of Canaan, Moses said to the people: "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy son's son's.

"Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth." * * * "Lest when 'thy gold and thy silver is multiplied, thine heart be lifted up * * * and thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth; but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth. * * * But if ye be drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them, ye shall surely perish." (Deut. 30:17.)

In the case of Israel, history teaches that they did not heed the words of their inspired leader. They did forsake the teachings of Moses, which contained the principles of liberty and true worldly prosperity, as well as the great truths of religion. They served other gods; and they perished as a nation. God intended them for an example for all the nations, that all might know that God is in history.