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Show 116 THE GOLDEN IIOUR. tion of 1nastcr and slave paralyzes, a · by the voice of a god, every ann uplifted again~t the country, and, which i far better, ave::; it from its own hlindnc ·s here on the precipice\; verge. The \byl, Opportunity, has not yet left the slave forever; hi · eyes strain to·ward the hope which has not yet set; anon he has sent up his signals of fhune to sec if the army of the North is his friend or enclny. nut the slave know , and \VC kno·w, that his status in this struo·o·le n1u t oon be settled; nay, in ·on1c l)Oints bb it is already settled, anu he tands the anneJ foe of the United States. As soon as it is <lctennined that this is not his Golden Ilour, he choo ·cs between two foes ; and ·why should he not choo c the side of those who repro cnt the evil he knows, over tho e rcprc entativc of the evils he knows not of? \Vhy shoulu he fly to tho c who c ·tccn1 his rjghts beneath the rights of traitor , thieYcs, and a· ·a~ ·in ,? Why should he select those ·who can do hitn no hann where he is, in preference to tho ·o \vho 1nn-.r ·till hold power oYer his wife an<l chilJ and parent? The Golden Ilonr will not wait on us to the measure of our own moral cow·ardice. " W c shoul<l not be in haste to dctcnninc that radical measures arc necessary," say the President. True, but we should be as much ·without rest a· \Vithout baste, for no hour will bear to have it ta k put off upon another hour. The pro cnt hour offers us a peaceful victory through emancipation. The next n1ay offer us only THE GOLDEN HOUR. 117 victory by that ll1eans. The third Ina rr . Y OliCI' US a co lly victory, provided we can , .d <- pl OVl C ar1ns for the slave. . The fourlh 111ay 111a}·c .t a· . . . ( " 1 as 1fficu1t to do tln ' as lt l .. now to fnrni. ·h ar . t 1 ~ nls o t lC loyal men of East Tonne ·sec. T'hc fifLh may sweep away our advantages altogether ' and our Gx o ld en IIo ur, crossed by a scythe, become a syn1bol on our nati·o ' 0 P . · n s grave. ur resident and lcO'islator tall f 1 . b c c o t us advan-tage- our only advanta(rc Inarl{- of . l'b b ' us1n0' 1 crty to saYc the country as if Ti . b . • • ' 1110 wa. In their pay. Tunc I Jll th. e pay of tho. o who t a I 1 . {C 1nn by the forelock : he 1s all bald behind. When the com1nandin0' general at W 1. b as unglon an-nounced that every soldier found guilty of l . d S cep1n 0' on uty should be shot .0 1110 f b ' o us were alann d by an apprehension that he would have t o b egu. 1 at the head of the army ' and shoot a 11 , d own to the drumiucr-boy. So far as tho country knew, tho whole arn1y of the Poton1ac was fast a ·lecp. 'l:'lwrc is in hi tory no other instance of " • • • <-1111 army w~tlnn sight of an cnciny sleeping away ·ea on so fmr. Why was that strange he ·itancy? "Tl • 10 anny must h.c re-organized " : \VC waited until it had passed Its Inaxiinum of orO'anization aild b) t . b , egan o decline. " The rivers arc too highly swollen " : we stood still until they had ub ·ide,, " Tl ,, u.. 1e roaus are utterly ilnpas able for artillery" : we waited until they were dry. " When the leaves fall " : the last |