e felt at first over this cowardly desertion of
the flag, the continual repetition of such arguments evoked
faint-hearted considerations of the desirability of peace in ever
widening circles.

The fighting of our troops on the plateaus of the Rocky Mountains no
longer formed the chief topic of conversation, but rather the proffered
terms of peace, which were discussed before the bars, on the street, at
meetings, and in the family-circle.

Scarcely a fortnight after the presentation of the Japanese offer of
peace, two bitterly hostile parties confronted each other in the Union:
the one gathered round the country's flag full of determination and
enthusiasm, the other was willing to sacrifice the dollar on the altar
of Buddha.

And other forces were also at work. Enthusiastic preachers arose in
numerous sects and religious denominations, applying the mysterious
revelations of the prophet of Patmos--revelations employed in all ages
for the forging of mystic weapons--to the events of the time. In the dim
light of evening meetings they spoke of the "beast with the seven heads"
to whom was given power "over all kindreds, tongues and nations," and
fanatical men and women came after months of infinite misery and
hopeless woe to look upon the occupant of the White House as the
Antichrist. They conceived it their bounden duty to oppose his will, and
quite gradually these evening prayer-meetings began to influence our
people to such a degree that the Japanese terms were no longer regarded
as insulting, and peace without honor was preferred to a continuance of
the fight to the bitter end. Had God really turned the light of his
countenance from us?

While the enemy was waiting for an answer to his message, the voices at
home became louder and louder in their demands for the conclusion of
peace and the acceptance of the enemy's terms. The sound common-sense
and the buoyant patriotism of those who had their country's interests
close at heart struggled in vain against the selfish doctrine of those
who preferred to vegetate peacefully without one brave effort for
freedom. Our whole past history, replete with acts of bravery and
self-sacrifice, seemed to be disappearing in the horrors of night.

And while the socialist agitators were goading on the starving workmen
everywhere to oppose the continuation of the war, while innumerable
forces were apparently uniting to retire the God of War, who determines
the fate of nations on bloody