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to do my best in the light which he affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that, for some purpose unknown to me, he wills it otherwise.

If I had had my way, this war would never have been commenced. If I had been allowed my way, this war would have been ended before this; but we find it still continues, and we must believe that he permits it for some wise purpose of his own, mysterious and unknown to us; and though with our limited understandings we may not be able to comprehend it, yet we cannot but believe that he who made the world still governs it.

MEDITATION ON THE

DIVINE WILL

September [30?], 1862.

THE will of God prevails. In great contests each party

claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.

In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party; and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to effect his purpose. I am

almost ready to say that this is probably true; that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet.

or

By his mere great power on the minds of the now contestants, he could have either saved destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And, having begun, he could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.

LETTER TO GENERAL

MCCLELLAN

October 13, 1862.

My dear Sir: You remember my speaking to you of what I called your over-cautiousness.

Are you not over-cautious

when you assume that you cannot do what the enemy is constantly doing? Should you

not claim to be at least his equal in prowess, and act upon the claim?

As I understand, you telegraphed General Halleck that you cannot subsist your army at Winchester unless the railroad from Harper's Ferry to that point be put in working

order. But the enemy does now subsist his army at Winchester, at a distance nearly twice as great from railroad transportation as you would have to do without the railroad last named. He now wagons from Culpeper Court House, which is just about twice as far as you would have to do from Harper's Ferry. He is certainly not more than half as well provided with wagons

as you are.

I certainly should be pleased for you to have the advantage of the railroad from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, but it wastes all the remainder of autumn to give it to you, and in fact ignores the question of time, which cannot and must not be ignored.

Again, one of the standard maxims of war, as you know, is to "operate upon the enemy's

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