p. 132 | Untitled article

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 28, 1865

From Peace to War.

Four years ago the rebellion found the free States of the North, almost wholly unarmed, given to peaceful pursuits, and unpracticed in the arts of war. The emergency of the case required haste. The very material of war had to be created as well as armies raised. With its characteristic energy the nation turned itself to war. It has received four years of stern discipline, and has made unparalleled progress in this direction. Having sustained a most gigantic rebellion for four years, commencing with nothing comparatively, the following items gleaned from the last report of the Secretary of War, show what the nation has been enabled to do during the year 1864, in the way of developing military strength:

"Cannon manufactured in 1864, 1,750. Small arms, 802,625. Projectiles for cannon manufactured in 1864, 1,671,244. Bullets and lead (pounds) 12,740,146. Gunpowder (pounds) 8,409,400. West Point cadets commissioned, 27. Flags captured from the rebels, 200. Number of military hospitals, 190. Number of national forces enrolled, 2,784,226. Cost of enrollment and draft, $4,016,728."

These figures should be read again in order to get an idea of their magnitude, and the vast amount of one year's work, even under the pressure of a most terrible war. If in such items as these we do not read a fulfillment of Joel iii, 9, 10, we see not what could furnish it.