The sooner the war is ended, the more favorable will be the terms granted to the Slavocracy; but no terms will be granted which do not look to its extinction.  The slaveholders are impelled by their system to complete victory or utter ruin.  If they obey the laws of their system, they have, from present appearances, nothing but defeat, beggary, and despair to expect.  If they violate the laws of their system, they must take their place in some one of the numerous degrees, orders, and ranks of the Abolitionists.  It will be well for them, if the wilfulness developed by their miserable system gives way to the plain reason and logic of facts and events.  It will be well for them, if they submit to a necessity, not only inherent in the inevitable operation of divine laws, but propelled by half a million of men in arms.  Be it that God is on the side of the heaviest column,—­there can be no doubt that the heaviest column is now the column of Freedom.

* * * * *

THE VOLUNTEER.

  “At dawn,” he said, “I bid them all farewell,
    To go where bugles call and rifles gleam.” 
  And with the restless thought asleep he fell,
    And glided into dream.

  A great hot plain from sea to mountain spread,—­
    Through it a level river slowly drawn. 
  He moved with a vast crowd, and at its head
    Streamed banners like the dawn.

  There came a blinding flash, a deafening roar,
    And dissonant cries of triumph and dismay;
  Blood trickled down the river’s reedy shore,
    And with the dead he lay.

  The morn broke in upon his solemn dream;
    And still, with steady pulse and deepening eye,
  “Where bugles call,” he said, “and rifles gleam,
    I follow, though I die!”

  Wise youth!  By few is glory’s wreath attained;
    But death or late or soon awaiteth all. 
  To fight in Freedom’s cause is something gained,—­
    And nothing lost, to fall.

SPEECH OF HON’BLE PRESERVED DOE IN SECRET CAUCUS.

To the Editors of the ATLANTIC MONTHLY.

Jaalam, 12th April, 1862.

GENTLEMEN,—­As I cannot but hope that the ultimate, if not speedy, success of the national arms is now sufficiently ascertained, sure as I am of the righteousness of our cause and its consequent claim on the blessing of God, (for I would not show a faith inferiour to that of the pagan historian with his Facile evenit quod Dis cordi est,) it seems to me a suitable occasion to withdraw our minds a moment from the confusing din of battle to objects of peaceful and permanent interest.  Let us not neglect the monuments of preterite history because what shall be history is so diligently making under our eyes. Cras ingens iterabimus aequor; to-morrow will be time enough for that stormy sea; to-day let me engage the attention of your readers with the Runick