The Shasta courier., 1860-01-07
Thackeray on Washington.

In the last number of the " Virgnians" is a
spirited passage on the struggles that added
the stars and stripes to the list of national flags:
All It's easy, now we are worsted to look
over the map of the great empire wrested from
us, and show how we ought not to have lost it,
Long Island ought to have exterminated Wash
ington's army he ought never to have come out
OF Valley Forge except prisoner. The South
was ours after the battle of Camden, but for the
uncomfortable meddling of the commander-in-
chief at New York, who paralysed the exertions
OF the only capable British general who appear
ed during the war, and sent him to that mser-
able cuL de sac at New Town, whence he could
only issue defeated and prisoner. o for week
more day more an hour more of darkness or
light. In reading over our American campaigns,
from their unhappy commencement to their in-
glorious end, and now that we are able to see
the enemy's movements and conditions as well
as our own, fancy we can see how an advance,
a march might have put enemies into power,
who had no means to withstand it, and changed
the..entire issue of the struggle. But it was or
dained by Heaven, and for the good, as we have
no doubt, of both empires, that the great west
ern republic should separate from us; and the
gallant soldiers who fought on her side, their
indomitable and heroic chief above all, had the
glory of facing and overcoming, not only veteran
wretchedness, cold hunger, dissensions, treason
within their own camp, where all must have
gone to rack, but for the pure and unquench-
able flame of patriotism that was forever burn
ing in the bosom of the heroic leader.
What constancy, what magnamity, what a
surprising persistence against fortunel Wash
lngton before the enemy was no better nor
braver than hundreds that fought with him or
against him, (who has not heard the repeated
sneers against "Fabius," in which his factious
captains were accustomed to Inu,ilge 4 rut
Washington, the chief of nation in arms do
ing battle with distracted parties calm in the
MIDST OF conspiracy serene against the open
foe before him and the darker enemies at his
PACK Washington inspiring order and spirit
into his troops hungry and in rags: stung bv
ingratitude, but betraying no anger, and ever
ready to forgive in defeat nvincible magnani-
nous IN conquest, and never so sublime as on
that day when he laid down his victorious sword
and sought his noble retirement-bere indeed is
character to admire and revere: life without
stain, fame without aaw.p
Loss OF THE FENSINoRE CooPER.-A5out the
lst OF October violent hurricane occurred in
feno Bay, during which the U. S. surveying
schooner, Fennimore Cooper, was driven on
the beach, and was afterwards condemned and
sofa no ilves were lost, and Capt Brooks saved
an us valuable instruments and surveys. The
Japanese Government showed great kindness to
the shipwrecked crew, sending men to save ey.
erythlng possible, and the officers say that not
single dollars worth was stolen. They were
provided with good quarters, and furnished with
provisions, servants and money Most of the
crew were afterwards taken on board the Pow
hatten, after her arrival from China. The off,
GERS and the balance of the crew will leave for
sue ohited states on the above vessel on the 22d
of ofFebruary next.