Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-25
10 boz, though M heart Il seemed
Encouragement OF Our Country's Cause
from History.

The history of the rise Of the Dutch Re-
public and ofthe United Netherlands, is very
encouraging TO the American people ia the
present condition Of the country. No one
can trace the progress Of civil and religious
liberty, amid the thousand perils which
ever threatened their destruction, without
gathering strength to fight their battles in
every contingency. William the Silent was
enTironed by every danger, and yet with
most insufficient means he bore his beloved
Netherlands through them all.
We are not Of the number of those who
despair of our republic. No one can be
mole profoundly impressed than we are by
the dangers that surround US, but there is a
tendency in such circumstances to forget the
lessons of history. Men feel as though our
case were altogether peculiar, and because
there is much danger and excitement, imag-
Inc that all is lost. But how many revolu-
tons and conquests have nations survived,
and sill remained great or have grown
greater through theml
TIE original Gaul, inhabited by its Celtic
race, was conquered by enemies from across
the Rhine, and became France. Successive
families OF kings were superseded by others,
the boundaries of the nation were extended
to include Germany and Italy, and again
contracted. The war of the League, the
massacre of st. Bartholomew, the Revoca-
ton Of the Edict of Nantz, the disorders
Of the Fronde, succeeded, but France still
remained powerful. The corruption of the
Court and the oppression of the people, cul-
mirated in the Revolution, and this was sue
Seeded by the wars Of Napoleon the First.
The ~bouuoarfTs agHIu expanded, and were
again contracted. Bourbon succeeded Bona
parte, and Orleans succeeded Bourbon, aud
finally Napoleon the Third, Orleans, and
still France remains a 6rst-class power in
Europe.
The same historical survey in regard to
our mother country may encourage Us. The
original Celtic populstion-if they were the
frst-were conquered by the Roman. To the
Roman succeeded the Saxon, driving the
Celts northwsrd and westward to the noun
tains. Against the Saxon tumultuated the
Dane, and all at last were subjugated by the
Norman.
But even then the country was by no means
settled. The conflicts of York and Lancas-
ter rent the nation for several reigns-ciyil
war of the worst kind, countydivided against
county, and family marshalled against family.
The wars Of the Commonwealth again led
brother to imbrue his hand in the blood of
brother, and for many years persecution adj
ded its horrors TO the other causes which
seemed about to destroy England. Yet she
rose from these conflicts, and grew even
stronger and stronger.
These volumes, fNotley's History,J teach
us the same lesson from the fens of Holland;
and in this respect they come most oppor-
timely, impressing as they do almost the
whole nation. The scale, indeed, of the work.
ing is small compared with our vast territory,
but the lesson is the same. Liberty, intelli-
gence, religion-these are vital forces, and
all the power Of despotism can not restrain
them. England and Holland stood against
the world and were victorious. This half
drowned land, rescued from the sea, became
the ~watchwoId Of liberty, and a model offs
confederate republic.
The question in all such cases lies mainly,
not in the character or fortunes of the Gov
eminent, but in the spirit Of the people. 1t
is remarkable that the nature of the Govern
ment attempted by the Confederate States1
resembles so very closely that of the Union.
Their flag is very nearly our own, after all
the ~eanvassing over ndless emblems that
were proposed. Some amendments, indeed,
were made, but most of them are real i'm
provements. The tendency in Americans to
create a constitutional Government is ire
sistible. Indeed, if every vestige of e Gov
eminent were destroyed to day, the Anglo
Saxon eonsiruetiveness and horror of confu-
sion, would begin at once to create one. If
each State is sound, in some form we will
have a representative Republic.
Besides, /. is evident that nothing but
slavery can divide the Union. The princi-
pie of union, in other words, is stronger than
every. thing but slavery. 1t is, indeed, griev-
Gus to see the attempt to construct a nation,
whose liberty, learning, virtue and religion,
shall rest upon the basis Of slavery. 1t is
very plain that It can not last. But the fact
itself Of the potency of union, is full of hope.
Alresdy territories are formed about equal
to the number Of States that have attempted
to se4de, and there is in the national domain
room for very many more. This is but a
phase of our great history. We have, we
trust, a long and brilliant future before US
P~resbyteridn Quarterly Reviev.