The Nevada Democrat., 1862-08-26
American ..DegenCrncy."

The London Spectator, one OF the ablest
weekly journals OF England, thus replies to
q slur of the Times, that the Americans have
become degenerate people:
Let us look at the facts. No sooner fad
the war commenced than the Northern peO-
pie, supposed to be the one which Of all
others preferred material objects, laid aside
every pursuit and staked their lives, their
fortunes and their future on war Tor an
''idea," that idea being the one which in
England we call patriotism. Taking the
lowest view of their conduct, they still had
the motive which justified Italy 10 declar.
lug war for VeReta-they fought for their
national completeness. Believed to be dis
inclined to service and incapable Of dsci'
plne, they enlisted in hundreds of thOn-
sands. aud the Times correspondent bears
witness from the Pamunkey to their Won
derful patience amid suffering which equals
that Of our soldiers in the Crimea.
Supposed to be guided wholly by impulse
they answered the frightful disaster of Bull
Run by creating new army, aud raising
loans on q scale Of more than European
profusiOn. "Impatient and fckle," th!y
waited FIVE months for Mcclellan to orgV.n.
ice the army, without abating one Jot Of
their purpose, or becoming. even in lam
guage, more virulent against their foes.
"Incapabe of self-restraint," they have
pard0ned Mcdowell in spite of defeat
which risked their existence as nation,
aud upheld Mcclellan through all his wear
isome delays. A "mere mob" they suffered
Iheir President to postpone the national
pride to the public security, saw the habeas
corpus suspended without struggle, and
gave mp Mason aud Slidell in the very
midst of their jOyOns excitement at their
capture. WOrshippers Of the almighty
dollar" they have deliberately mOrtgaged
The North that the war might not be starved
nnd the nation split into halves.
Without organization, and almost without
l. government. with no adequate revenue,
ind with half their own strength in open
lnsurrectiOn against them, they have fought
on steadily for fourteen months, and in The
very thick of the contest have created ma
W and organized an army such as raises
che Union to the rank Of first class pow
er. And, be il remembered in their praise.
they have so fought without the excitement
pf success, have sustained defeats innnmer-
able, have been compelled TO cast aside
statesman after statesman, to see general
after general condemned as ignorant, dis.
honest, or wanting in fidelity to the cause.
They have done all this, too, without rev.
dictionary measures, without upsetting the
authority of the States. without interfering
cave for three months, with the rouIiHe of
daily life. They are called vindclive, aud
so they are in speech; but, after IA months
Of q rebellion commenced by a treachery
without parallel, Gen. Butler was the
first to inflict death on man convicted of
treason. President Buchanan. whose life
in England under the same circumstances
would not have been worth an hours pnr-
chase, lives at Wheatland still unmOlested.
Not one bill Of prescription has been passed,
the solitary UonfscatiOn bill is not law, and
The people shrink with an almost cowardly
terror from measure which, as they fear,
might create revolution within their enc.
mics homes.