The Shasta courier., 1862-09-13
The Lesson of the Day.

Harper's Weekly, of late date, has the
following sensible remarks on the d Lesson
of the Day :"
Every event in this war teaches US the
same lesson. 1t is as old as human history,
but it is hard to learn. 1t has been urged
a hundred times in this struggle of ours, and
a hundred Tines forgotten. Il is very sim
pie, for it is only, don't despise your enemy.
From the beginning we have been told
that the rebels had no money, no food, no
ammunition that they were demoralized,
disheartened, and coerced that their cause
was hopeless, and the issue only the ques
tion of little time; that they were good at
dash, but had no persistence and would
soon tire of pro6tless and ovesYhglm-
ing war. Several times they have been on
their last legs Several times the back of
the rebellion has been broken. The . end"
has been approaching" for long time
ard the steadiest and most auspicious pa
pers have occasionally predicted the very
day VIXEN the national flag would float Sc
rene over every inch of the national do
main.
We have all shared this unhappy conf
dence. These columns have not failed to
express it, nor will they ever doubt the sue
cess of the nation in subduing this revolt.
But let us be childish noslonger. The sug-
gestion of the loyal Governors is the prompt.
ing of the national heart. 1t is perfectly
clear now, that if we had million of men
more or less enrolled, and armed as rapidly
as possible, we should haye taken no steps
backward, and the world would not have
lad the least doubt as to the prospects of
the revolt.
Let us henceforth remember that this is a
civil war; that the hate of men who have
been fellow citizens is a hundred fold more
bitter than the hate of foreigners that the
rebels feel their cause to be as sacred as ev-
er our fathers or any people thought theirs
to be; that they have for long years been
taught to hate US and despise us; that the
mass of them are profoundly ignorant and
poor, and that their prejudice against US is
malignant; that they look upon our army as
an invading host, coming to waste their
homes and insult their families and that by
thousand reasons of conviction, passion, ig-
norapee, and fear, they are practically uni.
ted in opposition to the Government. More
over, Il people so infamed and desperate,
occupying 100000 square miles of fertile
soil, will not starve Immediately. If piece
of brown paper, by common consent, buys
loaf of bread, it is as good as gold Disafec-
ton, disappointment, disgust there may be
in individual cases, and in perhaps inten.
tionally exaggerated rgmors of designing
stragglers. But after fifteen months of war
thesrebeis stand to-day bitter, defiant, des.
pcrate; not hoping, of course, to subdue and
overrun rs, bnt expecting to hold out fierce
ly until Europe interposes.
Let no one mistake what we are saying
There is not the least reason for doubt in any
loyal heart. But there is every reeson for
keeping CIR e.es steadily open upon the
facts. A man is not depressed or gloomy
because he thinks a huge and radical civil
war is not picnic, to be ended by an order
of the day. If You expect to stand On the
top of the mountain YOU must climb, and
slip, and sweat, and fall, and bruise your
shins, and up again, and up, and up. The
job is difficult and so is this rebellion. But
it is not in Yankee nature to be foiled. The
tougher the resistance, the more reeolutely,
with grim good -humor, it settles itself to the
task.