Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-12-04
rHECOHsTIFUTIOA-STATE RIGhTs.
RICHMOND WHIG.
FRIDAY MORNING. DEC. q. Ises.
Prophets Of Evil.

rss The universally of their existence has produced
upon our minds conviction that they useful in some
Eay ineomprshenyi0le to limited inteigenceS. These
animals always predict evils where evils possible,
aud seem to take peculiar pleasure in anticipating ca
hmities In private life their ecstaCeS excited BY
the probable insolvency Of debtor, fall in prices or,
failure OF crops. The possibility of FIRE destroys
their reliance in houses to rent While the prospect Of
an overflow deprecistes the value Of the best James
river loW-groulds and eudAngers the general fruitful
yield drought is certainly fatal to the highland
planting, and even the Almanac representations Of
rainy weather cannot shake their ApprehenSonA. In
religion, they believe in universal depravty-hink the
minority Of men are going 10 the Devil and ought to
go-Are constantly expecting the destruction Of the
world and are skepteA regards the promise OF the
raia.boW that the world shall not again be deugsd.-
The Nlertes who some years ago prepared their As
cension robes in expectation Of the end Of the world
we're only the higher class of croAkers. By some
strange perverIty of the human race, however, less
Apprecative people viii continue to credit those gene
rally supposed solvent to SOW wheat, plant corn aud
tobacco rent houses and trusting to kidd Providence,
incur those accidental and occasional mishAps which
nov and then battle human calculations.
Ia politics these animals are always in the way of
souuder thinkers and in revolution like this are real
uisances Vampires said lap the blood of their
victims, and croAksrs seem to snbsSs on anticipated
suHsrDgs of their fslloW-creaureS The capture of
wagon trAia BY adventurous Yankee officer, the
surprise of sleeping picket guard, the defamation of
regiment or any Of those numerous casualties Incl.
dent 10 a state Of war, regarded by these people
az sure indications that "lhe ConFederacy" on It's Last
legs and that subjugatOn is certainty. The falling
back of Lee from Gettysburg was, in their judgment,
the evacuation of Virginia the recent defeat of Bragg,
Ehich sensible people expected alter his failure to
improve the victory At ChickAmAugl, was proof con-
elusive las holy writ" that the ConlederAcy fall
lrs that our glorious little ship of State was Ger
ainly going down, and some rats, true to their in
stncts, said to be leaving that vessel,
which is destined ye! to ride The in safety and
triumph to the haven Of independence if her crew con.
true to the great mission entrusted to them. The
little boy who is told that il he puts salt upon snow
birds tail he Oh him, and goes out through the
snow to atteup: the preliminary step, is not mora
thoroughly quizzed than are those who draw such u-
gubrous differences from the ordinary incidents of war
from the first war upon record to this present one.
the birth Of nation be unaoeompanied with those
necessary pang such events. Every great
nation has had to pass through them and would ap
psar impious in to expect exemption from that Di-
vine Decree as illustrated in the pilgrimage through
the Wilderness of the hosts under Noses and recorded
10 the establishment Of every subsequent nationality
Fac blessings Of this life, like the food which gives US
sus.enance, can be obtained only by "he sweat Of the
broW" and be who hopes to secure them by the adop-
ton of any other means lsbors under deluson which
successive attempts to evads viii certainly cure in the
end The same principle applies to nations.
But absurd as crOakers are, in general they become
ludicrOusly so as regards the present codes To
mines there is something entirely irrecOncabe with all
Ogic in the idea tina; such race as the Yankees can
conquer aud subugate such race as the people OF the
South, unless false to ourselves false to every
suggestion of interest," false to every instinct Of high
ua.ures and lastly false to even the craven impulse
safety and selfpreseTyaion 10 the moral less than
the physical world there exist lower and higher orders
OF power and We believe, until the fact il de-
nonsated by realization that either in the capacity to
win independence, the ability to wise dminstSr
and dispense its blessings when WOp, the people Of the
South inferior to the people Of the North. There
something illogical in the assumption that gallant
people, numerous as ours, imbued from infancy with
contempt Of mere animal life when compared with
aonour-trained to arms-Wth an extensive area of
territOry-csn be conquered by motley cOnglOmera-
ton Ike that which eomposes YAnkesdom. Should
such al event occur, would DO unaccountabls
vel in history and speculation itself would DO baed in
explaining the wonder.
While, however, entertaining these views, We must
be candid in admitting tha. the work Of independence
can be performed only by effort and sacrifice Calling
upon Jupiter will not do in the present emergency
The serpent in the cradle Of the Young Hercules and
the infant giants able to crush his enemy but to dose
he must grasp him with all his might. 1t will not do
TO sleep in imagined security. He must put forth his
stre5gth Success can be aehieVed-but no. by mac
ton. Energy, couags, sacrifice, and all those high
traits belonging to Southern character, are now de-
handed With their development success is certain
But let the Young Hercules sleep in his CRADLE fail to
rouse from his slumbers-lsAve his strength uneK
erted, and Yankee boasts may yet become history.