The mountain Democrat., 1863-05-23
THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.
IFrom the Catholic Mlrror.l
Rule or Ruin.

When the A.henians were beSieging the
citV of Thaso, the authorities in mo-
ment of impetuous, but ill-advised pa
triotism, decreed the penalty Of death on
anv one who should dare to propose a
neace with the enemy. The people,
wearjsd hV loug suffering, and menaccd
with famine and IFS tcrrore s~>zst1ft-
pestilence for the return of
neace but the ineXOrahle law checked
the public expression 0f their desires
There was one, however, who, moved 10y
the calaiiities which were impending
over his country, determined to impeiil
his life in order to avert the catastrophe
whicI he loresaw in the near future.
Placing a rope around his neck, he en-
tered the assembly of rulers, and with n
voice full of emotion, exclaimed, I" ac-
cept the fate which awaits me. Let my
life expiate the penalty Of violated law.
Your safety, the safety OF the country hes
in peace, and conjure you to make it at
NNcs," The noble hcroiSm had its
proper eGiecG Detiet- cOoto-e,- fjIe 'lI.t s.
The life Of the patriot was saved, and
the shouts Of peace went up TO gladden.
the hearts Of periShing people.
Our civil war is doing unmitisated
evil. Its horrors are uuutttraLlr. Its
folly aud useleSSness, as a means IL any
desirable aud practicable end, are fu.iy
demonstrated. Its further continuance
is pregnant with discord that may defy
wisdom in counsel and moderation III ac-
tion. There is u heaving Of thc popular
mind which BODIES the presence and asi-
tation Of the hercest elements of popular
passions. The flash aud the bolt may
leap at the same instant from the sur
charged cloud. The effect wiIl bc traced
10 the shattered fragments of 4 once cl"-
rious Union; and in hopeless demolition
of the entire tempt Of Amcr.tru liberty.
"SyllA may resign the dic,4, 'rahip but
alas he will have given a tempting
proof to Caesar hoS much we can en-
dure!"
Ii presence Of dangers SO threatening,
It is almost incredible that men can be
found sufficiently Gemcnted to moca the
public suffering. and treat with callous
levity the appalling disasters which have
recently fallen on the country. Inc
wounded, the dying and the dad Of thu
battle iell are nuu1rrel by hundreds Of
thousands, and sti, the insatlltc Mpipch
OF the war clamors FIR new victims. The
New York Tribune secs in .sic xl1n.4!+-F
of fifteen or twenty thousand ulca az
fredericksburg "much oagsr Tor public
satisfaction; aud the Times insists on
prosecution Of the "lnrI sable work ot
further slaughter and I>-o1G! lu. lag>.
are represeutaiiv. i.lIs. T.. ,u.h..!y
the sentiment tnat uui,i..y> t..'. pati!,,.
ism Of that yaiicAl clrmc't Wi' h uu
ceaGingly c,amor,l Ir COERCION, aul
now, alter al auafiripus s-e'..l'ne, 4 u
eighteen months Of active srrmipatjpu.
We have before u Tue !'.yi.,i L4rs.s'~
We are expected to gath. Wllu u.inIG
gled gratitude. ln att-'a,'.'.- r. 70 crush
out by military tp'Cc e. ,.,;, >s;i,IH e
the South, ", have w,il nigh D.. .ig,yci
ourselves and Vet, Vi'A the popular
mind iretting auI f,>'iIr Lnrcr "pps,-.
6iVe taxation WIKI Ia'... d. ..,,or'yv
coming upon u as ia>, a> go tr ,r-.~.I.
tion and official corruption csI W.. i:
with anarchy looming IN dark aha,.3H>
upon our sociai aaI political hpr z,a, we
fear to believe that all thrsr -!ouimy por-
peace. This bastard fcIr is the result ii
that terrorism Of arbitrary power which
has pressed into ihactIpn III, vital springs
OF pure patriotism. s. tI.i Of l,;la;.V
are our thoughts that We DO hgt seem ~
live IN the pfcsent, Tor Il escapes us by
the very VastneSS e tie tVcjis uf whose
proportions We in vain Try 10 measure a.
they Hit in succession bet - 4,.r astoais.,d
vision. We srlFp "n ,oa ia>t "h,'ii j.
no more all hlS y, tSa,, .-.. .s.a as oic
who fingers un t"Y cUaN4,> Il uaai iHg,
lest the mohtrl OF ouu>rlousuc~S should
bring with it the broken images oi a
dream full of sweet ,UU>lpu. We look
TO 4 future watch = i4'l o! i.:i.s aud
yet fear to invoke the peace w4.cH alone.
under Gods good pr,Aiitcr, ran steer
the country sally tA.ou@A ueM. Thcrc
is something maIve'ode in all tHi>-snmc-
thing inscrutab.e to tlc best mi.ucnt
The very lie Of the nation i, Irtds on
peace-thc mipds and hearts 90! th' pco-
Pile are for peace, and yet the f.la5 var
goes OH and every day = lc-i>,rlinn
every act Uf onr rulr>, al 10 the com
plcationS which MAZE tao attainment If
peace more d ffcuIt The ry>t,ry
would seem to lie in this, that the power
TO act legally IA the Initiation Of
measures preparatory To SPECIFY and
honorable adjustment ut orr difficulties,
rests with the faction which, ~ the in
tereSts Of party, inausurattd the war, and
which now SEES in areturH to peace its
fatal destruction. Hence the lnexora-
ble work" Of the Times must 20 on, for
upon its completion will depend the ton
ure Of power and the tuli.mcnt uf the
mission Of aboltionism.
The only safe remedy is to be found in
the ballOt-boX under the sanction Of law.
The process is slow, but "eve'.t> march )"
and their movements often fail to arrest
the attention Cf bad government, en-
crossed in the narrow aims and corrupt
purposes of party. Hence aLolitioni>m.
disregarding the almost universal wish OF
the people for peace, will hold on in its
destructive career, even though in doing
so, it opened q chaSm Of anarchy that
would engulph, with itself every impor-
tant interest of the country. Without Il
speedy peace that anarchy will inevitably
come upon US, for only that cap paralyze
the maddened energies of abo!itionsm,
now absorbed in one idca-to rule or
ruin.
VINO ARE THEY? when we, hear, says
the Oregon Intclligencer, such cpithcts as
treason, traitor, copperhead, secesh thief,
and many others, applied to the consttu-
tional Democracy, by the vagabond, HEX
spittle, sniveling AbOl tioniSts, we pity