The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-07
COMMUNICATIONS.

A LESSON FROM HISTORY.

At cOq ErAnch1s eSt lie COO de La gioire.
Tojours chanter est "a grande yertu;
Est i imprudent. est ii sage,
C'est ce qu'sn ne peut dcfnir,
Mass qui ne perd jamais courage,
Sc rend maifre dsi'arenfr.-0LD SoSG.
The Cock Of France, how glorious he!
Him no reverseAubdueth;
He crowcth loud in victory,
And beaten, louder croweth.
The Cock Of France, how glorious he.
he croweth still, through good and i'll,
Right cheerfuly.
Whether tits wisdom or folly
know motifs nothing 10 me-
But he who shall never lose courage
The Lord Of the Future shall be-
TRANSLATION.
In all great national crises the mass of men
are subject TO extreme, and often to seemingly
unaccountable fluctuations of feeling. One
moment lifted on the wave of an all-pervad-
ing enthusiasm, the next-they are sunk in
depression rs universal as profound. When
some sudden blow is aimed at the. national
safety or honor, and a universal thrill of in
dignation runs through all hearts, a common
danger or q common resentment sweeps away
all minor differences aud selfishnesses, and for
the moment, united people is one hero. But
men In the mass are not capable OF this exalta-
tion for any great length of time. Such pc
riods of enthusiasm have a duration, which
Is Ia an inverse proportion to the numbers SO
stirred. The feelings Of a nation cannot al
ways be kept up to concert pitch. In proper
tion 70 the intensity OF the strain, is the COM
pleteness OF the relaxation which follows Ev-
cry schoolboy knows that in the physical
world, action and reaction are equal. Why
sheuld IL surprise US that, in the moral world,
the facts show q corresponding law?
The reason for the wide spread despouden-
cy, which was observable among us during
the earlier mouths Of the present year, may
to great extent be found in the action of this
universal law. 1t is but the inevitable reaction
from that state Of intense excitement, which
followed the audacious and unprovoked as
sault upon Sumter. There is really nothing
In the national situation to call for gloom or
despair. Painful and embarrassing it may be,
but no more, unless we ourselves will it so.
Comparison between our own circumstan-
ces and those Of Others is often Of use to us.
Let US recall, for our encouragement, a few
historic facts. The darkest hour of the French
Republic may be said to have been the sum
mer which followed the memorable 2lst of
May, 1893. That period, which witnessed
The fall OF the Girondins, and saw the Jacobin
faction established in undsputed sway, found
France beleaguered by foes from without aud
assaied by traitors within. Austria, Prussia,
the Italian Principalities, England aud Spain
had successively declared war against her, and
their fleets and armies encireed her with hos
tile fires. In the north. the Austrians and
Prussians were laundering at Mayence, which
surrendered after three months heroic resist
ance, during which the destitute inhabitants
often fed themselves on rats and the bodies of
dead horses that fioated down from the camp
Of the enemy. La the east the English had
taken Conde and Valenciennes, and might
penetrate at any time to the heart of the coun-
try. In the west, La Vendee swarmed with
L..-A - a. - IL. f..
Pyrenees, the Republican armies had been
twice defeated by the Spaniards. In the south
Lyons and Marseilles were In open revolt,
while Toulon was plotting the treason which
was soon to hand over that important seaport
TO the control OF the English. To oppose to
the disciplined armies of their foes, the Con-
vention had only raw recruits, such as had re-
Gently run away in a Bull Run panic, in the
passes Of the Argonne Dumouriez, their
most skillful general, had just gone over 10 the
enemy. Dampiere was dead. There re-
manned scarcely an officer in whose capacity
and honesty they could confde. The treasury
was empty. The government assignats, al
most the only currency, had so deprecated in
value that silver franc was worth six francs
Ia asslgnats The last years crops had been
insufficient, and the populacc clamored for
bread. That terrible populace, alternately
master and tool, surged below like an ocean
of molten lava, ready TO break forth at any
moment in blood and fame. ut was rcoui-
site,v says Thiers, "at one and the same time.
to create soldiers, arms and acurrency for the
state and the people, and after all this to Sc
cure victories
In this appalling conjuncture, surrounded
by SO many difficulties and so many dangers,
the Republican Government neither hesitated
nor despaired. Each new reverse seemed but
TO inspire them with fresh energy. Once,
when the sitting of the Convention was inter-
rnpted BY messenger with tidings Of disas-
ter, there was motion to call out the senti-
ment of the members. and the whole vast body
rose az one man, and swore never to yield till
they had saved the Republic. And they did
save It. Their courage and their energy we're
equal 20 every emergency. I'VE have but one
coursew cried Danton ia the Assembly. at
is courage, courzge, always couragew That