Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-04-13

| chosen field. 1t 10 covered with WOUNDS
and unsightly scars, and is bleeding at
every pore. 1t may yet make last effort
TO get upon its feet and seize again its
dripping falchion but it has received its
death-wound. The iron has entered its
very soul, and its life is fast ebbing away.
Four years ago it entered the arena with
head erect and confident brow, the cham
pion of human slavery. 1t drew its
sword not so much against the National
Government Of the United States as
against civilization. It proposed to lead
the world back thousand yours. For
the rights Of man it avowed its determin.
ation to substitute human slavery-for
self-government form of society hun
dred times more repulsive than even feu-
dalism. Its aim was not to extort hon.
age and military service from the lower
classes within its borders, but to secure
an absolute proprietary right in their bod
les and souls.
1t has fallen because the objects for
which it buckled on its armor were antag-
onistic to that scheme of human progress
which was arranged before man himself
was created. If the rebellion had succeed
ed, q return to barbarian would have been
inevitable. The rebel States, knit to-
gether by tie unknown to modern soci-
ETY., would have become the ruling power
on this continent. Welded into a firm
and compact mass by slavery, their ten
dency would be to military despotism,
while IN the States north Of the Potomac,
in consequence of the irregularity Of
boundary. disintegration could not long
be avoided. Result, self-government-
that great principle at which the world
has only arrived after ages of fierce and
bloody straightforward have been de-
stroyed forever.
We have only to look abroad to see the
Generalization which the contest was pro-
ducing. France-the nation to which the
world is indebted for some of its greatest
and grandest ideas-the land which gave
birth to Culver. Bichst, Jean Jacques Ros-
seau, Montesquieu, Michelet, DeGasparin,
Laboulaye and Victor Hugo, became so
blinded BY self-lnterest as to regard with
approving smiles our Shareholders rebel
lion. England, too, forgot her own great
act of emancipation - turned her back
upon her own Wilberforces, Brights,
Carnes, Goldwins, Smiths and Cobdens,
and not only conferred all her sympathies
upon the champions of the lash, but lent
them material assistance in the shape of
ships, munitions of war, clothing and
incidence.
With self government dead in the New
~ IL AMI
tinguished in the Old, retrogression would
have been inaugurated. The course of
human affairs would be down, downward
with fearful velocity. The destruction of
the liberty of conscience would follow the
destruction of the liberty of action. Me-
dievalism would again be triumphant I'LL
it was supplanted by absolute barbarism.
Investigation and research in all branches
of science would not only be checked, but
the scientific knowledge Of which we now
boast would be lost altogether. The
sending of messages around the world by
lightning - the propulsion Of ships BY
steam-the taking of ikenesses BY light,
would be numbered among the lost arts.
The history Of Egypt would be reproduced
all over the world. The nineteenth CEN
fury, with all its bright achevements-its
great inventions--its mighty discoveries,
would be crushed to death in the fierce
embers of the revived Fifth.
In vain had assembled those sturdy
Barons on the Aowery Runnymede, by the
muddy Thames-in vain had Cromwell
fought-in vain the Thirty Years Wars
in vain the French revolution-in vain
the appearance of Washington on earth
in vain all the blood that has been shed
for thousand years in the assertion Of
the rights of man, for in the event of the
success of "our rebellion" naught but the
blackness of darkness would anywhere be
discernible in the future. The experiment
of civilization would be pronounced a
failure. II would be settled that barbar-
sim was the normal state of the world and
no reaction would ever again be possible.
To prove that the road is before US and
not behind-that we are to advance in
stead of retrograding, we have only to lift
the curtain and point out the great events
which are transpiring on tie other side OF
the mountains. See those shattered and
broken columns flying before the impet-
uous Sheridan. In the centre are the
baffled arch-trsitor Davis and the discom-
6ted Lee. Here lies the dead Hill-there
stand the captured rebel Generals Ewell.
Kershaw and Bennett. Look further,
and behold those rivers running with
traitor blood-those piles of mangled and
CHASTITY corpses. crushed Richmond-de-
vastated virginia-ruined South Carolina
-subjugated Tennessee. All this came
of an attempt to revive the barbarism Of
ages long past in the nineteenth century.
Civilization has trampled mediavalism
under foot on this continent; or, to state It
in another form. the National Govern
ment has triumphed. The rebellion Is
dead Ala. ...- r ...