The Placer herald., 1865-02-25
From the Richmond Sentinel.
Everything to be Surrendered except IN
dependence,

tune. 1t is cowardly to sink under it. 1t is
absurd to be enieebed by 1t. A brave man
struggling with adversity is worthy of spe
cial admiration-a spectacle for gods and
men
We think our late roverses have done
much toward preparing the minds of our
people for the most exreme sacrifices, if
they shall be adjudged necessary ,o the sucr
cess of our cause. And in truth they are
not sacrifices at all when compared with our
situation. If subjugated, it is a question
simply whether we shall give for our own
uses, or whether the Yankees shall take for
theirs. Suhjugalion means emancipation
and conliscaton.
Al our servants and all our property
yielded up to assist in the defense Of our
country would mean no more, but it would
be far more glorious to devote our means to
our success than to lose them as spoils to
the enemy. Oar situation, too, stripped Of
oar property, but master Of the Government,
would Ue infinitely better than If despoiled
By the enemy aud wearing the bonds.
These views have long received the theo-
retica assent Of our people, They are now
our practical rea!izlug conviction. 4 thou
sand prejudices, thousand concentrated
do1mas, are now ready to be yielded At the
bidding Of Necessity Any sacrifice Of opiu
ion, any sacrifice OF rropelty, any surrender
Of prejudices if necessary to the defeat Of
our enemies, is now the watchword and re-
ply Sntjugation is horror that embraces
xll other horrors, and adds enormous calam>
lies TO It's own. The people see this. They
have & vivid perception Of it. They are
ready on their part for The duties which it
implies. Now our authorities, State and
confederate, rise to tie level Of the great
occasion.
Great exigencies surround us. We need
all our strength and all our wisdom. Let
there be calm investigation Of our wants
and a catalogue Of our resources. Then, by
common consent, let all obstacles to the EN-
poyment OF these Resources be removed. So
long as we have man or dollar, and the
man or dollar be needed let the call be hon
cred.
We must not raise difficulties; it is no
time for that. Shall we withhold our sons,
aud thus reserve them as servants for the
Yaukees2 Shall we send our sons, aud deny
refuse our money? Shall we withhold any
thing iiom our country, when we should be
bat saving it for on. foe! 1t is disgrace 10
a garrison to surrender before Its &mmuni
tion is exhausted.
1t would be adding disgrace 70 onr misery
If we were overcome without having first
exhausted every resource Of defence. II
would he doub.y Infamous to us, because,
with contributions to our def4nco equal to
the spoi'Ntons we should suffer if conquered,
our success would be assured. We should
come out Of tie contest Il: least with that
which would be worth more than all the
rest, our liberties, and our country. Il We
had thrown overheard the cargo, we should
thereby have saved the ship.
Let the Government determine what it
needs and wha. it can use, and if it be our
lands, our houses, our negroes, our horses,
our money, ourselves, it might have them.
Strange that we should cling SO tenaciously
to what is Of least moment. Strange that
we should give ourselves, and grudge Our
property. Our patriotism must lay aside
such seIilshness.
1t must be generous as wei as brave. Our
authorities must do more. They must take
care, whatever befaiIs us, to save us from the
Yankees II adverse gales and devourng
pillows should constrain our storm tossed
ship into some port, let it be no Yankee
port. Ii an unproptious Providence should
condemn Us to a MASTER let it not be a Yam
kee master Of all the people on earth, we
should have most reason to loathe and
dread them. Any terms with any other
would be preferable to suhjuga.ion to them.
This is the sentiment of our people. This
is their conviction, and it is a wise convcI
ton Let our rulers remember it, and heed
it. Our Constitution was made as the de-
velopment Of our national life. Il may not
provide for all the various exigencies Of war;
questions Of State may arise in our eXpor-
ence, as they have arisen in the experience
of almost every other nation, when our best
welfare will require of our rulers the exercise
Of a bold responsibility.
The acquisition Of Louisiana in 1903 was
justified only as a question of State, some
thing over and above the Constitution. If
in times Of peace statesmen have sometimes
thus to throw themselves upon the inteli-
gence of their couutrymen, and seek their
advantage by Irregular methods, such occa'
sions may well be presumed more likely to
arise during struggle for life with power
tul, unscrupulous and ferocious enemy.
The clouds that have tbickened over US
admonish us of the possibility that the time
may come when craftsmanship, if it cannot
deliver US, must at least secure to US the Ut
most palation of our misery If it cannot
save, it must at least save us from the Yam
KEGS.
We lately published from thoughtful
correspondent suggestion that, in the event
Of being unable 10 sustain our independence,
we should surrender it into the hands OF
those from whom we wresed or purchased
it, into the hands of Britain, France and
Spain, rather than yield it to the Yankees.