The Placer herald., 1865-08-12
The New Battle Fled Of the South.

The South has changed her sword into a
plowshare. and her spear into a reaping
hook. and left the field of Mars for the field
of Industry. The spirit and energy that for
four years enabled her to keep up the un,
equal contest is still unbro..en, and with the
unliring earnestness Of tue and vigorous ma
lures, her people turn to the duties of the
hour. They
Braycly hope, and wisely wait;
and, instead Of looking on their past sacri-
fees and suGtrings as so many exemption S
from present and future toll, educe from
these reasons tor more sustained effort and
more energetic action. For four long wears
they have struggled CALAMITY against fate,
and all but con qneIed; and now they are
wrestling from defeat rarer and a nobler
triumph than ever victory could have grant
ed them.
At the man who 10 unwilling 10 obey is un,
fit to command. ;hen how much more truly
may it be said that the people vino canpol
bear defeat are unworthy to succeed. Moth
ing tests people ike defeat. it is the truest
tombstone Of the national character, and it
afl ,rds the surest basis fo; estimating the
strength Of a popular feeling, or the power
of popular purpose. The men who can
bear defeat without losing f,ilh in the ul,'
mate triumph Of right, wi'hort base truck
ling on the one hand or contemplate brava-
do on the other, who can yield to necessity
without compromising their splf-respecl, and
submit to force without confirming to ty.
ranny, must possess qualities of no ordinary
kind. Aud even the enemies of the South
must ADMIT that the Southern people have
displayed in trIing crcumstances the nouesl
qualities that can ador,I or elevate human
nature. IN war they have shown heroism
dash and endurance. tenaciiy of purpose and
elasticity Of srri; enlhusiasm-not til,
eph+m-ra sort that has its origin in t,,nper
amen', but the enthusiasm that springs from
faith and hope; lean lessness in danger, fori
lude in suffering, and cheerulness in rriva
ton.
But these high qualities gave us no assur
anre that in defeat they might not rush int'
desperate enterprises or sink into inertia =
How they would act under defeat, tleiea
alone could tell. How they have acted ",
know. Defeat has revealed to us Il new
phase of Southern character. rarer, higher
than any exhibited during the war. lha
four years lacks the subimest element o
moral grandeur-maserv ever self its pecu
lar virtue was sci sacrifice: the virtue Of to-
day is seihconrol. To US the war. will, ali
its romance Of heroism and suffering, lis
wealth Of charity and patience, does not give
so elevated an opinion OF the Southern peo-
pie as the manner in which they have borne
themselves SINCE the disbandnent Of their
armies and the failure of The Southern cause
There is more dignity in submitting qnielly
to what is unavoidable than in vanly chatting
under restraint; more wisdom in making the
best of what remains han in flnoiny it away
because of its little value; more patriotism in
helping to light the ship than in taking to
the long boat. So they think. and therefore
we find them laboring earnestly in their new
field Of duty, rebuilding, repairing, reIestah
lishiny order and restoring harmony, s'rug
Cling against circumstances, bearing up
against disaster, gallantly holding fate at bay.
and battling With s,raiiened means and
against ,fra.ful odds, with all the ,lisalvanla.
g-s Of their present position. They are till
ing The ground, they are tending the garden,
they are laboring in the manufactures, they
are working in the dockya'ds they are
building up a nation. In the old battle
fields they lost cause. in the new ones
they will gain country. Here, with their
own right hands. and no ally save lime, they
cannot fail to he victorious.
1t is gallant sigh, to see flying army
pause and reform-it is glorious to see a
tempest tost ba' k right itself and answer to
it's helm; but nobler tar than one or other is
the RESURRECTION Of II Nation New York
Vinuicator.